Port Moresby Australian Rules Football League

{{see also|Australian rules football in Papua New Guinea}}

The league began in Port Moresby in 1955. Initially it was mostly expatriate Victorians, including many from the Warrnambool district working in Moresby at the time, whose numbers rapidly swelled the competition to 8 teams.{{cite web| url = https://www.standard.net.au/story/2122917/port-moresby-ex-pats-kick-on-after-50-years| title = Port Moresby ex-pats kick on after 50 years| date = 3 March 2014}} The Standard. MARCH 3 2014 Port Moresby was one of the founding clubs. Initially the competition maintained a low profile, with rugby league being the main sport for locals in Moresby. Despite having several clubs, other Australian Rules Football leagues in Madang and Lae were more popular. By the end of the 1960s, the Port Moresby league had shrunk to a handful of clubs consisting almost entirely of expatriates.

By 1970, a wave of interest in the sport across the country saw the Port Moresby league grow rapidly. This saw an influx of players to the national capital. With Boroko, Goroka, Elcom and PIR entering the league, it now had 6 clubs.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250223097 |title=March is wedding time for this family |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=24 March 1970 |access-date=15 June 2023 |page=23 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250218756 |title=New Aussie Rules club gets 60 at training |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=11 February 1970 |access-date=15 June 2023 |page=32 |via=National Library of Australia}} An increase in the number of Papuans in the league saw its media profile lift considerably.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250230386 |title=PIR TROUNCE TIGERS IN GREAT VICTORY |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=22 June 1970 |access-date=15 June 2023 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 1972 the league played its first match at the newly developed Hubert Murray Stadium under lights.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250294399 |title=Aviat-Koboni to clash in night match |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=16 May 1972 |access-date=14 June 2023 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}} The match was a success and during the 1970s due the league's increasing popularity, it played a match of the round there at night, drawing large crowds despite charging spectators for admission.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250615413 |title=Rules season to start with night games |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=3 April 1973 |access-date=14 June 2023 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}} Due to the popularity of the games the league scheduled all of its matches at the stadium in 1973.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250742301 |title=PIR bow out of Moresby rules |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=11 May 1973 |access-date=14 June 2023 |page=52 |via=National Library of Australia}} During this period, the league ran A, B and C grades with most clubs fielding a side in all three grades.

In 1975 all matches were played at Boroko Sports Ground.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251043717 |title=Advertising |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=18 April 1975 |access-date=8 June 2023 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 1976 the competition expanded with 3 new sides: Police, NBC and Bomana.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250318897 |title=Ten sides in PM Aust rules comp |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=30 January 1976 |access-date=14 June 2023 |page=38 |via=National Library of Australia}} By this time, most of the Australian expatriates had left the competition, due to the increasing standard and increased competition with Papua New Guinean nationals.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250575983 |title=SPORTS BIGGEST CHANGE IN MY 10 YEARS HERE |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=22 December 1976 |access-date=15 June 2023 |page=27 |via=National Library of Australia}}

The league along with the sport across the country, reached a height in popularity in 1977 with the Grand Final that year attracting a record crowd of 6,000 paying spectators to the Hubert Murray Stadium.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250320682 |title=Koboni surge to 7th premiership |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=19 September 1977 |access-date=9 June 2023 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Despite booming in the 1970s in the 1980s the sport in Papua New Guinea went into rapid decline following a failed restructure by Australian interests and the POMAFL came close to folding due to withdrawal of funding for the sport at senior level. The league considered radical changes to stay afloat including shifting the season to the summer months to avoid clashes with other sports, primarily rugby league.

The competition expanded to ten clubs in 2013[https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/footy-in-port-moresby-png/ Footy in Port Moresby, PNG] by Raitman for The Footy Almanac 3 July 2014 with the addition of 3 new teams.[https://www.thenational.com.pg/three-new-teams-boost-afl-comp/ Three new teams boost AFL comp] from The National 13 March 2013

Due to ongoing disputes with PNG Cricket in the 2010s, the league was restricted from utilising grounds used for cricket. Access to Amini Park for occasional finals matches was granted in the 2010s before the league had to find its own facilities.

While member clubs sell naming rights to local business sponsors the league suffered from inadequate infrastructure, relying heavily on support from Australia.[https://www.thenational.com.pg/pom-afl-get-new-gear-from-donation-programme/ POM AFL get new gear from donation programme] from The National 15 August 2022 Matches were played at Murray Barracks Oval before settling on its current home in 2019, the Bisini Colts Oval one of its historic homes which was in desperate need of redevelopment due to its degraded surface after funding for its redevelopment was reallocated.[https://www.postcourier.com.pg/abandoned-afl-oval-sits-idle/ Abandoned AFL oval sits idle] by Simon Kelsep for PNG Post Courier 6 November 2019 The league receives donations of equipment from its affiliation with AFL Queensland.

The league added a women's division in 2022. However the season was cancelled during the finals series due to controversy over player eligibility with clubs fielding star rugby players who had not played sufficient games during the season proper to qualify.[https://pnghausbung.com/pom-afl-cancels-womens-competition/ POMAFL cancels women's competition] by Emmanuel Waipe 3 September 2022

Due to the rapid growth of the sport in 2023 funding was allocated for the re-development of Bisini Park Colts Oval to AFL standards.

• South Pacific Brewery (1975){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250397207 |title=Advertising |newspaper=Papua New Guinea Post-courier |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=5 September 1975 |access-date=8 June 2023 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• Kellogg's, Mars (2008)
• PNG Super (2009)
• Bank of South Pacific (2011-2013)
• Esiloan (2014-2019)[https://www.thenational.com.pg/loan-firm-throws-lifeline-to-afl-png/ Loan firm throws lifeline to AFL PNG] from The National 21 April 2014
• Moni Plus (2021-2023)[https://www.thenational.com.pg/premiers-start-afl-season-on-high-note/ Premiers start AFL season on high note] from The National 27 July 2021

{{Reflist}}

Category:Sports leagues established in 1955

Category:Football leagues in Papua New Guinea

Category:Australian rules football in Papua New Guinea

Category:Port Moresby

Category:1955 in Oceanian sport

Category:1955 establishments in Oceania