The Port Moresby Australian Football League (also known as the Port Moresby Australian Rules Football League or POM AFL) is the longest running Australian rules football league outside of Australia, founded in 1955. It is Papua New Guinea's most popular league in the sport and for a time in the 1970s shared similar prominence to the Port Moresby Rugby League competition playing to large paying crowds at Hubert Murray Stadium.
Port Moresby's Koboni Demons club (founded 1965 it is one of the longest running outside Australia), consisting mainly of players from the Central Province with 19 premierships has dominated the competition along with its major rival West (consisting of players from West New Britain).
The league since the 1980s has struggled for recognition, and following ongoing disputes with Cricket PNG over use of its grounds plays mainly out of Bisini Park Colts Oval - however due to the rapid growth of the sport in 2023 funding was allocated for its re-development to AFL standards.K10 Million for New AFL Stadium in Port Moresby by Emmanuel Maipe 23 January 2023
The POMAFL premiership is contested by 11 clubs with senior men's (10 teams), men's reserves (10 teams), senior women's (6 teams) and junior/colts divisions.
History
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. 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. An increase in the number of Papuans in the league saw its media profile lift considerably.
In 1972 the league played its first match at the newly developed Hubert Murray Stadium under lights. 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. Due to the popularity of the games the league scheduled all of its matches at the stadium in 1973. 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.
In 1976 the competition expanded with 3 new sides: Police, NBC and Bomana. 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.
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.
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 2013Footy in Port Moresby, PNG by Raitman for The Footy Almanac 3 July 2014 with the addition of 3 new teams.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.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.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.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.
Clubs
Current clubs Club Home Ground Nickname Founded Years in men's competition Premiers(Men's) Years in women's competition Premiers(Women's) Koboni Australian Rules Football Club Colts Oval Bomini Park, Port Moresby Demons 1965 1965- 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1991*, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999*, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2022 2017- University of Papua New Guinea Australian Rules Football Club (known as "University") University of Papua New Guinea Oval Tigers (formerly Bulldogs) 1975 1975- 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012 2014- 2014 West New Britain Football Club (known simply as "West" or "Wests") Eagles 1976 1976- (except 2009–2014) 1979, 1987, 1989, 1991*, 1995, 1996, 1999*, 2007, 2019, 2020 2021- 2023 Lamana Football Club Dockers 1996 1996- 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2017 2015- 2017, 2020 Bomana Football Club Cats 2008 2008- 2011 Gordons Football Club Kokofas 2013 2013- 2016, 2023* 2015- 2019 Gerehu Football Club Magpies 2013 2013- 2024* 2015- 2015 Gereka Football Club (began as Centrals, later Goroka) Bombers 2013 2013- 2023*, 2024* Alavana Football Club Hula, Rigo DistrictHula eyes inclusion from The National 24 July 2020 Swans 2020 2021-Hula team joins POMAFL competition by DONALD NANGOI for the Post Courier. 2 August 2021 Port Football Club Port Moresby Technical College Powers 2022 2022-POM AFL Season Proper Starts from Loop PNG 13 May 2022 PNG Power Football Club Hohola (PNG Power Limited) Power 2023 2023-PNG Power set to join POM AFL competition from The National 14 March 2023
Former clubs Club Home Ground Nickname Founded-Folded Premiers(Men's) Notes Port Moresby Australian Rules Football Club (known as "Moresby") Boroko Sports Ground Swans 1955-?Long Taim Stori Bilong Port Moresby Australian Rules Football Club 1955-1975 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968 Foundation club Boroko-Badili Football Club Boroko Sports Ground 1955-1970 Foundation club Defence Force Australian Rules Football Club (formerly Murray Barrack Football Club) Defence 1969 1975 Aviat Australian Rules Football Club (Civil Aviation Agency) 1969 1971 Changed name to Rigo in 1978 and began a cricket club Goroka Football Club 1969 Elcom Football Club 1970 Merged with Bomana in 1978 Pacific Islands Regiment Football Club (known as "PIR") 1970 Halagu Football Club 1974 Police Football Club 1976 NBC Football Club 1976 Bomana Australian Rules Football Club Demons 1976 Merged with Elcom in 1978 Boroko Australian Rules Football Club Koboni Ground, Boroko Demons 1978 1978 Formed out of the merger of Elcom and Bomana clubs Sogeri Football Club 1963 Collegians Football Club Taurauma Football Club Taurama AFL Oval, Pari Suns, Diggers 2013 2014 Koki Football Club Laloki Football Club Gulf Isapeas Football Club Giants (Isapeas) 2013
Men's Premiership results Year Teams Venue Notes 1960 Moresby 1961 Moresby 1962 Moresby 1963 Sogeri def Moresby 1964 Moresby 1965 1966 Moresby def Koboni 1967 1968 Moresby 1969 Koboni 12.7(79) def Moresby 8.6(54) Attendance: 3,000 1970 Koboni 8.11(59) def PIR 3.8(26) 1971 Aviat vs Koboni 1972 Koboni 14.10(94) def Aviat 13.10(88) 1973 Koboni 17.17(119) def Moresby 10.2(67) 1974 Koboni 12.4(76) def Moresby 5.4(34) 1975 Defence 8.8(56) def Koboni 4.10(34) 1976 Koboni 10-14(74) def Defence 9-17(71) Hubert Murray Stadium 1977 Koboni 9.5(69) def 6.6(42) Moresby Hubert Murray Stadium Attendance: 6,000 1978 Koboni 12.8(80) def Moresby 4.11(35) Hubert Murray Stadium 1979 West 26.20(176) def Moresby 14.16(100) Colts Oval 1980 Koboni def Boroko 1981 1982 1983 Koboni 1984 1985 1986 1987 West 1988 1989 West 1990 1991 West drew Koboni 1992 1993 Koboni 1994 Koboni 1995 West 1996 West 1997 Koboni def West 1998 1999 West drew Koboni Attendance: 5,000 2000 2001 2002 University def West 2003 Lamana def West 2004 University def West 2005 Lamana def West 2006 University 7.7(49) def Moresby 6.3(39) Colts Oval PNG 2006 - Port Moresby Grand Final wrap and other stories by Brett Northey for World Footy News. 6 November 2006 2007 Lamana def West 2008 University 11.7 (73) def Moresby 8.9(57) Club Premiers 2008 by Brett Northey for World Footy News 1 January 2009 2009 University (60) def Bomana Cats (52) Club Premiers 2009 by Brett Northey for World Footy News 5 January 2010 2010 Season cancelled due to dispute with PNG Cricket Board 2011 Bomana 13.13 (91) def Lamana 5.5 (35) Amini Park Bomana Cats claw Dockers to lift POM AFL crown from The National 18 October 2011 2012 University 8.8(56) def Gordon 3.8(26) Amini Park Attendance: 2,000AFL Port Moresby BSP premiership decided for 2012 by Michael Christiansen for World Footy News 23 October 2012 2013 Lamana vs Gordon Colts Oval AFL’s day of reckoning from The PNG National. 12 September 2013 2014 Tuarama 9.5(59) def Lamana 7.11(53) Murray Barracks Oval Grand Finals and more in PNG by Michael Christiansen for World Footy News 24 September 2014 2015 Koboni 8.10(58) def Taurama 8.5(53) Murray Barracks Oval Attendance: 3,000PNG update including Grand Final day in Lae by Michael Christiansen for World Footy news 10 October 2015 2016 Gordon 6.6(42) def Bomana 2.3(25) Colts Oval Kokofas run riot over Cats on Grand Final day by Charles Lapumi for Loop 29 November 2016 2017 Lamana 9.2(56) def Koboni 7.9(51) Colts Oval After holding off a late comeback from Koboni by DONALD NANGOI 9 October 2017Dockers make it two from three by Troy Taule for Loop PNG 9 October 2017 2018 Koboni 5.10 (40) def Lamana 3.6 (24) Colts Oval Koboni new champs of AFL, dethrone Dockers from PNG Post Courier 28 August 2018 2019 West 16.4(100) def Koboni 3.5(23) Colts Oval Port Moresby AFL conclude 2019 season from PNG Buzz 8 October 2019 2020 West (44) def Kokofa Cats (33) Colts Oval West Eagles retain crown by Robinson Leka for The National 30 November 2020 2021 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Koboni 4.1 (25) def West 3.3 (21) Colts Oval Koboni claim POM AFL premiership by DONALD NANGOI 14 November 2022 2023 Gordons 5.6 (36) vs Gereka 5.4 (34) Colts Oval Tie awarded due to game being halted at half time without winner by spectator violence following an on field brawl.Spectator Violence Mars AFL Grand Final Loop Sports 10 October 2023POM AFL decides against a grand final Rematch Emmanuel Maipe 13 October 2023 2023 Gerehu 10.10 (70) vs Gereka 10.10 (70) Colts Oval Tie awardedA significant Grand final for POM AFL by Fidelis Wasari for The Post Courier 18 August 2024
Women's Premiership results