The Port Moresby Australian Football League (AFL) Association has confirmed that the Easter Cup Challenge will take place tomorrow, Sunday 09th April as decided upon this week follow an executive meeting.
The Association President Mr. Douglas Lai said the Easter Cup Challenge will take place at the Colts Oval. The Easter Cup Challenge will see the players play in their regional teams instead of the normal club teams.
“We’re squeezing both the pre- season and the Easter Cup Challenge into this weekend, the pre- season is played today and the Easter Cup tomorrow.”
The AFL Association this week had to make a decision to either hold the Easter Cup Challenge by itself this weekend or along with the pre-season matches. This is because the pre-season matches that were supposed to be held as the opener to the 2023 Moni Plus AFL season, were cancelled due to the heavy rains in Port Moresby last weekend.
Eventually, the association decided on having both events this weekend. Nevertheless, the 2023 Moni Plus pre- season matches are now being played at the Colts Oval to start off the season.
Mr. Lai said today’s matches are played using the Lighting 12s format, meaning that its just 12 players on both sides on the field instead of the normal 15 players format.
The pre- season matches today also feature only the senior men’s teams from each of the clubs participating, instead of all the teams from the men’s reserves to the women’s teams.