The result for the first ever grand final match for the Gerehu Magpies in the Port Moresby Moni Plus 2024 AFL season was perhaps something they did not expect, with the boys from the Moresby North- West suburb drew with the Gereka Bombers and will share the Premiership.
The Senior Men’s grand final match commenced after 3pm with both teams taking the field. The opening goal of the match came from the Bombers, securing their 6 points.
The first- quarter saw the Magpies take the lead with 2- goals and 2- behinds, securing a total of 14 points, while the Bombers secure just 1- goal and 3- behinds to secure 9 points.
The second- quarter was a tight one with both teams exchanging goals and behinds. The Magpies added 3- goals and 4- behinds to secure 36 points while the Bombers added 3- goals and 4- behinds to secure 31 points, a 5 points difference.
After half- time, the poor performance by the Bombers saw the Magpies seized the opportunity to give quite a distance from them in the third- quarter. Magpies added 3- goals and 3- behinds to secure a comfortable lead of 57 points to the Bombers, where they scored no goals and added just 1- behind to secure just 32 points.
The final fourth- quarter was the intense of the whole match as the Bombers fought hard to get back on the scoreboards. The Bombers added 6- goals and 2- behinds while the Magpies only added 2- goals and 1- behind before the final hooter went off to end the grand final match.
Both teams in the end of all the intensity of the fourth- quarter drew 70 points all with the POM AFL team deciding to award the 2024 premiership to both teams, with the Bombers to hold the premiership trophy for the first six months of 2025, while the Magpies to hold it for the second six months of the year.
POM AFL President Mr. Douglas Lai said this is second time in the history of the POM AFL competition where two teams drew in a grand final match. The first grand final draw was 25 years ago in 1999 between the Concept Kobonis and West Eagles.
The President also extended his much appreciating to the clubs, the players, club executives, the sponsor Moni Plus and the fans for making the Port Moresby Moni Plus 2024 AFL season a very competitive one and a successful one as well.
“It was a competitive season in 2024, and the best teams went to the grand finals and the best teams won the grand finals,” he expressed.
“Everyone contributed today, and we had a very nice grand final.”
Meantime, it was a different story for the Reserve Grade grand final match between the University Tigers and the TSI Lamana Dockers, which took place before the main event. The Tigers took home the premiership in a very hard contested match with just a one-point difference. The final scores, University Tigers 39 and the TSI Lamana Dockers 38.