PNG Mosquitoes

Lai said the challenge for the team is to defend the cup as the 2014 IC champions.

“We are the defending title holders so we have to go defend the cup,” said Lai.

The Mozzies will kick off their competitions this Sunday, August 6, against Ireland at 11.15am then play Nauru on Wednesday, August 9, at 12.30pm.

On Saturday, August 12, at 12.00pm PNG will play USA before facing South Africa on Tuesday, August 15, at 10.30am.

The grand final will be played on August 19 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) at 11.15am.

The Mozzies’ assistant coach, Douglas Lai, was all praises for the High Performance Sport PNG team for providing professional assistance, which is something they have not had before.

“Identifying the injuries…advising them what to be done on the injuries, you know all those kinds of advice coming from HP are professional opinions I’d say.

“They are well educated in the field and what we got out of HP is professional opinion and professional guidance.

“It’s good for the team definitely.

The two nations will meet again with a little more on the line on the 9th of August in the "Schools Round" at Mt Clear in Ballarat.

Both the Nauru Chiefs & PNG Mozzies are inviting members of the South Pacific Community and all footy people in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to the Beenleigh Buffalo's AFC on Monday, August 31 at 6.15pm (local time) for the match between the 2 countries.

Photo file. Caption: Nauru Chiefs 

The final teams will be put together from the train-on squads to represent PNG in the 2017 International Cup, to be held in Melbourne, Australia.

This is the sixth International Cup that the PNG Mosquitoes will participate in and the second for the PNG Women’s team- the PNG Flames. 

 2017 MOSQUITOES:

The men’s grand final will be played prior to the Collingwood-Geelong Cats match at the MCG while the women’s grand final will be prior to the Carlton-Hawthorn match at Etihad Stadium.

AFL Head of Community & International Development, Grant Williams, said playing both grand finals at AFL venues would give greater exposure to the competition.

The sixth International Cup will be held in Melbourne, from Saturday August 5 to Saturday August 19, 2017. The carnival will include both men’s and women’s competitions.

Blessed with potential skills developed from talent programs around the country, the Mosquitoes rose to fame in 2005 and again in 2014 when they won the International Cup, the biggest AFL carnival for AFL playing countries outside of Australia.

The squad have begun elite training with High Performance Sport PNG after recently completing their initial inductions, set out their goals, completed physio screening and their initial performance tests.