The 2018 Central Australia Football League (CAFL) season may be done and dusted but the Under 18 and Seniors Pinktails Academy have more footy action to get on with both in and out of Alice Springs.
The Under 18 Pinktails have just come off two great wins over Western Australia’s V Swans. The V Swans are an education and community development division of the Swan Districts Football Club who are visiting the Northern Territory on a cultural trip.
In the lead-up to the football games, the Under 18 Pinktails had over 35 players try out for the team who took to Albrecht Oval in the two-game series.
AFLNT Pathways Development Coach for Central Australia, Andy Hood was pleased with the significant increase of participation and opportunities that these centralian development programs now provide.
“All the players were given the opportunity to play across the two games which was a priority of the coaches and a real positive result for our program.
“The Pinktails, Redtails and AFLNT are colaborating to build pathways for all Centralian footballers and the exciting outcome from these games were that we are seeing some real talented young women coming through and progressing into our talent pathways programs at a higher level.
“We are really proud of how the players conducted themselves on and off the field and played with tremendous passion, and always displayed great sportsmanship. These factors as well as developing young women in our community, are a strong part of our program and winning is not everything.
In the wet and cold conditions of the first game the Pinktails proved to be too strong in the end, securing for themselves a 23-point win.
The weather conditions did a total 180 for the second game, however the Pinktails were able to adapt more quickly than the Swans and once again allowing the young Pinktails to win, this time by 15 points.
Both games were played with great spirit and the V Swans put in their all and never gave up. Young Shakari Richards from Alkamilya FC in the Central Australia Women’s Football Club was awarded the Pinktails best player for the series and was well supported by all her team mates during play.
The focus now shifts to the senior Pinktails team as they prepare to fly to Adelaide in order to participate in the 2018 Around the Camp Fire Cup being held this Saturday 13 October. The Pinktails Senior team will bring with them their experienced success from 2016 when they returned with the winners’ cup. Following on from the success of the two Under 18 games, at least eight young Pinktails will be making the journey onto Adelaide as members of the senior team as well.