Defence to host first PoM AFL match at Murray Barracks after 11 years

The Defence Lions Club will host its first home game at the Murray Barracks Oval after eleven years of leaving the Port Moresby Australian Football League (Aussie Rules) competition. 

Defence, one of PoM AFL’s foundational clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, left the competition eleven years ago due to some circumstances beyond the club’s control and rejoined the competition in 2026. 

“The reason for exiting the competition was due to not having the player numbers to make the team, so we voluntarily disqualified the Defence club,” President Marcus Kenpol revealed.  

Mr. Kenpol said they are excited to stage Round 10 of the Jaki-sponsored Port Moresby AFL competition on Saturday, 15 August 2026, at Murray Barracks.  

“After an 11-year absence in the PoM AFL competition, Defence is back, and we look forward to hosting the game against Taikone Hawks on the weekend,” he expressed.

“The Murray Barracks AFL venue is one of the ovals that has been used to host the POM AFL games in previous years.”

He explained that the Lions did not use the Murray Barracks oval to host the games in the early part of the season because the junior team was using the field.

“This year, we were not able to use the oval because our Junior AFL team has written to the Force Support Battalion Commanding Officer, seeking permission to use it,” Kenpol said. 

“Now, because the PoM AFL junior finals have been completed, it allows us seniors to host the games.” 

Kenpol mentioned that the Defence Lions Club executive wrote to the PoM AFL President Douglas Lai to host the games at Murray Barracks.

“Thank you to the President of PoM AFL for understanding our request to host games at Murray Barracks only on Saturdays,” he said. 

President Kenpol acknowledged the Komodo Dragon Security Service for boosting the team with new sets of jerseys. 

“Our boys are very happy and morally psyched up, and look forward to Saturday's game after being boosted with the new jumpers in original Defence colors,” he said.

“A big thank you to Komodo Dragon Security Service for coming on board to donate almost K5,000 to pay for the jerseys.”