Air Force footballers push the pace

Twenty-one Air Force footballers have earned places in ADF national teams after a strong two-week interservice championship, which also brought a visiting Royal Marines side to the field.

Air Force’s men and women finished second in the ADF championship and the masters third. Air Force Football Association (AFFA) Men’s head coach SGT Nima Nikfarjam said the teams didn’t bring home silverware this year, but no one found them easy to beat.

“All three Air Force teams competed strongly and proved difficult opponents for every team they faced,” SGT Nikfarjam said.

The men beat Navy 3-0, with goals to CPL Levi Hughes, LAC Paolo Laxamana and LAC Kean Thomas, and went into their final match against Army with the title in reach.

Army scored first, but FLGOFF Bradley Cashmore equalised 10 minutes later and Air Force had the better of the game until LAC Laxamana was sent off just before half-time. Army scored from a corner in stoppage time and went on to win 4-1.

“Our boys showed plenty of heart in the second half and threw everything at Army, but it was always going to be difficult to compete with such a fit and physical side with only 10 men,” SGT Nikfarjam said.

The men also lost 3-2 to the Royal Marines, finishing third in the overall tournament.

For SGT Nikfarjam, the women’s team was the story of the carnival. They drew 1-1 with Navy, with LACW Joanne Duim scoring a late equaliser from a corner, then lost 2-0 to an Army side that had beaten Navy 5-0.

“To my knowledge, this is the closest result achieved by an Air Force women’s team against Army in more than two decades,” he said.

“If we continue to build on this year’s performance, it will not be long before our women’s team brings home some silverware.”

The masters drew 3-3 with the Royal Marines, with two goals to CPL Bryn Fairman and one to SGT Hassen Arnaout, and lost narrowly to Navy (2-0) and Army (1-0).

Teammates voted FLTLT Brandon Cashmore, FLTLT Syenne Young and FLTLT Liam Tucker Player’s Player for the men’s, women’s and masters respectively.

AFFA also awarded life membership to SGT Michael Dellaca for more than two decades as a player, office bearer, assistant coach and manager. WOFF Craig Gallard received a 10-year service award for his time with the masters and LACW Duim received the AFFA Award for organising this year’s Anzac Day Eve match against Queensland Police in Ipswich.

SGT Nikfarjam thanked the units that released players, the AFFA Committee, particularly SQNLDR Ben Cowan and FSGT Ashley Howell, and the coaches and managers who prepared the teams while playing themselves.

“For many of us, these two weeks of representative football are the pinnacle of our year,” he said.

The ADF men’s play a curtain raiser at Adelaide United’s A-League Remembrance Day round on November 8 and the ADF masters compete at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast from November 6 to 15.