THE Sunshine Coast Goannas Women will be a part of the curtain raiser game for the inaugural International Festival of Indigenous Football on July 1.
Following the Goannas match against the Sunshine Coast Wanderers, the women’s Australian Indigenous Koalas team will play the Aotearoa Maori women, ending the day with the men’s Australian Indigenous Roos team playing the Aotearoa Maori men.
Sunshine Coast Goannas President Wayne Alberts spoke about how important this game is to himself and the Goannas, both in the Goannas women’s team and those selected in the Australian Indigenous squads.
“It’s awesome the Goannas women were picked to play, its special and its good to be in a curtain raiser with the Maori and Indigenous teams playing afterwards,” he said.
“The women are honoured, they will be looked at too by the coaches for the Australian, team so it’s a special moment all round for everyone.
“Jordyn Drysdale, Majellah Cedric and Jess Fry were all selected from the Goannas to play for the Koalas, and Josiah Green and Darryl Barton were picked from the Goannas to play for the Roos.”
Wayne is also the manager of the Australian Indigenous Koalas women’s team, and spoke about how all three indigenous teams will prepare for their respective games.
“The Australia Indigenous teams go into camp on Wednesday, it’s a 10-day camp down in the Gold Coast, we will be having two training sessions a day and working up to the games,” he said.
“The Goannas girls they’ve just been playing for their local clubs, and they’ll just come together to play their game against the Wanderers.”
Games kick off from 1pm at the Ballinger Park Sports Complex in Buderim, with a $10 entry fee or free if you’re 16 and under.
