AFP team secures the Police Challenge Trophy
2 August 2005
Wearing the playing kit of the Canberra Raiders proved a successful ploy when a combined AFP team defeated a NSW Police Country team in a curtain raiser to a National Rugby League game at Canberra Stadium.
The AFP team, which included members from ACT Policing, the AFP Protective Service and AFP National, proudly wore the Green Machine’s colours for the August 7 game against the recent winners of the Australian Police Championship.
The lead-up to the police game received good support from the Raiders, whose high profile players fullback Clinton Schifcofske and lock Jason Croker joined ACT Policing Traffic Operations members at the AFP training complex at Majura to help promote anti-drink-driving and anti-speeding messages.
ACT Policing Traffic Operations also conducted a high-visibility, targeted anti-drink-driving campaign to coincide with the game, aiming to remind sports patrons of the risks of consuming alcohol at the game and driving home.
ACT Chief Police Officer Audrey Fagan, Detective Superintendents Mick Chew and Ann McEvoy, AFP staff, family and friends attended the annual fixture to cheer on the AFP team.
It was a hard-fought affair early, with the scores locked at nil-all at half time.
A try to Marcus Fitzgerald and a conversion by Tim Donovan early in the second half saw the AFP take the lead. NSWP continued to take it up to the AFP until former Raiders’ star Kenny (the Flash) Nagas broke through the midfield to score a great individual try, again converted by Tim Donovan, giving the AFP a 12-0 lead.
NSW Police never gave up and fought back to score a converted try to cut the margin back to six points. The AFP went on to win the match 18-6 with a late try to Adam Butt and another conversion to Tim Donovan.
CPO Audrey Fagan presented the trophy to the winning captain, Adam Sharp, just prior to kick-off to the main game while road safety messages were displayed on the stadium’s giant screen. Ms Fagan thanked the members of both teams and the coaching staff for a great game, and the Canberra Raiders for their support for road safety in the ACT. The AFP looks forward to defending the trophy in 2006.
