Glenorchy District Football Club women’s team take on the 2024 AFL Pacific Cup

It will be a special occasion when Glenorchy footballers share the field with Tonga at the AFL Pacific Cup, and they’ve already learned a thing or two from the tiny island nation.

Zara Appleby, playing coach Brieanna Barwick, Jess Owen. They are some of the players of the Glenorchy Football Club women's team who will play against Tonga in at the Pacific Nations Cup with some members of the Tongan team previously playing with Glenorchy Football Club women's team. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The Glenorchy District Football Club women’s team is gearing up to make Tasmania proud on the international stage at the 2024 AFL Pacific Cup.

Around 500 people representing teams from across the Pacific region will descend on Maroochydore this November as part of a refreshed AFL-sanctioned international program.

Invited nations include Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu, South Africa, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands, who will be coming together to celebrate and showcase Australian rules football.

Zara Appleby, playing coach Brieanna Barwick, Jess Owen. They are some of the players of the Glenorchy Football Club women's team who will play against Tonga in at the Pacific Nations Cup with some members of the Tongan team previously playing with Glenorchy Football Club women's team. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Glenorchy women’s team playing coach Brieanna Barwick said around 17 team members were travelling to play in an exhibition match against Tonga.

“We’ve built a bit of a relationship with Tonga as four of the Tongan girls played on our side this year at Glenorchy,” she said.

“They came down from Tonga and stayed in Tassie and played the whole season with us at Glenorchy. So it will be really nice to now embrace their culture and embrace their team and play for their kingdom.

“We fly out Saturday very early in the morning and then come back on Sunday, the 24th, so we will spend a whole seven days there at the cup, just helping be water runners, boundary umpires, goal umpires, and do some coaching. Just be a helping hand whenever they need us.”

Emeline Toto, Salome Holika, Liliani Fine, Ofa Kiteau, Milika Taupeamuhu. All players except Ofa Kiteau were part of the Tongan football players who played for Glenorchy Football Club women's team in 2024 and will play for Tonga in the Pacific Cup. Picture: AFL Queensland

Barwick said the team was excited to take part in what promises to be a vibrant and colourful celebration of the game.

“I think it’s going to be a really fantastic experience for a lot of our girls and a really eye-opening experience as well,” she said.

“With the four Tongan girls playing on our side, they really just gave us a different perspective and enlightened us about their culture and how big lovers of life they are.

“We adopted a slogan on theirs. It was, ‘No matter win, lose or draw, always be happy’. So that was what we modelled our game on. And after every game, whatever the result was, we just chose to be happy, and that was really preached by the Tongans. They’re a beautiful, beautiful kingdom for sure and we’re excited to join them in Maroochydore.”

The 2024 AFL Pacific Cup kicks off with the Under-17 divisions on November 14 to November 23, with six nations competing in the 10-day carnival.