Sunday, the 30

of May, the Hawthorn AFL Club hosted the Kokoda Game against the Sydney Swans at the MCG in Melbourne. 36,000 people were present to see their favourite team win and to remember and honour the efforts of the Kokoda Diggers and Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels in the second world war.

The Hawthorn Club’s President , the Honourable Jeff Kennett, announced that the Kokoda Game will be an annual event that raises awareness and money for the Kokoda Track Foundation and honours the Australian Diggers and the selfless help they received from the Papuan carriers during the Pacific War.

At the president’s lunch, Hawthorn had the honour of welcoming 25 Australian Diggers along with His Excellency, Mr Charles Lepani, the PNG High Commissioner and a cultural dance troupe who had travelled from Buna, Gona and Sananada on PNG’s north coast.

The room was specially decorated for this event, the walls adorned in camouflage nets, the PNG flag, and the significant Isurava memorial pillars which Hawthorn have adopted as their club mantra – Courage, Mateship, Sacrifice, and Endurance.

Guests enjoyed a traditional PNG style meal at the President’s lunch and a PNG dance troupe performed in full traditional clothing for the guests. Emotions were running high after Hawthorn President, Jeff Kennett, and KTF chairman, Patrick Lindsay spoke, remembering fallen diggers and honouring the Kokoda veterans attending the lunch who were given a standing ovation. 

Throughout the day, much needed funds were raised via proceeds from a raffle, pledges to the Adopt an Angel program, the Kokoda Guernsey auction, and a gold coin collection. All funds will be fully donated to the Foundation’s Adopt an Angel program where we provide Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel Scholarships to students from villages along the Kokoda Track.  

The Kokoda Track Foundations wishes to thank the Hawthorn team’s management, players, and staff for the extraordinary support and is looking forward to working together in the future to keep the spirit of Kokoda alive.