Fitness and readiness were the primary goals of North-West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) soldiers competing in an Aussie rules football carnival held as part of this year's Barunga Festival.
The NORFORCE Aussie rules team, reformed in 2025 after a hiatus of more than 20 years, returned to the Northern Territory event determined to build on last year's momentum.
Coached by former Western Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood, the team won two of their three matches, reflecting growing cohesion and preparation.
Commanding Officer NORFORCE Lieutenant Colonel McLeod Wood said the program was as much about capability as it was about competition.
"Players have come from all across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria," Lieutenant Colonel Wood said.
"The primary focus of the activity is to increase our readiness, which includes things such as medical readiness, individual fitness, nutrition and having people understand what they can do as individuals to keep themselves physically fit and healthy for whatever Army may demand of them."
The Barunga Festival, held south-east of Katherine, is one of Australia's main celebrations of Indigenous culture, and provides NORFORCE with an opportunity to engage with communities across the Top End.
"While this week is focused on readiness, it's also a great way for us to build relationships across the entirety of the area that we work within, because football up here breaks down barriers to help you interact with people that you might not usually engage with," Lieutenant Colonel Wood said.
This year marked a milestone for the unit, with the introduction of a women's team.
Women's team captain Corporal Jacqueline Knight said the experience was a highlight of service.
"Getting to be a part of a footy culture like this, and a team like this, is a great part of the job," Corporal Knight said.
"Being a part of Barunga, hearing the girls' stories about community and being involved in the community engagements, it's really something I look forward to.
"It also didn't hurt that we drew two out of our three matches, which was a really good first hit-out for the team."
