Vikings to play ball in Bali

Two Albany veteran footballers will take Aussie Rules to Bali as part of a charity event to raise money for the victims of the 2002 Bali bombings.

Albany Vikings Rob “Blue” Field and Joe Galantino will join forces with players from the Whitsunday Bald Eagles for the AFL Masters Bali 9s competition, which begins next Thursday.

Now in its 13th year, the 2017 tournament has been extended by three days and will mix football, mateship and generosity.

The Vikings duo will play in the 47+ age division and will be joined by former Viking and Albany resident Darren Lloyd, who was the first to join the Baldies in 2015.

More than 20 teams from around Australia and Asia will compete.

As part of the tour, the players will also visit and donate gifts to the Yayasan Pembinaan Anak Cacat orphanage in Denpasar, a home for children with disabilities, and lay wreaths at the Bali Bombing Memorial in Kuta at a ceremony before returning home.

Albany Vikings will compete in the AFL Masters South West Carnival this Sunday at Sir Stewart Bovell Park in Busselton.