in 1924. The Victorian Football League responded to a request from the game's administrator Mr T Griffiths for to league administrator Mr E L Wilson and Mr Syd Sherrin of Collingwood for Sherrin brand footballs with the first shipment arriving, along with guernseys shortly thereafter. Early observers noted the enthusiastic involvement of Nauruan women in the competition, with as many women as men attending games. Early matches were between Boe and Denigomodu who modelled themselves on the leading VFL teams of Carlton and Collingwood respectively. The Victorian cirriculum was being adopted by 1927 and every district across the island had junior and senior Australian rules teams. By 1929 a governing body was established and as an Australian trustee was admitted to the Australian National Football Council, but only as an affiliate - not a full voting member. A new league was established and the Nauruan league administrator W A Newman reported that regular matches were being played by numerous teams, that it was succeeding in keeping players healthy, and that neighbouring islands in the pacific had expressed interest in participating. Seven district teams were part of the competition. Matches were watched by the entire population of the island. In 1931, the NAFA introduced the VFL system of finals. A program began in 1935 to given young Nauruans the opportunity to study at Geelong Junior Technical School, as part of this program, the young students were taken to VFL matches. The result of this program was that in 1954, the Geelong Football Club had Nauru under its wings and football became so popular that it became the only code that children played on the island - without any players the local rugby and soccer leagues were all wound up. In the 1960s, the Australian Capital Territory registered Nauru as a recruitment zone and in 1963, the Canberra Australian Football League's Turner Football Club recruited Labby (Labi) Harris (who went on to represent ACT in the National Amateur carnival), Jacob Grundler, and Willy Bernicke. Following independence in 1968 the first national team had formed and was eager to compete. In 1976 Nauru sent its national team to tour Papua New Guinea, playing in front of a crowd of over 10,000 at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium in Port Moresby, though losing by 129 points. No overseas team has toured Nauru to play tests. Papua New Guinea had promised the NAFA a return tour