{"id":596593,"date":"2026-04-09T22:28:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/596593\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T22:28:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:28:15","slug":"png-athlete-jeremiah-ben-balances-afl-and-rugby-league-in-pursuit-of-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/596593\/","title":{"rendered":"PNG athlete Jeremiah Ben balances AFL and rugby league in pursuit of opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"

What drives a young athlete to pursue not one, but two demanding sporting codes in a country where pathways are limited, and exposure is everything? \u00a0For 23\u2011year\u2011old Jeremiah Ben, the answer is simple: opportunity.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old Papua New Guinean athlete, of Simbu parentage and raised in Port Moresby, represents a growing group of young PNG athletes navigating multiple codes in pursuit of stability, recognition, and long\u2011term career prospects.<\/p>\n

Ben began his sporting journey through the AFL Smart Start Niu Kick Pathway Program, progressing from Under-12 football in 2016 through to Under-16 under structured junior development systems.<\/p>\n

A formative moment came in 2017 when he was selected for the PNG Binatang Under-14 side, travelling to Australia to compete at the AFL International Cup.<\/p>\n

\"A Jeremiah Ben during the 2024 Inaugural Pacific Cup on the Sunshine Coast.(Facebook: Hetahou Photography)<\/p>\n

“In 2017, I had the opportunity to represent the PNG Binatang Under-14 side at the AFL International Cup on the Sunshine Coast in Australia,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Competing for the Under-14 title and representing Papua New Guinea on Australian soil was a proud moment for me, and that experience really opened my eyes to a bigger vision for my future in sport.”<\/p>\n

In 2024, Ben added further international experience to his AFL r\u00e9sum\u00e9 when he was selected for the PNG Muruks, travelling to Thailand to compete in the Austhai Championship.<\/p>\n

That same year, he achieved a long\u2011held ambition by making his international debut for the PNG Mosquitos, marking his entry onto the global stage in Australian rules football.<\/p>\n

\"A PNG Mosquitos performing their pre-match ritual at the 2024 Inaugural Pacific Cup.(Facebook: Hetahou Photography)<\/p>\n

His latest appearance came earlier this season at the Asian Championship Cup in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

There, the Muruks defeated the Hong Kong Dragons 99\u201340 in a high\u2011scoring international contest.<\/p>\n

While AFL provided structure and discipline in his early development, Ben later made the decision to broaden his options.<\/p>\n

In 2021, while still actively involved in Australian rules football, he added rugby league to his pathway, lining up in the Under-20 competition with the Kone Storms.<\/p>\n

His impact was immediate. A stand-out performance in last season’s Port Moresby rugby league grand final helped the Kone Storms secure a 28\u20136 premiership win over the Butterflies, firmly announcing his arrival in the code.<\/p>\n

Ben later joined the South City Rams in the NCD Governor’s Cup off\u2011season competition, where the team claimed a 36\u20136 victory over the 54 Bears in another defining match.<\/p>\n

\"A South City Rams\u2019 Jeremiah breaking through the defences of the 54 Bears in the 2025 \u2013 2026 NCD Governor\u2019s Cup contested at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium.(Supplied: Pilai Piksa)<\/p>\n

Those performances elevated his profile further, earning him selection for the Port Moresby Vipers. He was later named fullback in the Team of the Tournament at the Nines Premier League (9PL).<\/p>\n

Despite the growing recognition, Ben remains focused on future goals.<\/p>\n

“If I’m named in the 2026 Vipers side, I’ll dedicate this year entirely to rugby league,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I’ll fully commit myself to it and do everything I can to make sure our team pushes through to the finals.”<\/p>\n

\"A Jeremiah Ben in action for the Port Moresby Vipers during the trial match against Kroton Hela Wigmen last week.(Facebook: Inaka Image 2024)<\/p>\n

Behind the dual\u2011code pursuit is a family that understands the balance between education and elite sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ben’s mother said she initially prioritised academic security before witnessing the opportunities created through sport.<\/p>\n

“At first, I always believed education had to come before sport because I wanted him to have long-term security,” she admitted.<\/p>\n

“When I saw him being selected for international teams, travelling overseas and accessing real development pathways through sport, I began to realise that his dream could also create opportunities for his future.”<\/p>\n

For his brother Simon, sharing the field adds another dimension.<\/p>\n

“Being part of his journey, not just as siblings but as teammates, is both fun and challenging,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“He truly is a talented young fella and a star on the rise.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What drives a young athlete to pursue not one, but two demanding sporting codes in a country where…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":596594,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[638,64,63,291216,160625,291217,39917,27284,760,159,588,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-596593","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-afl","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-digical-exxon-mobil-cup","12":"tag-domestic-competition","13":"tag-jeremiah-ben","14":"tag-opportunity","15":"tag-papua-new-guinea","16":"tag-rugby","17":"tag-rugby-league","18":"tag-sport","19":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=596593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/596594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=596593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=596593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=596593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}