NAIDOC Week celebrations rolled on at Purfleet on Tuesday, July 10 as a community side battled Manning police officers in the annual touch football match.
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Manning Great Lakes Police District Chief Inspector George said the match allows the community to interact with officers in an informal setting.
"This has been going for a few years now at Taree and Forster and it's always a good day because not only do we play football, we have a barbecue and we get to know the kids and they get to see us without any uniforms.
"We don't expect to win, but it is a great way to break down the barriers and let the community meet the police in a more informal circumstance,” Chief Inspector George said before the match.
Chief Inspector George added the annual event is about having fun rather than getting a win.
"I get to know the community and it’s in a different way when you're in uniform, it's more relaxed and they're more interested in having a chat,” Chief Inspector George said.
She conceded the skill of the community side will always triumph the police outfit.
"The police never win,” Chief Inspector George smiled.
“These kids are so much faster than we are but you know what, we've got probably 150 years policing experience here running around the field, not that it helps us play touch football.”
