Hewago Oea

Hewago Oea
Personal information
Full name	Hewago Paul Oea
Nickname(s)	Ace
Date of birth	(2001-12-13) 13 December 2001 (age 22) [1]
Place of birth	Gordon, Papua New Guinea [2]
Original team(s)	Gordon Kokofas (Port Moresby AFL) Broadbeach (QAFL)
Draft	2020 (International Rookie)
Debut	Round 16, 2022, Gold Coast  vs. Collingwood, at Metricon Stadium
Height	174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	65 kg (143 lb)
Position(s)	Half-forward
Club information
Current club	Gold Coast
Number	47
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2022–	Gold Coast	13 (5)
International team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
2017	Papua New Guinea	5 (6)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023. 2 State and international statistics correct as of 2017.
Career highlights
2017 AFL International Cup Men's World Team VFL premiership player: 2023
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Hewago Paul Oea (born 13 December 2001) is a Papua New Guinean professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL) and for the Papua New Guinea national team (nicknamed the "Mosquitoes").

Oea is the first locally developed Papua New Guinean and the first overseas developed player to play senior AFL. ^[3]

Early life

Oea was born in Gordon, Papua New Guinea the youngest of seven children to parents from the Gulf and Central provinces, ^[4] mother Lala Mai and father Paul Oea. ^[5] Hewago's middle name is in honour of his father, and forms part of the name he is registered under as a player in Australia. ^[6]

His introduction to Australian rules was through Niukick in Port Moresby at the age of 12. An outstanding junior talent known for his fast pace, Oea played both junior and senior football with the Gordon Kokofas in the Port Moresby Australian Rules Football League. He was identified by the PNG Talent Academy's William Yogomine ^[6] as a development prospect and was selected in the Papua New Guinea's Under 14 side for the Queensland State Championships. ^[7] AFL South Pacific Development Manager, Ben Drew invited him to represent the South Pacific Under 16 against North Queensland in 2016, during which he was named the team's best, ^[8] a feat he would repeat in 2017. ^[9]

International Cup and Gold Coast international scholarship

At just 15 years of age, Oea was called up to play in the senior Papua New Guinea team for the 2017 Australian Football International Cup. In the grand final he kicked a crucial goal on the half-time siren helping the side to win its 3rd cup, and was named best on ground for his effort. He also achieved All-International honours during the tournament.

Following the cup, Oea moved to Queensland to improve his chances of being drafted to the AFL, playing a handful of games at Colts level with the Broadbeach Australian Football Club on the Gold Coast where his brother Hapeo Bobogi (to the same parents) had been playing. Bobogi himself was also a Queensland Under 16 representative in 2016 and played alongside Hewago in the 2017 International Cup side ^[6] however switched to rugby league in 2021. ^[10]

On the Gold Coast Hewago was billeted in Australia by AFLQ Gold Coast development co-ordinator Tim Searl and his wife Chris, Oea at the time spoke very little English as it was his third language. ^[6] Against the Labrador Tigers, Oea kicked 5 goals and was named among the best afield. ^[11] Shortly afterward he was selected in the Queensland Under 16 team for 2017, he continued the outstanding form kicking 5 goals against Tasmania and 4 goals against the Northern Territory. ^{[12] [13]} Oea was selected for the AFL Academy, graduating in 2019. ^[6]

Oea was signed to the Gold Coast Football Club Suns Academy in 2018 on an international scholarship giving the club first choice of him in the 2019 rookie draft, ^[5] however he was overlooked in favour of gaelic footballer Luke Towey and decathlete Patrick Murtagh. Oea however achieved selection in the Allies Under 18 side that year. He competed in the 2018 QAFL grand final for Broadbeach against Palm Beach Currumbin and kicked three goals for his team that day. ^[14]

The Suns selected him as a Category B rookie in the 2020 AFL Draft. He was offered a one-year contract extension, along with Murtagh, in 2021. ^[15] He spent a season developing in the Suns' NEAFL side ^[16] including a Rising Star nomination in Round 6. ^[12] For his NEAFL performances, he was elevated to the club's Category B rookie list. He spent the first half of 2022 playing in the Suns' VFL side as a small forward. Following consistent form in the VFL and a 3-goal game against Collingwood, Oea was called up to the senior side, initially as an emergency, then elevated to the interchange replacing Chris Burgess in the side due to the prevailing wet conditions. ^[17]

AFL career

Oea scored a goal with his first kick and with limited on-field time went on to gain six possessions and assist in Gold Coast goals in a successful debut, though the Suns lost narrowly.

Oea kicked another goal in his second game, however suffered a dislocated finger during after the siren celebrations after teammate Noah Anderson's after the siren winning goal. ^[18]

References

1. Hewago Paul Oea Gold Coast Suns player bio
2. "Subscribe to the Gold Coast Bulletin".
3. Oea debuts for Gold Coast Suns by Simon Keslep for the PNG Post Courier 4 July 2022
4. Mosquitoes rep to debut in the AFL by Simon Keslep for the PNG Post Courier 19 May 2022
5. Ace goes from islands to an AFL club from the Gold Coast Bulletin 29 June 2018
6. Hewago Paul ‘Ace’ Oea Journey from PNG to the SUNS by Peter Blucher for AFL Queensland 6 July 2022
7. Academy Ace gets his chance to shine from AFL Queensland 30 November 2020
8. South Pacific battle it out in QLD U16 state champs by Michael Christiansen May 03 2016
9. South Pacific Game 1 QLD U16s by Michael Christiansen April 27, 2017
10. Raw talents impress Solien from The National 1 September 2021
11. Broadbeach Colts profile Player Profile Hewago Paul Oea
12. PNG Footballer named for NEAFL Rising Star from the PNG Post Courier 19 May 2019
13. IC17 Preview: Papua New Guinea Mosquitos by Michael Christiansen for World Footy News 27 July 2017
14. Palm Beach Currumbin go back to back in QAFL
15. Oea and Murtagh extend By SUNS Media on Dec 10, 2021
16. NEAFL player profile - Hewago Paul Oea
17. Cats lose emerging star, Suns bring in debutant. from afl.com.au
18. Hewago Paul Oea’s sickening injury blow sours Suns’ after-the-siren celebration chaos from 7 News 11 July 2022