The opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow police and emergency services personnel on and off the sporting field is just one reason competitors and officials such as Senior Sergeant Heath Soutar keep returning to the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games.
His preparation for the 2018 Games in Mandurah may have suffered a setback when he was injured in a bike crash earlier this year, but Snr Sgt Soutar’s role as an AFL 9s and indoor cricket coordinator is nevertheless keeping him busy ahead of his third Games.
AFL 9s is a modified version of the regular Australian Rules game with nine players per side, a smaller field and no tackling, which made its debut at the 2016 Games. This year it would be contested by some 80 participants in unisex teams, while indoor cricket had attracted some eight teams.
"With both competitions we have whole teams enter but there are individuals without a team who want to take part, so the co-ordinators help place them together with other individuals to form their own teams," Snr Sgt Soutar said.
Most competitors will be from WA but there will most definitely be some friendly and hard-fought rivalry with the eastern states teams, Snr Sgt Soutar, who is the officer in charge at Collie Police Station, said.
"The Games give us the opportunity to enjoy meeting members of the public including tremendous volunteers who help make this event happen," he said.
"Spectators are most welcome to come along and enjoy a great day out - it's free to watch, there’s plenty of food and facilities at the venues and it’s a unique atmosphere."
Snr Sgt Soutar's own team will be one to watch. The versatile and undefeated Red Dragons took out both indoor cricket and AFL 9s titles in previous competitions. That said, Snr Sgt Soutar and his team relished the chance to try other sports at the Games.
"On the days we aren't playing our main sports we see if we can play in other sports that we might not necessarily be good at or have played before - it's good in the sense that we can help fill teams plus our attitude is if you’re going to the event you may as well make the most of it," he said.
"In previous events the Red Dragons tried lawn bowls, squash, darts and even mixed netball. In Melbourne, we tried indoor soccer, which none of us had played before, and we got absolutely thrashed. I don't think we scored a single goal but the crowd loved us.
"At the end of it all we were absolutely exhausted and could barely walk but we loved it. The competition and the sports are a highlight but the main thing is participation and fun and there’s always plenty of that.
"In some sports you obviously have supremely fit athletes, swimmers and triathletes who regularly compete at a high level but you don't have to be a super athlete to take part in these Games, there is something for everyone.”
The opening and closing ceremonies, medal presentations and the many social events taking place off the sporting field were also highlights, Snr Sgt Soutar said.
"The Games are an opportunity to meet people from other jurisdictions and enjoy the company of other emergency services personnel - we all have in common that we do a difficult job that not everyone can or wants to do, so we welcome the chance to get together in the spirit of a friendly competition,” he said.
“It's a wonderful thing for everyone taking part and a great event for Mandurah.”