The Bali Geckos will play the East Timor Crocs for the inaugural Crikey Cup in Darwin on 13 June as a curtain raiser to the AFL Round 12 clash between the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide Crows.

The Crikey Cup is a tribute to Steve Irwin, who had a strong association with crocodiles, including those crocs from East Timor.

Below is an excerpt from the press release:

The idea for the Crikey Cup came from Steve Irwin’s connection with East Timor and its sacred symbol, the crocodile – which they call ‘grandfather’.  In 2000 Steve Irwin led a team from Australia Zoo, with the Australian Defence Force and the World Society for the Protection of Animals, to rescue two injured crocodiles from a cramped and destroyed cage in Dili, the capital.

Determined to respect the crocodile’s symbolic status in East Timor, Steve refused to evacuate the reptiles to secure facilities in Australia. Instead, Australia Zoo funded and built two state-of-the-art enclosures in Dili.  At the time, Steve described the rescue as one of the hardest but most rewarding of his life.  Whilst in Dili the Irwins also donated funds for medical treatment of the people caught up in the violence of that time.

Bali Geckos Club President Mark Parthezius said, “Ultimately we are hoping this will become an annual event where teams from Australia and Asia can take part in a tournament to honour the legacy of the Crocodile Hunter and Eco-Warrior.”

Mr Parthezius added, “We are going to take down those Timor Crocs the same way Steve did, with 100% commitment, in the spirit of our friendships – and the game.”

The historic match is supported by Terri Irwin, and their renowned wildlife park Australia Zoo in , .  The match is also one of two curtain-raisers to the Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide night match, and is backed by the NTAFL.

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