Coonabarabran police have been called in to Mendooran as reinforcements for an important assignment - the decider of the local touch footy match!

Glory is on the line for one of the teams in the annual game between three sides; the Mendooran Police and Emergency Services, local Mendooran School students and Mendooran School staff.

"The event has been run every year since 2014, this being the tenth time it has run. Each team has won it three times so it's sort of a decider," Senior Constable Carlton Kopke from Mendooran Police said.

"This year's game will be held on the 9th May at 4pm at the Mendooran sports ground. We have had various police officers play in the emergency services side over the years from Probationary Constables to Assistant Commissioners and the games are always played in good spirits and fun."

As the only police officer in town, Snr Const Kopke has to call annually on his colleagues from other stations.

"So far this year, we have police coming from Coona and Gulargambone to help out," he said. "Over the years they have come from all across the region to help and their efforts are generally supported by their bosses as it is community engagement that really pays off."

"We have around 100 people attend the games on average which is a big turn-out in Mendooran which has a population of less than 400. It's all about growing relationships between the community and police as well as teachers and their students - allowing them to be seen in a different light as opposed to the authority figure all the time. "

Snr Constable Kopke who has been in the area for almost ten years said originally he was bored moving to the small community, but quickly found plenty of things to do within the district. He instigated the touch footy games soon after he arrived and is now also a local councillor.

"When I began the touch footy games, I wanted to ensure the kids knew teachers and emergency service people are here to help and that they could speak to any of them should they need to," he said.

"It was part of a bigger community based policing approach running various events and being on way too many committees to remember them all.

"I ran a youth group in Mendooran for many years and this rolled nicely into that. Now the kids organise their own team with players ranging from year seven and up."

The annual matches were even permitted over the Covid period, which Snr Const Kopke said was a great source of relief and socialisation for the small community.

And now, a decade of matches will result in one team taking the victory lead and enjoying the glory that comes with it. Also, the perpetual trophy is kept at the winner's location.

"Ideally I'd like to see it coming back to the police station after the teachers won it last year," Snr Const Kopke joked. "But it is great to see it displayed at the school. The games are an awesome way to get the community together and I hope they continue for many more years."