By Paul Pickering
CASEY’S bid to host a NAB Challenge match will hinge on an AFL inspection of the Casey Fields surface next Tuesday.
Council workers are in a race against time to get the re-laid surface at the VFL Oval up to scratch in time for the pre-season fixture, which will be played on Saturday, 12 March if the AFL issues a green light.
The NAB Challenge series is an off-shoot of the NAB Cup pre-season competition, with eliminated sides playing practice matches at regional venues.
The Melbourne and Casey Scorpions football clubs have been unable to use the VFL Oval for training during the past three weeks as the ground continues to recover from re-surfacing and drainage works late last year.
Scorpions officials are also considering moving the club’s scheduled practice matches against Box Hill on 5 March to Cora Lynn in a bid to preserve the surface.
Scorpions general manager Brian Woodman said he was “pretty confident” that AFL officials would give the ground the thumbs up next Tuesday.
“There’s been a fair bit of catch-up work on the ground over the last few weeks, so I’ll be surprised if the game doesn’t go ahead,” Woodman said this week.
“Subject to that decision, we’re looking at transferring our game. Considering the amount of money and effort the council has put into preparing the ground for a NAB match, we just want to make sure we don’t muck it up with a couple of (practice) games.”
If the Scorpions’ senior and reserves clashes against Box Hill are moved, they will become the curtain-raisers on a bumper day and night of footy at Cora Lynn Recreation Reserve.
Cora Lynn, which plays in the Ellinbank and District Football League, is hosting an innovative pre-season round-robin dubbed Twenty20 Footy under lights on 5 and 12 March.
The tournament will involve three teams from the Ellinbank league, plus Gippsland League runner-up Drouin and Casey Cardinia league minor premier Cranbourne.
Cranbourne, a co-tenant of the Demons and Scorpions at Casey Fields, will play three 40-minute games against Drouin, Nar Nar Goon and Garfield on the first night.
