By Ewen McRae
Werribee will host an AFL pre-season match for the first time next year, with the league unveiling it’s JLT Series fixture this week.
Avalon Airport Oval will host North Melbourne and St Kilda on March 2 as part of a revamped pre-season fixture that includes three new community venues around the country.
The AFL launched the pre-season fixture in Werribee, with former Werribee player and current North Melbourne star Ben Brown on hand to mark the occasion.
The match will be the first of a big doubleheader of AFL action at Avalon Airport Oval that weekend, with the league last week confirming the ground would also host the Kangaroos and Adelaide in its first ever AFLW match on Sunday, March 3.
Port Pirie in South Australia and Lismore in New South Wales will also host pre-season games for the first time in 2019.
Speaking at the pre-season launch at Avalon Airport Oval, AFL fixture general manager Travis Auld was full of praise for the venue.
“The JLT Series is a great opportunity to take our men’s elite game to regional suburban grounds around the country,” Auld said.
“This great venue here in Werribee is a wonderful new facility and a great example of government investing in a community facility that we would love to take advantage of and which we will do on March 2.”
Since the completion of its $11.75 million redevelopment in April, Avalon Airport Oval has quickly established itself as an in-demand venue for elite football, hosting North Melbourne VFL games and TAC Cups girls’ and boys’ matches – among them the TAC Cup girls’ grand final – in addition to Werribee’s home games.
Werribee Football Club chief executive Mark Penaluna expects the match could draw a crowd to rival the one that witnessed his club’s thrilling home draw against the Gold Coast in the Suns’ sole VFL season in 2010.
“It’s a huge event for us,” Penaluna said. “A significant reason for our club tipping
$1 million into this facility was to allow it to host major events such as this, so this is a fantastic result.”
Ewen McRae
