By BRAD MCGRATH
MELBOURNE will clash with St Kilda in the ‘Battle for the South East’ after the AFL yesterday announced the two clubs would clash in the NAB Cup at Casey Fields in March.
The Demons already have strong ties to the City of Casey with their VFL affiliate Casey Scorpions playing out of Casey Fields, while St Kilda’s training base is at Seaford.
The Melbourne clubs will clash in the third round of the pre-season competition on Saturday, March 9.
Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab said it was exciting to bring an official NAB Cup fixture to the City of Casey, with the club previously playing a NAB Challenge match there.
“We are really pleased to be playing a NAB Cup game at Casey Fields in 2013,” he said.
“We see it as a reward for our supporters in the region, as well as ongoing recognition of the strength of the club’s partnership with the City of Casey which is one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, and a key element of our club’s growth strategy.
”In 2008, the club signed a 30-year agreement with the City of Casey, and we’re working hard to deliver community programs and business developments that provide real benefits to the region. Clearly, playing more football in Casey is a big part of our plans and a major reason as to why we pushed hard to have a NAB Cup fixture at Casey this year.”
Previous pre-season matches have attracted 10,000 people to Casey Fields with the AFL continuing its push into areas that don’t traditionally get the top level of football.
The NAB Cup competition will kick off on February 15 with a triple-header match between Collingwood, Essendon and Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium. Round one of the NAB Cup has been split across two weekends to ensure teams play in twilight or night conditions for the late summer period.
“In rounds two and three, we will mix matches across both regional venues and our major AFL venues, so that we continue to promote our game into areas that don’t normally host AFL football,” AFL general manager of broadcasting, scheduling and legal affairs Simon Lethlean said.
NAB Cup matches will be taken to Townsville, Wagga, Wangaratta and Renmark, Canberra, Tasmania, Alice Springs and Northam.
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