NAB challenge games- Avoid the tropics boys

[saintbrat]

Go sainters First round of NAB cup

even if JUST to avoid the torrential downpour of last year.

Cairns if they lose First round
we can hope for MC labour and Casey after that- we got MC labour twice early in 2007.

The indicative NAB Challenge fixture

Week One: February 22-23, 2008
Friday: MC Labour - West Bulldogs/Essendon v Kangaroos/Brisbane
Friday: Cairns – St Kilda/Rich v Geelong/Melbourne
Saturday: Albany – West Coast/Fremantle v Collingwood/Adelaide
Saturday: MC Labour/AAMI / Syd - Hawthorn/Sydney v Port Adelaide/Carlton

Week Two: February 29 - March 1, 2008
Friday: Matches to be played in Narrendera, Alice Springs, Bendigo
Saturday: Match to be played at Carrara
Dates to be confirmed: Matches at MC Labour and other AFL venues.

Week Three: March 7-8, 2008
Friday: Match to be played in Shepparton
Saturday: Matches to be played at Noarlunga, Manuka Oval, Casey Fields
Dates to be confirmed: Matches at Subiaco and other AFL venues.

http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/N ... wsId=54295

[riccardo]

We'll just have to keep winning, then.

Would love to lift another "insert sponsors name here" Cup.

[Saints Premiers 2008]

We'll just have to keep winning, then.

Would love to lift another "insert sponsors name here" Cup.

i wouldnt

i would rather the other 15 clubs know less and less about how our players are travelling

so with a bit of luck kosi explodes and we see something close to a seasons effort resembling that famous month of 05

[n1ck]

so with a bit of luck kosi explodes and we see something close to a seasons effort resembling that famous month of 05

dont say that, he probably will... explode.

[saintspremiers]

who gives a shyte?

It's just practice match bulltish.

Scrap it I say.

Let all Vic clubs play intra clubs/or against other clubs each week at the real suburuban home grounds.

I'd hate our players to get infected playing at Kevin Dudd Hard Labor for the Next 6 Years Park!

[riccardo]

so with a bit of luck kosi explodes and we see something close to a seasons effort resembling that famous month of 05

dont say that, he probably will... explode.

And knowing him he'll probably do it brushing his teeth or something equally innocuous!

[noddy]

I am so hoping for us to play at Noarlunga,

10 minutes away from me )))))))

[casey scorp]

The match at Casey Fields is at 2pm on Saturday 8 March. It is the afternoon of the day of the Grand Final of the NAB Cup (which is in the evening).

This will probably become the traditional slot for a Casey Fields AFL pre-season match (in 2007 Essendon v Hawthorn drew over 10,000 people in the corresponding slot).

The hope had always been to have St Kilda v Hawthorn, but St Kilda expressed a preference to play on the Friday late afternoon at Princes Park so the opportunity was lost in 2007.

St Kilda v Hawthorn as a traditional last hitout before the season between the east of Melbourne clubs would be great (provided in any year the teams aren't playing off in the Pre-season GF).

[Eastern]

I am so hoping for us to play at Noarlunga,

10 minutes away from me )))))))

None of us could deny you having this wish !!

[saintspremiers]

The match at Casey Fields is at 2pm on Saturday 8 March. It is the afternoon of the day of the Grand Final of the NAB Cup (which is in the evening).

This will probably become the traditional slot for a Casey Fields AFL pre-season match (in 2007 Essendon v Hawthorn drew over 10,000 people in the corresponding slot).

The hope had always been to have St Kilda v Hawthorn, but St Kilda expressed a preference to play on the Friday late afternoon at Princes Park so the opportunity was lost in 2007.

St Kilda v Hawthorn as a traditional last hitout before the season between the east of Melbourne clubs would be great (provided in any year the teams aren't playing off in the Pre-season GF).

It's a shame our club can't/doesn't want to play an inter club match at Moorabbin....is it due to the surface not being good enough?

It's bizarre choosing Princess Park over our home ground!

[nicko016]

The match at Casey Fields is at 2pm on Saturday 8 March. It is the afternoon of the day of the Grand Final of the NAB Cup (which is in the evening).

This will probably become the traditional slot for a Casey Fields AFL pre-season match (in 2007 Essendon v Hawthorn drew over 10,000 people in the corresponding slot).

The hope had always been to have St Kilda v Hawthorn, but St Kilda expressed a preference to play on the Friday late afternoon at Princes Park so the opportunity was lost in 2007.

St Kilda v Hawthorn as a traditional last hitout before the season between the east of Melbourne clubs would be great (provided in any year the teams aren't playing off in the Pre-season GF).

It's a shame our club can't/doesn't want to play an inter club match at Moorabbin....is it due to the surface not being good enough?

It's bizarre choosing Princess Park over our home ground!

You'd hope its because of the surface and that they didn't just choose Princess Park over Moorabbin. It's great to see footy played there.

Anyway, is the intra-club match two weeks before the first NAB challenge game and therefore one week before the first NAB cup game?

[ausfatcat]

I'd hope it isn't because of the surface seeming as they replaced it totally two years ago.

[nicko016]

I'd hope it isn't because of the surface seeming as they replaced it totally two years ago.

Maybe they're just being over cautious. As long as they didn't just simply chose Princess Park over Moorabbin.

[casey scorp]

As long as they didn't just simply chose Princess Park over Moorabbin.

The AFL allocates the venues (refer to the media release from last week re NAB Challenge venues):

http://afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=54295

There is then a matching of clubs as they are knocked out of the NAB Cup with allocated venues (except for the first week which is already determined).

A venue has to be adequate with player & patron amenities, surface etc to get the initial tick off. Moorabbin probably doesn't have the player amenities. So it wouldn't have been a case of not choosing Moorabbin - it just wouldn't have been a possibility.

Anyway, is the intra-club match two weeks before the first NAB challenge game and therefore one week before the first NAB cup game?

I'm pretty sure that's how it goes, so:

* weekend of 8/10 February would be intra-club
* weekend of 15/17 is NAB Cup 1st round
* weekend of 22/24 is NAB Challenge Week 1
* weekend of 7/9 March is NAB Cup final & Week 3 of NAB Challenge (a match to be held at Casey Fields)
* weekend of 14/16 is week off (although some players coming back from injury or underdone can play with AFL approval in the Casey Scorpions' Practice match that weekend)
* 22 March - the big one, forget the crap - 2008 season begins!!

[Eastern]

I'd like to see the intra-club practice match played at Casey Fields as a twilight fixture on either the Friday or Saturday. It would be a great chance to enhance the alignment between our 2 clubs. Also, I would like to see plenty of Casey players playing in said match. This would allow us to avoid the 12 a side finishes we have had in recent years !!

[casey scorp]

I'd like to see the intra-club practice match played at Casey Fields as a twilight fixture on either the Friday or Saturday.

On Friday 16 February 2007 Richmond played an intraclub match at Casey Fields (late afternoon/early evening - too early to be called twilight).

The lighting has just been upgraded to 240 lux (from 50 lux last year). I haven't seen it on, but apparently it was on last week one night for training. I was told last night it was as bright as Waverley used to be.

You would hope St Kilda makes a move this year and ties up the opportunity of an intraclub mtach at Casey Fields as you suggest.

[saintbrat]

Saturday pleaseeeeeeeeeeee!!!! if its that far away.

there have been just a few scorps players the last couple of years
this year was more like 3 X 15 minute qur with about as long again between
although it was a stinker- still near 30c I think in the evening.

[casey scorp]

And if we avoid a NAB Challenge game in Cairns (playing the loser of Melb/Geelong) by winning in Round 1 of the NAB Cup we go to............Canberra in Round 2 of the NAB Cup and play the winner of Melb/Geelong.

Still better than the energy sapping tropics.

[TimeToShineFellas]

We'll just have to keep winning, then.

Would love to lift another "insert sponsors name here" Cup.

i wouldnt

i would rather the other 15 clubs know less and less about how our players are travelling

10 games won in a row after winning a Pre-Season Flag in 2004......... doesn't look like those clubs knew how our players were travelling.