Victoria Metro and Dandenong Stingray star Scott Simpson thumps one forward during his side’s 48-point victory.By Marc McGowan
CASEY Fields staged the final day of the Under 18 Division One National Championships yesterday (Wednesday) after being one of the few grounds in Victoria able to stand up to last week’s deluge of rain.
The matches were originally scheduled for Skilled Stadium, which has also lost its Victorian Football League game between the Casey Scorpions and Geelong on Sunday.
The move comes on the back of the region’s premier sporting facility having already hosted an AFL NAB Challenge Cup contest between Hawthorn and Essendon in March.
The local derby between Victoria Metro and Victoria Country kicked off proceedings, with the former running out a convincing 48-point winner, 17.8.110 to 9.8.62.
The result of the all-important Western Australia and South Australia tussle will decide the title, but was not available when the News went to print.
There was a strong local presence, with six Gippsland Power players in the Country squad and four Dandenong Stingrays featuring in the Metro team.
Robert Michaelides, Jackson Hall, James Blaser, Nicholas Heyne, Dan McKenna and Haelen Kay represented the Power, while Luke Potts, Scott Simpson, Jarrad Grant and Steven Gaertner the Stingrays players taking to the field.
Scorpions general manager Brian Woodman was delighted that Cranbourne received the opportunity to host the best junior football talent in Australia.
“Casey Fields, with its outstanding grass coverage and drainage, is at the forefront of grounds in the metropolitan area, and the only other options were the MCG and Telstra Dome, which puts it in fairly elite company,” he said.
“We have had an AFL (practice) game here and now the Division One championships, which is a huge feather in Casey Fields’ cap and just a recognition of the standard of the venue.
“We hope to get another AFL game here next year and additional to that we’re hoping for the Scorpions to make the finals in September and aim to have a VFL final out here.”
