NAB Challenge needs to take an all-regional approach

The AFL launched a restructured pre-season format for 2014 on the back of the fans, players and clubs unanimously rejecting the previous NAB Cup format.

The earlier incarnation was an unnecessarily long and drawn out competition and some teams (I’m looking at you Swans) paid scant regard to it.

Some clubs preferred to lose the opening round and thus exiting the tournament to continue their preparations.

When consulting with the AFL during the 2013 season, the clubs advised that they saw two-three practice matches in the pre-season as an ideal number to prepare for the season proper.

The NAB Challenge is what we football fans now have in February. It is a nice taste test for the season ahead and gives everyone a chance to see how their team has progressed over the arduous summer months of pre-season training.

You may even see your previous favourite player now donning the colours of a hated rival.

The one thing that has stood out to me above all else so far is the great crowds that we have seen at the ‘regional’ venues which don’t see AFL Premiership season action during the year.

There have been fantastic attendances at Richmond Oval (Adelaide), Joondalup Arena (Perth), Eureka Stadium (Ballarat), Norm Minns Oval (Wangaratta) and Tony Ireland Stadium (Townsville). The locals have made the most of the opportunity to see their teams and heroes in the flesh, gracing the turf of their local club and putting on a good show at the same time.

We still have Blacktown International Sports Park (Sydney), TIO Traeger Park (Alice Springs) and Wagga Wagga to come as the week wraps up.

This is where I think the AFL and the clubs can and should go one step further and play all NAB Challenge matches at regional venues.

This year there are five matches played at Etihad Stadium, two in Geelong and one each in Canberra, the Gold Coast and Launceston.

These are all venues that will host multiple games for AFL Premiership points this year. They, and particularly Etihad Stadium, don’t need the NAB Challenge games there as well.

I have come up with 10 alternate venues for 2015 which will cover the dual aims of taking the game to their heartland areas and also taking the game to areas where the game is still growing.

Below is my list. These venues will be used in addition to the regional venues used this year that are mentioned above:

Shepparton, Victoria (Population 59,972)
Shepparton in central Victoria is only a two-hour drive from Melbourne.

The AFL could use Deakin Reserve which has a capacity of 15,000 and is currently the home ground of both the Shepparton United Football Club (the Demons) and the Shepparton Football Club (the Bears), who play in the Goulburn Valley Football League.

Bendigo, Victoria(Population 105,560)
Bendigo is also essentially just up the highway from Melbourne, taking around 90 minutes to drive there.

Bendigo currently has the Bendigo Gold playing in the VFL and their 18,000-capacity home ground at Queen Elizabeth Oval would no doubt be filled. It is a region rich in Australian Football history and puts another game in the gold fields of Victoria.

Albury/Wodonga, New South Wales/Victoria (Population 106,052)
The border towns are a three-hour drive straight up the Hume Highway from Melbourne and have a great love of Australian rules football.

The AFL would use Lavington Sports Ground in Albury (15,000 capacity), current home of the Lavington Panthers Football Club and host of the grand final for the Ovens and Murray Football League.

Previously the AFL had stated that the lighting was an issue at the ground, but after a $500,000 upgrade in 2010 this is no longer a problem.

Sunshine Coast, Queensland (Population 264,896)
Taking a game to the Sunshine Coast – a 90-minute drive up the Bruce Highway from Brisbane – will be a very easy sell, particularly when you play the game in Noosa.

Using the Noosa Sports Ground, home of the Noosa Tigers from the AFL Queensland State League, should see a bumper crowd fill the venue.

The GWS Giants spent a week in Noosa on a training camp at the end of 2013 and utilised the Noosa Tigers facilities with rave reviews.

Mount Gambier, South Australia (Population 25,881)
Mount Gambier provides four teams to the Western Border Football League and is approximately four-and-a-half hours from Adelaide and a five-hour drive from Melbourne.

The home of North Gambier Football Club, Vansittart Park would be the venue and recently has been approved for funding to improve and update facilities.

In July 2012 the South Australian Government approved $200,000 funding for the precinct and Barry Stafford from the North Gambier Football Club confirmed at the time that it was part of a $3.5 million upgrade.

Warrnambool, Victoria (Population 33,922)
Warrnambool is a three-hour drive from Melbourne and a proud football area. Their best ground, Reid Oval, is set for a $600,000 upgrade in a bid to bring AFL practice matches to the town.

The upgrade will include an electronic scoreboard, a multi-purpose pavilion and updated electricity, gas and water connections. A further stage of upgrading includes the playing surface and lighting.

Reid Oval is home to both Warrnambool Football Netball Club and East Warrnambool Football Netball Club in the Hampden Football Netball League and could be set for NAB Challenge games early next year.

Echuca/Moama, Victoria, New South Wales (Population 19,087)
The border towns are approximately three hours from Melbourne and both towns have teams competing in the Murray Football League – the Echuca United Eagles and the Moama Magpies.

The area is a long time favourite for Melburnians to holiday, camp, fish and use the Murray River for water sports, so a NAB Challenge game would be a great addition to the summer calendar.

I would recommend the game be played in Moama at their home ground at Jack Eddy Oval. For anyone who has had the privilege to play on that ground, it is a great surface.

Geraldton, Western Australia (Population 39,311)
Situated nearly five hours’ drive north of Perth, Gerdalton is home to the Great Northern Football League, which currently has seven teams competing in it.

A strong Australian football town would love to see the stars of the WA clubs playing in their town. The AFL could use Wonthella Park Oval, home to Towns Football Club and former club of young Gold Coast star Jack Martin.

Newcastle, New South Wales (Population 418,958)
I understand the city is firmly in league and football territory, however that is no reason that the AFL shouldn’t try and schedule a regular NAB Challenge game there.

They could use Pat Jordan Oval, the home of Newcastle City Football Club who play in the Black Diamond Australian Football League. It is a big population centre, only just smaller than the Gold Coast, and should have an AFL presence at least once a year.

And one from left field…

Finley, New South Wales (Population 2,509)
My old home town and a quirky choice I will grant you, but the area has a number of towns who would flock to this game at the Finley Recreation Reserve, including Tocumwal, Deniliquin, Berrigan, Cobram/Barooga and Jerilderie.

Finley and the surrounding towns have supplied numerous players to the VFL/AFL in the past, the most famous being Jack Hawkins, Billy Brownless and currently Tom Hawkins the Geelong superstar.

The playing surface is fantastic and the dimensions are the same as the MCG and the town loves its football. The fixture can be a night game as the ground has fantastic lighting and regularly hosts an Easter fixture under lights – usually the Finley Cats against the Deniliquin Rams.

The AFL does a fantastic job of spreading the game around throughout the year. In addition to the five mainland capitals and Geelong and the Gold Coast, this year will see games played in Darwin, Alice Springs, Launceston, Hobart, Canberra, Cairns and Wellington.

Our major population centres are well serviced for AFL action during the year, so why not extend the goodwill and the obvious economic benefits that flow on from hosting AFL teams to the regional areas every year during the NAB Challenge?