As part of a commitment to take matches to venues that don't normally host regular AFL football, the league’s chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said NAB Cup Challenge games would be played in North Ballarat (Vic), Alice Springs (NT), Blacktown (NSW), Joondalup (WA), Morwell (Vic), Mt Gambier (SA), Narrandera (NSW), Southport (Qld) and Yea (Victoria), as well as Elizabeth in outer suburban Adelaide and Casey Fields in outer suburban Melbourne as the competition progressed.
“The NMFC is a proud partner of the City of Ballarat and will continue to work hard to ensure that initiatives like this are not one offs,” Arocca said.
The NAB Cup fixture was released in October and Mr McLachlan said the AFL was in the process of planning a draft schedule for matches in the NAB Challenge, once teams were eliminated from the NAB Cup, to give all clubs the best possible preparation in terms of understanding potential travel requirements.
"NAB and the AFL will continue with our focus to take the majority of NAB Challenge matches across Australia to venues that don’t normally host premiership season matches," McLachlan said.
Arocca hopes the match at Eureka Stadium will be embraced and supported by the Ballarat community.
“This is a real breakthrough for the City of Ballarat and just rewards for the hard work by the Mayor and CEO of Ballarat. It is also a credit to the North Ballarat Football Club for investing in Eureka Stadium to allow it to accommodate AFL standard matches.
“We wish to also congratulate the AFL for bringing AFL football back to Ballarat and we hope that the locals come out in force to support the match.”
The indicative NAB Challenge fixture is as follows:
WEEK 1 - February 25-26 2010
Friday - Matches to be played in Alice Springs.
Saturday - Match to be played in Yea.
WEEK 2 - March 5-6 2010
Friday - Matches to be played in Southport and Visy Park.
Saturday - Match to be played in Elizabeth, Joondalup, North Ballarat.
Dates to be confirmed - Match at one other venue location.
WEEK 3 - March 12-13 2010
Friday - Match to be played at Southport
Dates to be confirmed - Matches to be played at Mt Gambier, Subiaco, Morwell, Visy Park, Narrandera and Casey Fields.
