The fiinal game of the Australia Post Queensland Scorpions’ national U18 championships campaign has been switched from Wednesday to Tuesday next week.
Thursday, 24 June, 2010
The Australia Post Queensland Scorpions have been denied a match under the roof at Etihad Stadium after the AFL today switched the final game of their NAB Australian U18 Championship campaign next week.
The Scorpions, originally scheduled to close out their carnival against the Northern Territory at Etihad at 9.30am on Wednesday, will now play the Thunder at 9.30am on Tuesday at Carlton’s Visy Park.
This will follow Saturday’s clash with Victorian Country at Visy Park.
Scorpions management tonight was hurriedly trying to contact all the parents and relatives of players who may have planned to be in Melbourne for the game.
AFL Queensland Talent Manager Bob Batty asked anyone involved to make sure others with whom they were in regular contact were aware of the change.
“We don’t want anyone travelling to Melbourne on Wednesday expecting to see a game that will already have been played on Tuesday,” he said.
“We know it’s disappointing but it was beyond our control and we just hope that too many people aren’t too heavily inconvenienced.”
The switch was made by the AFL amid concerns over the Etihad Stadium playing surface ahead of next Thursday’s Round 14 AFL clash between Carlton and the Brisbane Lions.
All four U18 games scheduled for Etihad next Wednesday have been moved.
The division two games will be played at Visy Park on Tuesday, and the division one games at Skilled Stadium, Geelong, on Wednesday.
Given that all division two teams will now have one day less between games, the AFL will restrict all final round division two games to four 20-minute quarters.
They have invited teams to field up to 25 players in the final game of the carnival, providing teams in each match have equal numbers.
Only 22 players will play for Queensland against Victorian Country on Saturday.
The revised schedule for the final round of matches is:-
Tuesday, 29 June, at Visy Park, Carlton.
12.30pm: Queensland v Northern Territory.
2.30pm: Tasmania v NSW/ACT
Wednesday, 30 June, at Skilled Stadium, Geelong
12.30pm: Vic Metro v WA
2.30pm: Vic Country v SA
The scheduled AFLPA Parents information session, scheduled for 8.15am at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, has also been cancelled.
