IN the lead-up to the Round 17 clash between the Werribee Tigers and Port Melbourne, it’s time to remember back to the last time these two teams clashed – in Round 16.
Now, before we get inundated with questions relating to the editing of this piece, yes, it was a Round 16 match, but it was played in March at the start of the season, not last week, due to a fixturing for the Foxtel Cup. And yes, Port Melbourne hosted the match in Werribee, due to construction issues at the start of the year with North Port Oval.
Let’s take a step back in time, and experience a day out at... Avalon Airport Oval!
As the weather turns from record-breaking heat in early-March, to rain and wind like we’ve fallen off the edge of a cliff, we realise two things. Firstly, someone has flicked the switch, as summer has announced that it is well and truly over. Secondly, another switch has been turned on... it’s time for football!
Avalon Airport Oval, formerly known as Chirnside Park, has hosted Peter Jackson VFL matches since Werribee’s inception in 1965. The capacity is around the 10,000 mark, with records indicating the best attendance was at a match between Werribee and Williamstown in 1992.
The venue itself is a 35km sojourn from the Melbourne CBD, taking the M1 over the West Gate Bridge, and taking the C108 to sneak into Werribee the back way. Parking in surrounding streets is relatively unrestricted on game days, which is handy as the car park at the venue is usually full by half time in the AFL Victoria Development League match.
Once inside, you realise you’re in a classic Peter Jackson VFL venue. There’s a good mix of loyal fans from both clubs, and a handful of onlookers who had a free Saturday afternoon so decided to come along. There is a feeling of underlying passion just waiting to be unleased, as the first ball of the season is to be bounced. These people love their respective clubs, and you can see that the six-month hiatus has not impacted the seamlessness of friendships in the outer.
And then there’s the oh-so familiar smell. The BBQ with sausages and burgers from Tasman Meats, and one of the greatest inventions known to man, caramelised onions. The venue also had a food van with excellent gourmet sausages, burgers, and fried offerings including the great Dagwood Dog. But, today, we decided to stick with the BBQ. The burgers were excellent and fresh, and the sausages were to die for! A classic footy staple, but done to perfection!
When we took our position in the terraces on the wing, we had a bench for beverages, which was handy. About 5 minutes prior to the teams running out onto the field, the National Anthem roared to life, and for about 15 seconds, we were advised by Judith Durham et. al. that Australians are young and free, at which point the music stopped, never to be heard again.
Due to its proximity to the Melbourne-Geelong rail line, the ground does encounter train horns during the match. It would seem that, as a result of this proximity, a more rugby league-like siren is used at Avalon Airport Oval. As it roared to life, it was almost 1:10pm, and we settled in to the day with an ice-cold beer. It was Round 16, and time for the season to kick-off!
By Kent Winzer
Twitter: @Kentessential
Last Modified on 08/08/2013 11:03