What better way to realise it is winter than to encounter record rainfall on the 1st of June! I awoke on Saturday morning, and my house had been washed down the street somewhere. I had new neighbours, and goodness knows where the car had ended up. OK, perhaps that’s a little dramatic, but it was definitely a very wet start to the weekend. However, it was easing, which would be perfect for my day out at Preston City Oval, where the Northern Blues were hosting Collingwood in Round 8 of the Peter Jackson VFL.
The Northern Blues, formerly the Preston Football Club, have an interesting history in the Peter Jackson VFL. Established in 1882, they didn’t join the then-VFA until 1903, only to leave again at the end of the 1912 season. They re- joined the competition in 1926 after some years in the wilderness, and have been a consistent part ever since. The Northern Blues have won four Premierships, going back-to-back in 1968-69, and again in 1983-84.
The club have been located at Preston City Oval since 1887, excluding one season when the ground was being improved. The ground has one main grandstand on the western wing, which houses the Social Club function rooms, the timekeeper’s rooms, and the visiting team change rooms, coaches boxes and multi-purpose stats boxes. The home team rooms are located to the south of the grandstand in a purpose-built facility, which also holds the coaching rooms for the club. North of the grandstand are the kiosk facilities, and further on is the beer booth. The old scoreboard is located on the north-east corner of the oval, and the remainder of the venue is concrete terraces and grassed hills.
Arriving in Preston prior to the game, there was plenty of traffic in the surrounding streets, and parking proved to be a challenge for the latecomers. In reality, that is the nature of a true suburban ground.
As we entered the ground on Saturday, we were greeted by the coffee cart for those who needed a caffeine fix after the drive, and this was immediately next to the ‘Famous Northern Blues BBQ’. Whilst this was the first time I had heard of it, I decided this was also the ideal time to get myself some lunch, so picked up a hamburger to start my day. It was an excellent, no-frills burger on bread, with caramelised onions and your choice of sauce at no extra cost! Another member of our travelling party went for the more-upmarket steak sandwich, and was extremely satisfied with the result.
We settled in to a nice position on the terraces, enjoying our burgers and a beer, and were treated to a great contest. As the first quarter wore-on, it was clear that the visitors had the bulk of the crowd support, because the Northern Blues’ AFL affiliate Carlton was playing at the same time. That didn’t seem to affect the hosts, as they pushed away to a 7-point lead at quarter time. From here the game see-sawed, with the lead extending to 11 points at half time, before Collingwood hit the front to lead by 7 at the final change. The Magpies were able to withstand the Blues in an epic final term, running out 3-point winners in a match that no sane person could drag themselves away from!
Those who were at the ground were fortunate that the rain stayed away for the most part, and the atmosphere was great. Those who ventured onto the arena at the breaks are now likely to have a little bit of Preston City Oval turf littered on their car floor mats. This was the Peter Jackson VFL at its best!
By Kent Winzer
Twitter: @Kentessential
Last Modified on 05/06/2013 22:35