By LIAM TWOMEY
ST ALBANS will host Deer Park in the traditional opening to the 2013 Western Region Football League season.
The pair, which both qualified for finals this year, will play a standalone Friday night fixture on 4 April.
That won’t be the only marquee game of round one with Werribee Districts playing its first match in the WRFL under lights against Hoppers Crossing on the Saturday night.
Another highlight on the fixture, which was released last week, included two Division One Anzac Day games involving Sunshine squaring off against Werribee Districts and Albion meeting Deer Park.
“We put out the opportunity for clubs to submit requests and both Sunshine and Albion in collaboration with Werribee Districts and Deer Park were keen to play in those games,” WRFL football operations manager David Newton said.
“We thought there would be a greater likelihood of Anzac Day games this year given it falling on a Friday and it doesn’t affect a short turnaround or a long turnaround like a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Those clubs have taken the opportunity of playing the game the day before which is good.”
St Albans and Hoppers Crossing will also square off in a game on Good Friday.
In Division Two, the season will open with Wyndhamvale and Sanctuary Lakes playing on a Friday night.
With the Division Two season set to go 13 rounds before the league breaks into a three-tier set-up, Newton said the reaction from clubs had been great.
“There was some consideration initially whether we would do the split now and have Division Two and Division Three and start as separate competitions next year,” Newton said.
“This way it gives every club their opportunity to have their shot at Division Two. If they are serious about it they have got 13 rounds to do so.
“We haven’t actually had any clubs come back to us and say they are not happy with the move. I think all clubs have identified there were serious concerns about the level of competition last year and that has been happening for some time. It can only be a really good move for the league.”
Also in Division Two, Tarneit will play North Sunshine in its first match in the club’s history while Braybrook and Albanvale will square off in an Anzac Day clash.
The Division Two grand final will be played on either the sixth or seventh of September with the Division One grand final the following week.
