Four years after the venue hosted one of the smallest crowds for an interleague match in the region, Leura Oval has emerged as the preferred choice for next year’s country championships clash between Hampden and Murray leagues, based on a reader’s survey.

According to a poll on The Standard’s website which asked readers to nominate their preferred ground for the match, the Leura Oval came out on top. It received more than a quarter of the 122 votes, with 28.69 per cent of respondents wanting the match there. Warrnambool’s Reid Oval, which received almost 20 per cent of the votes was the second choice.

In another surprise, Mortlake’s D. C. Farran was the third most popular at 12.3 per cent.

The Hampden Football Netball League executive is expected to discuss a preferred venue when members meet tonight for the first time since AFL Victoria announced last week that the Bottle Greens would host the encounter with Murray.

The last time an interleague match was held at Leura Oval in 2010, Hampden suffered a 49-point loss against Mornington Peninsula Nepean in front of a paltry crowd described as one of the smallest ever witnessed in the Hampden region.