ALLANSFORD and Merrivale have earned hosting rights for week one of the Warrnambool and District league finals series.
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Allansford Recreation Reserve will host the qualifying final on Saturday, the second time in three years the league has used the ground for a final.
Dennington features in both the senior football and A grade netball. The Dogs meet Merrivale on the grass and Panmure on the court.
Merrivale Recreation Reserve is the venue for elimination final day on Sunday — the same fixture the ground hosted in 2013.
Allansford takes on Old Collegians in the senior football and Merrivale has home-court advantage against Kolora-Noorat in the A grade netball.
Power coach Glenice Justin said playing the Tigers on their own court was not ideal but would not be an issue for her players.
“I see there are 12 games (of netball) played. It’s difficult, somebody is going to be playing on their home court,” she said.
“In a beautiful, ideal world it’d be great if we could play on a neutral ground but it can’t happen. We don’t have the grounds to choose from.”
Justin said Kolora-Noorat had already experienced playing at Merrivale this season, losing to the Tigers by 11 goals in round 12.
She also noted the Power would have a home-court advantage in other grades should the second semi-final be at Noorat Recreation Reserve.
“It might end up one of our teams get to play a final on their home court. It goes around,” she said.
WDFNL general manager Dianne Membrey said the league applied to have the elimination final at Reid Oval as its first preference.
But Warrnambool City Council put the ground off limits in a bid to give the playing surface a break.
Incomplete works in the netball change rooms development also shaped the decision.
“They wanted to give it a spell because otherwise it won’t have a spell and the netball change rooms aren’t ready,” Membrey said.
“There’s really no point going there if we still don’t have access to the change rooms when we can go to a venue that does have change rooms.
“We’re happy to go down to Merrivale, that’s fine.”
Meanwhile, Old Collegians have requested an investigation into an incident during the Warriors’ under 17½ match against Merrivale on Saturday.
The WDFNL yesterday confirmed investigations officer Chris Asenjo would look into the first-quarter incident.
A second investigation, requested by Deakin University and relating to its round 16 senior match against South Rovers, is also under way.