Magpies to take on Roos at Twin Ovals

KINGSTON’S Twin Ovals is set to become Tasmania’s latest AFL venue when North Melbourne hosts one of Australia’s biggest football clubs Collingwood in a pre-season fixture in February.

It is believed it will be the second week of the pre-season JLT Series, with Hawthorn and Melbourne to clash at Launceston’s University of Tasmania Stadium in week one.

An AFL spokesman would not comment on the Roos-Pies fixture, only saying the full pre-season schedule would be released later this month.

With Blundstone Arena unavailable because of cricket commitments, the Twin Ovals is poised to host its first AFL fixture since being opened in 2011.

The Twin Ovals, home of the Tigers in the Tasmanian State League, hosted an A-League pre-season soccer match between Melbourne Victory and the Western Sydney Wanderers in September, 2013, that attracted 5290 fans.

But a match between North Melbourne and Collingwood, with its big supporter base, would most likely surpass that figure.

Both AFL clubs have close relationships with Tasmania.

The Kangaroos play three home matches in Hobart, and have a partnership with the state for a joint AFLW licence and their next generation academy, while the Magpies have a partnership with Tasmania through its netball arm.

The playing surface and dimensions of the Twin Ovals are of AFL standard, but the venue will require a lot of temporary infrastructure to host a big crowd.

While Collingwood is yet to play in Tasmania for premiership points, it will be its second visit south for a pre-season game in recent years (having played Hawthorn in Launceston in 2015).

Collingwood has a deal with the Tasmanian Government worth $1.65 million over three years to boost netball in the state, with 2018 to be the second year of the partnership.

The Magpies netball team will play at least one game a year in Tasmania, and a Tasmanian Magpies team has been developed for the secondtier Australian Netball League.

Netball courts next door at the Kingborough Sports Centre may be used to display the Magpies’ netball skills.