High noon for TIO StadiumGREY MORRIS
NT News
January 27th, 2011TIO Stadium will come under the microscope at noon today when an independent inspector will determine its suitability to host next month's indigenous All Stars versus Richmond exhibition match.
Monsoonal weather has dumped almost 1400mm of rain on the ground since the beginning of October.
The seven-year-old drainage system designed to cope with the surface water has become blocked in some areas of the ground.
The countdown to whether Darwin would host the biennial All Stars game on February 5 began last week when ground managers, the AFLNT, and owners, the NT Government, were given until Today to get the ground right. AFLNT chairman Bob Elix conceded the elements were currently winning the battle despite a helicopter acting as a giant blow-dryer for two days.
The use of a super sopper from the South Australian Cricket Association to remove surface water was also a first for the Northern Territory.
"It's not looking too good with all this rain around," Elix told the NT News last night.
"But we desperately want this game to happen, even if the rain is winning the battle right at this moment."
Playing AFL pre-season matches in Darwin during February has become a constant headache for league officials.
Spiralling insurance costs associated with the very real prospect of serious injury to the players means the AFL wants pristine playing surfaces for its employees.
Elix said the AFL, Richmond and the NT Government were discussing plans B and C - to move the game to Alice Springs or Melbourne if the wet weather continued.
Alice Springs is already contracted to host the 2013 All Stars game at Traeger Park, which boasts one of the best playing surfaces in Australia.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/01/27/209061_ntsport.html