Super Saturday: Cora Lynn to welcome a host of clubs in a festival of practice matches

As the search for grounds for practice matches becomes growingly difficult, Cora Lynn is pioneering a local footy extravaganza, featuring four leagues, on the eve of the 2024 season.

Some local footy stars will be in action at Cora Lynn in ‘Super Saturday’.

It’s being labelled ‘Super Saturday’.

With grounds as hard as ever to locate for practice matches, Cora Lynn is pioneering a local footy equivalent to Gather Round.

Handover between cricket and footy at Cora Lynn is on March 1 and the Cobras are wasting no time, hosting its festival of footy the next day, Saturday, March 2.

Teams are coming from afar to play in practice matches.

Hampton Park will play Carrum Patterson Lakes, Cora Lynn will play Pearcedale and Pines will play Eltham.

Netball will take place, too, with a round robin featuring Pearcedale, Bunyip, Neerim South and Cora Lynn.

The venue for Super Saturday.

Cora Lynn president Rohan Marriott said his club wanted to put on “an exhibition of local footy”.

“We’ve got a pretty good oval out there, so we’re going with a ‘Super Saturday’,” he said.

“We’re trying to put on an exhibition of local footy.

“Grounds are hard to find; we have a very good ground, so we thought we’d showcase our ground and club and we reckon there’s a market there.

“We plan to do it annually.

“Paddy Swayn (Pines coach) has been very helpful with it and I rang Brad Canavan (CPL coach) and he said ‘leave it with me’ and the next day he had Hampton Park.’’

Marriott reckons the festival of footy concept is a “market that is untapped” and hopes it becomes “a part of the Cora Lynn and local football calendar”.

Pines coach Paddy Swayn tips his side to be near full strength. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Anton Woods of Eltham kicks away. (Photo by Josh Chadwick)

Swayn, a long-serving coach in the MPFNL, will go up against his 2018 premiership star Tim Bongetti, who now coaches Eltham.

Swayn said it would be an important hitout weeks out from Round 1.

“For the first three quarters we will play a lot of kids and the next three quarters we’ll play as strong as we can play with availability and where blokes are at pre-season wise,’’ he said.

“So we’ll have a pretty strong side.’’

Swayn praised Cora Lynn and said the concept of a bumper day of local footy practice matches was excellent.

“Bloody oath, especially because grounds are so hard to get because of cricket,’’ Swayn said.

“Cora Lynn’s ground has been updated really well.’’