Frankston Park no certainty to host MPFNL grand final

League officials are wrestling with “a big issue” as it decides on venues for this season’s MPFNL grand finals.

Action from the 2018 MPNFL Division 1 grand final between Pines and Sorrento. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The Mornington Peninsula league grand final is one of the biggest events in country football, attracting more than 10,000 screaming fans to Frankston Park.

The venue is regarded as ideal by many, adding to the occasion.

This season’s finals venues are soon to be announced, with the MPFNL board establishing a sub committee to decide, and Frankston Park’s suitability is being discussed.

MPFNL board chair person Graham Sherry said Frankston Park was “by far the best ground’’ but its lack of netball courts was “a big issue’’.

“The issue has always been no netball facilities there,” he said.

“That’s the big issue.

“It’s by far the best ground, we all know that.”

In recent years, nearby Jubilee Park has hosted the netball grand finals, but the push is on for both the football and netball flag deciders to be played at the same venue.

“Netball is a big issue for us so we have to try and make sure it’s properly accommodated,’’ he said.

Grand final day at Frankston Park. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Sherry said the MPFNL would make a decision on finals venues over the next week or fortnight.

“There’s quite a bit of work done on it already,’’ he said.

“It consists of some experienced people who’ve had finals hosting experience and who’ve been around for a while.

“There’s nothing set yet.’’

Sherry said he hoped netball courts would soon be built at Frankston Park.

“We’ve been promised the possibility of putting netball courts in there somewhere for a few years,” he said.

“It’s been on the drawing board but nothing has eventuated.”

Sherry said with AFLW games scheduled to be played at Frankston Park later in the season a decision on MPFNL finals had to be “sorted pretty quickly”.