MPFNL: A Round 18 clash has been moved to Frankston Park in a one-off showpiece

Two MPFNL finals aspirant clubs will conclude the year under lights in a one-off showpiece at Frankston Park. Here are the details.

Pictures: AL DILLON

The stars have aligned perfectly for Mornington.

The ladder-leaders will host Edithvale-Aspendale at Frankston Park in a faultlessly timed conclusion to the MPFNL Division Two home and away season.

The Doggies, who have been without rooms all season due to construction, will play the senior match against the Eagles while they celebrate their 1998 premiership in the Kinetic Stadium social rooms.

The match will be played under lights with the seniors starting at 7pm after both the under-19s and reserves are played at Mornington in their traditional timeslots.

Bulldogs’ Footy Manager Jason Jacoby explained how the reunion played a huge role in the adjustment of the fixture.

“I think it’s going to be huge, we’re really looking forward to it,” he said.

“It’s a reunion for us, our seniors and reserves in 1998 actually played in a grand final against Edi-Asp and we were lucky enough to win both of those games.

“We haven’t really had a chance to have a function at the ground, we have been working out of marquees and tents – it’s been pretty tough.

“A past players reunion, something like this, we thought Frankston would be the perfect venue.

“Against Edi-Asp, it’s the only time we play them this year so everything kind of aligned.”

Mornington will host Edithvale-Apsendale under lights. Pictures: AL DILLON

Jacoby hopes playing in front of a big crowd at the venue the Division Two grand final will be held exposes the young Doggies to an experience money can’t buy.

“We know that we’re a young team, we have a group of young and talented players, so as much experience as we can get into them in big games like this, you just can’t buy it,” he said.

“We think it’s going to be great, we hope that we will have a long run in the finals, so we’re hoping this is just a warm up but being a young team they’re just excited by the opportunity.

“We can’t wait to expose them to it.”

Dogs’ skipper Josh Newman will be back on his old deck.

Adrian Speedy.

The match is the first home and away fixture at Frankston Park since 2019.

Frankston Dolphins Chief Executive Officer Adrian Lloyd says the Dolphins would “love” to have more MPFNL games at Kinetic Stadium provided approval from the council.

“100 per cent, we need permission from the City of Frankston because they are concerned about the overuse of the ground but three or four games a year with MPFNL clubs if they desire to do it, we would love to get them here,” he said.

“We couldn’t do it every week, (couldn’t do) a match of the round, but we could certainly do it three or four times a year with permission from the City of Frankston.

“It’s a great venue and I know every MPFNL player loves to play on the ground, as indeed the lucky ones who make the grand final this year in Division One and Two.”

The ground is completely unoccupied on August 12 as the Dolphins women’s side will already be playing finals while the men play Coburg away.