Strong words today from @DarebinFalcons after the poor condition of Preston City Oval forced their @VFL #VFLW home match to be relocated to Mission Whitten Oval. Official Club Statement: Preston City Oval Following an assessment of the playing surface earlier this week at Preston City Oval, our VFLW match against the Western Bulldogs scheduled for this weekend, had to be relocated. Initially, this situation threatened to leave the club facing relocation costs of approximately $4,000. We are grateful to both the AFL and the Western Bulldogs for working collaboratively with us to avoid this outcome, with the fixture reversed and the match played at the Western Bulldogs' home ground. While we appreciate the support shown by both organisations, the circumstances that have led to this relocation are deeply concerning for the Darebin Falcons and for the future of the VFLW and State Development League pathways in Darebin. Preston City Oval is a regional-level facility. For many years, its status as a regional venue meant that access was reserved for the highest levels of football, with limited weekly hours of use, ensuring the ground could be maintained to the standard required for VFL/W competitions and other high-level football programs. Today, Darebin Falcons' VFLW program and the AFL’s State Development League Northern Knights U18 boys and girls teams are the highest-level football programs based in Darebin and at this venue, following the departure of the Northern Bullants VFL team. Despite this, the ground has recently been made available for additional community-level matches. Last weekend, two additional games were played on the surface in addition to its existing commitments, despite advance warning of the risk posed to the already wet and damaged centre turf. The resulting further deterioration of the ground has now directly impacted the ability of our VFLW side to host a scheduled home match. The Darebin Falcons are one of the pioneers of women's football in Australia and have provided the pathway for generations of players who have gone on to shape the AFLW era. Players including Daisy Pearce, Darcy Vescio, Katie Brennan, Melissa Hickey, Lauren Arnell, Natalie Wood and Aasta O'Connor all wore the Falcons jumper on their journey through the game. Today, our junior and youth players look to our VFLW team as the highest level of football available to them within the Darebin pathway. It is the aspiration that drives participation and development throughout our club and demonstrates what is possible for girls and young women who begin their football journey locally. We are concerned that the standards historically applied to protect regional facilities are now being reconsidered at precisely the moment when women's football has become the highest level of football being played at the venue. Regional facilities should continue to be managed according to the level of competition they host and the pathways they support. There is currently no alternative venue within Darebin capable of meeting AFL requirements for VFLW competition. If Preston City Oval cannot be maintained to the standard required for state-level football because of overuse, the Darebin Falcons once again will face the prospect of being homeless within Darebin. The issue extends beyond a single fixture or a single season. It is about ensuring that girls and women in Darebin continue to have access to a visible and achievable pathway to the highest levels of the game. It is about protecting a community asset that plays a critical role in the development of football talent across the region. We urge Darebin City Council to recognise the importance of Preston City Oval as a regional sporting facility and to prioritise its long-term sustainability for the state-level football programs it was established to support. The future of the VFLW and State Development League pathways in Darebin depends upon it – at Bulla, Victoria