10/06/2026
Club Statement: Preston City Oval Clarification
This correspondence addresses a specific assertion contained in the Darebin Falcons’ public statement entitled “Official Statement – Preston City Oval” (“the Statement”), published on Facebook on 6 June 2026, namely:
“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 Statement attributes the decision not to proceed with the Darebin Falcons VFLW match on PCO on Saturday 6 June to two games played by our club on Saturday 30 May, implying that those matches materially damaged the ground and centre‑wicket area. No evidence has been provided to support this conclusion.
Photographs (see below) time-stamped at 8:51 am on Sunday 31 May, less than 24 hours after the matches, show the centre wicket was not materially impacted. These images were supplied to Darebin Council on 4 June and demonstrate that the area remained substantially unchanged.
The Statement provides no information regarding any ground inspections or maintenance undertaken between 30 May and 6 June. Without this, stakeholders cannot assess how responsibility was attributed to matches played seven days earlier.
The Statement also omits reference to the significant rainfall event across metropolitan Melbourne on Friday 5 June (32.2mm), specifically in the two days before the scheduled fixture. Any objective assessment of ground conditions must consider this rainfall. To attribute deterioration solely to matches played seven days earlier, while not acknowledging a major weather event, is a significant omission.
For context, the Collingwood VFL and VFLW teams were also required to move their home double‑header games last Saturday from Victoria Park to Casey Fields and the KGM Centre, after the ground was deemed unsuitable for use due to heavy rainfall and the condition of the playing surface. This demonstrates that significant rainfall across Melbourne affected multiple venues and competitions, and that venue changes were made elsewhere for the same reason: weather‑related ground conditions rather than the actions of any individual club.
Our position is:
* The assertion that the 30 May matches materially affected the centre wicket is not supported by available evidence.
* Photographs show the wicket area remained substantially unaffected immediately after use on 30 May.
* No evidence has been produced linking any later deterioration to those matches.
* A more plausible contributing factor may be the rainfall in the week of Monday 1st to Friday 5 June. 42.4mm of rain fell in this week as recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology (Viewbank).
* We make no comment on turf‑management practices or protective coverings used at the facility.
The Statement also contains other assertions with which we disagree; however, these fall outside the scope of this correspondence.
The broader issue concerns the management of Preston City Oval, which is a public asset owned by the ratepayers of Darebin. It should be managed with transparency, fairness and cooperation among all community clubs.
As we have consistently stated since our Expression of Interest submission to Darebin Council in October 2025, we remain willing and available to meet with all stakeholders in person to discuss these matters constructively. We remain committed to constructive engagement and encourage all stakeholders to approach future discussions with openness, evidence‑based reasoning and a shared commitment to community sport.
Ged Kearney
Nathan Lambert MP
Darebin Leisure
Darebin City Council
