James Murphy
CASADIO Park is the one-stop shop for soccer action this Sunday, when the Limestone Coast season launches with its pre-season Cup Carnival.
It will be the second running of the event, with last year’s carnival replacing the previous pre-season cup series played over several weeks.
The introduction of the event was well received and now all is in place for a bigger and better 2023 edition.
Both the men and women will play at the same venue, utilising Casadio Park’s two pitches for a packed day of matches.
Association president Chris Fleetwood
“Everything is looking really good,” he said.
“It will be a great occasion because we will have both the men and the women playing at the same venue.
“We couldn’t have that last year, so that is a change for this year.
“We want to have them alongside each other showcasing some of the best football talent we have in the Limestone Coast.”
The carnival gives a good chance for teams to try different things prior to the season kick off in a few weeks, while also trialling new or up-and-coming players across the shortened games.
“There are quite a few new players each club is going to show,” Fleetwood said.
“It is a great opportunity to unearth some youthful talent and experiment a little bit.
“The season is looking really good.”
Games start at 8.30am on Sunday, with the final fixtures scheduled for 4.40pm, with up to 30 games expected to be played throughout the day.
The 2023 premiership season will kick off with International v Gambier Centrals on Anzac Day, followed by the rest of the Round 1 games on April 23 and 23.
