The Tigers were set to take on an Indigenous All-Star side on February 5, but the surface at TIO Stadium is struggling to cope with the extraordinary conditions.
AFLNT has transported in a Super Sopper from the South Australian Cricket Association in a bid to dry out five soaked areas on the stadium’s surface.
AFLNT chief executive Tony Frawley said the ground staff had been doing all they could to dry out the oval but they had been restricted because of the relentless downpour.
"Eighty per cent of the oval is OK. We’ve got about five what we call bad spots that have got water on them and we need to get that off," Frawley told afl.com.au.
"It’s not boggy. It’s just wet [but] that means it’s probably dangerous for the AFL players. But it’s only within five spots of five metres by five metres.
"And this Super Sopper is now working on those. Once we get them dry we’ll tarp it and hopefully get it right for Thursday."
Tropical rain has hit Darwin for 13 consecutive days which Frawley said was strange, even for the top end.
"It’s just that we’ve had this unusual amount of rain. We’re getting 100mm a night. The trouble is we haven’t been able to get on it to do the maintenance we wanted to," he said.
"That is the main problem, it’s like any other oval around in Australia, you’ve just got to be able to do it."
Northern Territory Football League games scheduled at TIO Stadium have been moved to nearby Gardens Oval in recent weeks as AFLNT does its best to protect the surface.
There are no more games scheduled at the ground before the All-Stars' match.
Representatives from the AFL and Richmond will inspect the surface on Thursday to determine if it meets the required standard.
Frawley said his staff was doing all it could to make sure the surface was ready for the All-Stars' match, which was always a highlight of football in the Northern Territory.
"That’s why we’re pulling out all stops. We are a couple of months ahead of our planning for the game so we’ve put enormous amount of work into it already," he said.
"Financially, with all the speculation going on, it has probably affected our ticket sales so we need to be positive."
