The Standard | NIRRANDA president Anthony Foster has urged Warrnambool and District league officials to allocate a final at the Blues’ home ground this season.
A $1.8 million redevelopment of Nirranda Recreation Reserve, completed in May, has put the venue in the frame to host a match during the first two weeks of WDFNL finals next month.
Upgraded netball courts and lighting, new change rooms for netballers and football umpires and modern social rooms were part of the project.
The works have given the Blues some of the best facilities in the league and Foster said the time was right for the venue to host a final.
“The ground is obviously quite good, the facilities are first-class. Sometimes in footy it’s good to spread the finals out to different grounds,” he said.
Foster said the project was testament to what community groups could achieve if they worked towards a collective goal.
“There has been a lot of good work done by our local community and great team spirit among everybody, including the cricket club and recreation reserve committee,” he said.
“Credit to the committee, they’ve kept the place in great order over a great period of time.
“That’s why we’ve got such good facilities, we’ve had such good team work. Everybody has been working towards the same result. Moyne Shire were terrific as well.”
He said the modern facilities had helped make the club attractive to potential recruits.
“It’s been very positive that way. Both our football and netball sides are proud of their facility and proud to show it off,” he said.
WDFNL officials in recent years have scheduled their Saturday showcases – the qualifying final and second semi-final – outside of Warrnambool. The Sunday matches have been in Warrnambool or at Allansford.
But with Kolora-Noorat’s senior football side and Timboon Demons’ A grade netball outfit in contention to play in the elimination final, the prospect of change looms large.
The fortunes of Allansford could also factor in officials’ thinking. The Cats’ footballers are third while their netballers are fourth.
“It’s up to the league to show initiative. They’ve been out there numerous times, there’s no surprises,” Foster said.
WDFNL president Ken McSween said Nirranda Recreation Reserve was “well and truly in the mix”.
“Their only drawback down there is parking at the moment, there’s not enough of it,” he said.
“They’ve got a whole area there (in the south-west corner) that could be developed. But it’s a bit uneven and you can’t get across there at the moment.
“It’s a huge area that if levelled and gravelled you could fit a heap of cars in there.”
McSween said a neighbouring paddock, provided cars would not get bogged, could be a solution.
“You can’t have them parking on the highway and even that road going down to the ground is not exactly satisfactory," he said
