In the middle of the ground, the Central Highlands Football League grand final is in battle.

This is Eureka Stadium you will know it (except maybe the sunshine part, Ballarat sunshine is not a guarantee in football season).

Ballarat you should be excited. Pumped, actually.

The prospect of CHFL’s season finale showdown before a stadium crowd is fantastic – and you know the arena will be packed out.

A ground redevelopment with stadium seating is not just about the lure of AFL games, AFL women’s games or a primary battleground for this city’s Victorian Football League team – although all are great benefits – but it is about potential.

The stadium will soon be a reality. Whether it will have an Adelaide Oval-style roof or comfier seats than the MCG’s MCC members, these are the finer details being fine-tuned now. This stadium is about what we want to make of it, how the community can best benefit. It is about how Ballarat wants to emphatically re-stamp its wide-spread reputation as the sporting capital of regional Victoria.

While the Bulldogs establishing a base will bring huge economic and community benefits to the city, we must look beyond the kennels. There will be new stadium infrastructure for elite teams, sports science hubs and large media contingents. 

Eureka Stadium offers the prospect of open-air concerts with awesome acts. Broadly thinking, the arena could offer a stadium finish for a fun run in the same style as the Melbourne Marathon. 

Nearby in the same precinct, Ballarat Basketball is continuing its push to fully-develop plans for the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre so it may build a boutique stadium. Sure, this can lure elite teams and major tournaments but also creates a chance to host major conferences with an in-built community learning hub.

Basketball’s equivalent stadium in Geelong also hosts graduation ceremonies, large formal dinners and a Jumbotron really has the stadium rocking. Bendigo operates on a similar scale. Ballarat must compete. To keep attracting major events, Ballarat must keep improving – we cannot settle for what we have already got.

The City of Ballarat’s forward-thinking extends beyond large stadiums.

Sebastopol Bowls Club is home to the second roof over greens in regional Victoria. This allows our bowlers to play in a storm – and entices other country bowlers to have a roll all seasons.

Revamping the rowing course has already attracted world-class and major state regattas while keeping school rowers on the lake. Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility hosted the Bahrain international team ahead of this year’s AFC Asian Cup. A-League teams have battled here. Upstairs is an impressive function room. Turf upgrades are rolling out across the city to keep sporting venues modern, exciting places where people want to play.

Stadiums are icing on the cake for what Ballarat can offer if you think a little bigger.