Waubra’s early-season home fixtures will be forced elsewhere this season due to a major project to irrigate and resurface its oval.
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The state government has awarded the Pyrenees Shire Council $99,685, which will be used to provide the ground with a sustainable water supply and new drought tolerant turf.
Roos president Simon Tol said it is envisaged that “three or four” of the club’s home fixtures will be moved as works are undertaken across the next few months.
“It means we are going to be without an oval for the start of the season, but we have been talking to the league and trying to organise alternate venues close by so that’s all in progress,” Tol said.
Waubra has games against Newlyn (round two), Bungaree (round four), Buninyong (round six) and Dunnstown (round eight) in the early part of the Central Highlands Football League 2017 campaign.
Tol said getting a safe playing surface for the start of a football season had been tough in recent years.
“We are really happy and absolutely over the moon,” he said.
The money for the works at Waubra has been made available through the state government’s Sustainable Water Fund-Community Sport and Recreation Program.
Tol said the project to improve the playing arena is part of a bigger vision to better a number of aspects at the club’s home venue. Tol said the wish list includes superior lighting, fixing the entrance and a new scoreboard.
Waubra’s team in the Pyrenees Cricket Association will also benefit from the revamp, with its home games also played at the oval.
Meanwhile, Smythesdale president Dave Tuohy is anticipating the resurfacing works at the Bulldogs’ ground to be completed in time for the round seven clash with Learmonth.
Tuohy said the opening round battle with Rokewood-Corindhap – originally scheduled for Smythesdale – had been swapped to the Grasshoppers’ venue, with the round three fixture against Creswick and round five battle with Clunes to be hosted at Linton.