Daylesford Football Netball Club is hoping a decision by the Hepburn Shire Council to carry out major resurfacing works on its home ground doesn't impact the start of the 2021 Central Highlands league season.
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While the Bulldogs are already making alternative plans for pre-season training, club president Carson White says it's important home games - including a likely round one fixture with arch-rivals Hepburn - aren't forced away from Victoria Park.
"I said (to council) one of the primary things for us as a club is that we cannot be financially disadvantaged at all as a result of the resurface," White told The Courier.
"Our first home game next year is against Hepburn and it's our biggest game of the year. They (council) know all of that."
White said he understood it was not council's intention to have the club miss games at Victoria Park, but remains aware that projects such as this can drag out.
"Their greens people are relying on getting all the ducks lining up with the weather and there's no issues with the planting and all that stuff," he said.
"I know that their intention is to get us on there as quickly as possible, but when you are doing something like this you have a few variables that come into play that are out of control."
A spokesperson from the Hepburn Shire Council said the ground was being converted from a cool season grass to a warm season grass (santa ana couch) through the process of line planting.
And while the oval is expected to be ready before the start of the 2021 season, the spokesperson said that progress was "weather dependant".
"Some events may be impacted for example Chillout, Motorfest and Highland Gathering (but they) have all been notified and again will be able to use the rest of Victoria Park and soccer oval," the spokesperson said.
"Given the COVID pandemic, council officers identified it as an ideal time to convert the oval while restrictions and limitations were in place."
Only a handful of junior rounds were played in the Central Highlands Football League this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while no netball got started at all.