THE boss of Sunraysia football and netball has raised major concerns about the “unacceptable” playing surface for next month’s grand finals at Mildura Recreation Reserve.
In a last-ditch plea to fellow board members to rethink where the grand finals are played on September 10, SFNL president Paul Matheson yesterday described the City Oval playing surface as “not at a standard I’d want to play football on”.
“Just because in years gone by we’ve played finals on bad surfaces, doesn’t mean we should accept it now,” Matheson said.
He said the “sub-standard” state of the ground posed an even bigger concern for the game’s local ruling body.
“Liability is a massive issue for the league,” Matheson said.
“I don’t want to be responsible for a young 15, 16 or 17-year-old kid doing their knee on a ground not fit for purpose and potentially wrecking their sporting career and future work.
“I know it’s sport and football is a contact sport and accidents happen. But I don’t want to be the one having to explain to the club, coach or parents why we played the grand finals on a surface that wasn’t up to scratch.
“We still have time to fix this situation.”
OPINION: Ball dropped on City Oval grand final
His impassioned plea for a venue change comes after the SFNL board voted 5-4 in June to hold the league’s showpiece event at the rundown Mildura Recreation Reserve, rather than the new $45 million Mildura Sporting Precinct (MSP), where the premier oval’s surface is one of the best in Victoria.
In a major embarrassment to Sunraysia sport, Matheson said the league was seen as a “laughing stock” outside of the region for not playing the grand finals at MSP.
“I was in Donald this week, and the feedback I got from some of the clubs in the Central Murray hit home pretty hard,” he said.
“They were telling me our league’s a laughing stock for not playing our grand finals at the new precinct.
“And that was on the basis that they thought the new facility was worth $20 million. But when I said it was actually $45 million, they couldn’t believe what our league was doing.
“It’s something that is being well talked about outside of Mildura, and we’re not seen in a positive light, that’s for sure.”
Matheson’s comments come after one of the league’s most respected players, Dan Coghlan, recently described the City Oval surface as “dangerous”.
“I just can’t believe they aren’t playing the grand finals at the new precinct,” the 2019 McLeod Medallist and former VFL player said.
“You eventually want to play AFL and top-level cricket games at the new precinct, and we’re not playing our football and netball finals there? It’s crazy.”
Sunraysia Daily understands the main SFNL resistance to playing the grand finals at MSP was coming from the board’s two netball representatives, who wanted to play their sport’s deciders outdoors.
The outdoor netball courts at MSP are under construction, but they won’t be completed by September 10.
Sources say the netball representatives held concerns about the apparent faster pace of indoor netball, compared to outdoors.
Sunraysia Daily has requested comment from the board’s chief netball representative, Karen Martin. However, there has been no response.
Matheson said if the board rescinded its decision and opted for MSP as a grand-final venue, “it would also be a good test event” ahead of the AFLW game at MSP on Sunday, October 23, and the big Kings of Leon concert on Saturday, October 29.
“Obviously, the closer we get to the grand-final date makes it more difficult logistically. But, as far as I’m concerned, it’s not too late to have a change of mind,” he said.
“It’s become more probable that the new precinct is going to be completed sooner than later, which is great.
“Things are moving at a good pace there, and I noticed just the other day the soil has been moved in for the spectator mound.
“And the council has given a strong indication that seating around the ground will be done (before the SFNL grand finals).”
Matheson said that to force of a change of grand-final venue, an extraordinary meeting would need to be called by one of the five board members who voted to stage the deciders at Mildura Recreation Reserve.
“The conversation we need to have now is about the state of the City Oval surface,” he said.
“The landscape has changed significantly since the board made its decision (in June).
“The question that needs to be asked is whether City Oval is going to be fit for purpose to host the grand finals next month?”
