Mount Barker Football Club abandons $23m state-of-the-art facility

It earned high praise on the national stage just this year, but this Hills footy club says the $23m ground has big problems.

It is the jewel in the crown of regional SA sporting facilities and even hosted on of this year’s AFL Grand Finalists just months ago.

But Mount Barker’s $23 million Summit Sport and Recreation Park is being ditched by a local footy club, which has declared the oval “not fit-for-purpose”.

The facility opened in 2021 and made waves on the national stage hosting an AFL match between Brisbane Lions and North Melbourne during this year’s Gather Round but the Mount Barker Football Club will now move away from playing its home games at the ground.

Mount Barker Football Club president Matt Schultz said the club would move its home games back to Hanson Oval on Howard Lane, citing an inability to come to an arrangement with the Mount Barker District Council.

He said he had hoped the club could come to an arrangement to operate more permanently at the venue.

“We’ve had a challenge getting consistent access to the facility,” he said.

Mt Barker oval before it hosted a Gather Round game. Picture: Supplied

Brisbane Lions Brownlow medalist Lachie Neale signs autographs for Tom Harper of Albert Park, Victoria, at Mount Barker Oval during the AFL Gather Round. Picture: Brett Hartwig

“Given the way that facility operates in terms of the model at the moment it doesn’t make it viable for a community-based sporting organisation to be out there.

“From a football perspective, the logistics of having to get equipment there, the medical gear and with the food and beverage services, not being able to stock fridges and bars before game day,” he said.

He said paying a fee as a casual user to play games at the venue had been a financial burden on the club.

“Over the last two years while the club has been in there we’ve outlaid a significant amount of money to bring in chairs, tables, equipment into the kitchen, TVs, all our own fridges,” he said.

“The facility hasn’t been invested in to the level to enable people to just walk in and out on a needs basis as casual users.”

Mr Schultz said he couldn’t envision any other Hills Football League taking their home games to the facility, potentially leaving the $23m facility bare on the weekends.

“I think it will become a training facility in the main,” he said.

Mount Barker Football Club A Grade players Jordan Houlahan, Samuel Callins and Under 17 players Taya Rogers and Emma Faber-Paul at the football ground in Mount Barker. Picture: The Advertiser/ Morgan Sette

Brisbane v North Melbourne, Summit Sport and Recreation Park. Picture: Brett Hartwig

However, Mount Barker Mayor David Leach said the facility was never intended to be a home ground for one club.

He said he believed the Mt Barker club was dissatisfied after being unable to secure a booking for its preferred training nights.

Mr Leach confirmed SANFL club Sturt had intended to step up its usage of the oval with Tuesday night training and Nairne-Bremer using the oval for training in the second half of the year.

“It is a regional and a district and a statewide facility,” Mr Leach said.

Mr Leach said he was confident football would be played at the Summit Sports Park during the winter but that it would be up to the Hills Football League to co-ordinate.

“What I can tell you is Mount Barker is a very large town, soon to be a small city – the football club with one small ground is not going to be enough,” he said.

“They may say they are going to go to one ground (but) that oval will not stand up to the amount of football that the Mount Barker Football Club wants to play.

“That’s why they have been coming to us and they will have to come back to the Summit Sports and Recreation Park.”

Sturt Football Club chief executive Sue Dewing said the club had a good relationship with the Mount Barker council and indicated the Double Blues would potentially use the oval for women’s and junior games.

However, she confirmed men’s fixtures would not be taken away from Unley Oval.

Mr Leach said the council had strong relationships with other sporting bodies using the facility.

“We have no problems with cricket, the soccer sides have no issues (with the soccer pitches),” he said.

“I have emails from the AFL saying they’ve never met a better organisation to partner with than the Mt Barker District Council … if we can have those great relationships with the different bodies, maybe we are not such bad people to deal with.”

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