Goodwood Oval $3.6 million grandstand redevelopment completed
Goodwood Oval is home to a new $3.6 million clubhouse and grandstand, where the Goodwood football and cricket clubs will be able to do something for the first time in history. SEE INSIDE.
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In the late 1970s, a Goodwood Saints player designed a mezzanine for the football club’s Goodwood Oval grandstand.
About 40 years later, his dream has come true.
The club – along with Goodwood Cricket Club – have this week opened their new $3.6 million grandstand and clubhouse.
It was not without its hiccups – a court challenge by two nearby residents forced a few small changes – but Saints president Craig Scott is “over the moon” to have a new home.
It includes two new changerooms, which can be split into four if needed, that brings it up to standard with AFL regulations for women's football.
The former state government committed $2.5 million to the grandstand redevelopment in November 2017, with the council signing off on initial concept designs in April 2018.
The council also contributed $950,000 towards the new building, which has a deck and function room with a fully operational kitchen.
Both the clubs will be able to serve full meals in their dining room for the first time.
The opening comes after the Saints’ A and B-grade men’s side triumphed in the division one Adelaide Footy League grand finals earlier this month.
Mr Scott said the new building would go a long way to helping the club’s atmosphere and culture, which was already at a high thanks to the new home.
He is hoping to run dinner service on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
“There’s an enormous amount of excitement and there were many past players there on Sunday and they were all saying how thrilled they are,” Mr Scott said.
“Not that I’m a big beer drinker, but to have that first drink and sit out there and look at the oval from the clubrooms was just awesome.”
He recalls one particular event where then-premier Jay Weatherill was invited to look through the old clubrooms – built in the 1960s.
“As you opened the front door, the smell of urine from the changerooms was disgraceful,” Mr Scott said.
“There was mould in the shower areas and tiles falling off. It was beyond its used by date.”
Now he’s looking forward to spending the next six months helping to get it set up just how he wants it.