Norwood Oval redevelopment pushed to $7 million to make it home for women’s footy
THE cost of Norwood Oval’s redevelopment has been bumped to almost $7 million under a new push to make it SA’s home of women’s football.
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THE cost of Norwood Oval’s redevelopment has been bumped to almost $7 million under a new push to make it SA’s home of women’s football.
But Norwood Football Club chief executive James Fantasia said a new plan for four unisex changerooms as part of the oval’s revamp would not come at any extra cost to ratepayers or further delay the long-awaited project.
Mr Fantasia expected a refurbishment of the oval’s southern and western change rooms to cost about $1.5 million and be done alongside $5.4 million works to replace the Balderstone Stand with a new grandstand and function room.
He said plans for the female-friendly rooms were part of a push to attract more women’s football matches to The Parade – including AFL Women’s fixtures.
The Adelaide Crows played one game at the Woods St oval in the inaugural AFLW season, with Thebarton Oval hosting their other three home games.
“The (unisex change rooms) coincides with us pushing towards getting more football at Norwood Oval … that’s part of the big picture stuff,” Mr Fantasia said.
“We have spoken to the Adelaide Football Club and the AFL about Norwood Oval being the home of women’s football,” Mr Fantasia said.
An Adelaide Crows spokeswoman said fixtures for the 2018 AFLW season were yet to be finalised, but acknowledged Norwood Oval had shown it was a popular venue for matches.
Mr Fantasia said the Redlegs would ramp up fundraising efforts and apply for State Government and AFL grants to pay for the unisex change rooms – but would not ask Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council, which own the oval, to add to its $2 million contribution to the project.
Work on the change rooms was not expected to delay the wider revamp, with work scheduled on both projects to start in October and be completed in the middle of next year.
Plans for the oval’s revamp has faced repeated set back in the past 18 months, including a failed legal challenge from two residents to block the redevelopment over concerns about traffic and late-night noise.
Rebekka McMahon, who captained the Redlegs’ team to the inaugural SANFL Women’s premiership, said the upgrade was a win for her side.
“Having facilities to change in is definitely going to be a bonus … (players) will feel safe and comfortable,” McMahon said.
NP&SP Mayor Robert Bria said the upgrade would help Norwood Oval cater for the growing popularity of women’s football.
“Councils need to work with their clubs to make sure facilities (for women) are at the same standard as the boys and the males,” Mr Bria said.