Sturt Lions Football Club win approval for new pitch, clubrooms at Karinya Reserve home-ground
Adelaide’s third largest soccer club will finally get its own clubrooms after Mitcham Council agreed to a $2.85 million redevelopment. Check out what it includes.
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For 17 years, the Sturt Lions Football Club has been without a true home – but that is about to change.
The 680 member-strong club – the third largest in South Australia – has been given approval by Mitcham Council for a $2.85 million development at Karinya Reserve in Eden Hills, which will transform it into a working home ground.
The project will include a new two-storey clubroom building, a grandstand, and a $1.2 million Football Federation Australia compliant artificial turf pitch.
The club will also be given increased exclusive use of the ground, including weekday evenings until 9.30pm, 9am till 9.30pm on weekends and 9am till 3pm during school holidays.
Sturt Lions president John Vander Veeken said it was “incredible” to know the club would finally have a working home ground, where members could meet and matches could be held regularly.
“It completes us, really, because one of the things parents notice is that there’s nowhere for true club gatherings,” Mr Vander Veeken said.
“(Karinya) is a horrendous ground at the moment.
“Right now we have two games there on a Sunday and two games fortnightly on a Saturday, but we’ll be able to use it all day Saturday and Sunday now.”
Mitcham Council will contribute $700,000 towards the upgrades, but the club agreed to replace the artificial pitch at the end of its life rather than pay an ongoing fee to the council.
The Federal Government will contribute $2 million and Sturt Lions will tip in $150,380 of its own cash.
According to a council staff report, the club has had a 15 per cent growth in membership year-on-year – with about 500 members three years ago now at nearly 700.
Sturt Lions this year fielded 19 teams in the Miniroos children’s competition, 19 junior teams, three amateur teams, two women’s teams and three men’s teams.
There is enough interest to run another four women’s teams next year.
While Karinya Reserve will become the club’s home, the Lions will also continue to use Manson and Hewett ovals to cope with demand.
Community consultation run by the council earlier this year found 82 per cent of respondents supported the project.
The pitch is expected to be completed by February and the clubrooms by June.