Winemaker Wolf Blass tips in $500,000 donation to get Norwood Oval project moving

WINEMAKER Wolf Blass has doubled his commitment towards an upgrade of Norwood Oval in an attempt to prompt the local council to start work.

Norwood Football Club president Paul Di Iulio with SA winemaking great Wolf Blass in 2015. Picture: Tom Huntley

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WINEMAKER Wolf Blass has doubled his commitment towards an upgrade of Norwood Oval in an attempt to prompt the local council to start work.

Last week, Mr Blass committed $500,000 towards a $7 million upgrade of The Parade oval.

That donation comes three years after he gave another $500,000 to the upgrade, which will involve replacing the Baulderstone Stand with a new grandstand and function centre to be named in his honour.

Mr Blass, a long-time Norwood supporter, last week called on Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council, which owns the oval, to start work on the project.

“I trust this continued support will encourage the council to start the project and provide additional financial support to ensure this great club can once again enjoy a social club environment that embraces its community and where people can continue to build friendships and camaraderie,” Mr Blass said.

Work was expected to start in October, but the inclusion of changeroom refurbishments as a part of the project meant it was delayed.

An artist's impression of how the new Norwood Oval clubrooms would look from Woods St. Source: Supplied

Norwood Football Club chief executive James Fantasia said Mr Blass’s donation was “out of the blue”.

“It is just a marvellous contribution that is going to play a fairly significant role in the overall development,” Mr Fantasia said.

“It encourages other people to pledge their support as Wolf sees football clubs as an enormous part of the community.

“There is a degree of frustration that has been aired by a number of our supporters (about the delay) and we are very keen to start the project.”

The upgrade will also include the installation of four unisex changerooms — funded through a $500,000 State Government grant — to allow for more AFLW games.

NP&SP Council has committed $2 million towards the redevelopment of the Baulderstone Stand.

The remainder of the costs would be covered by public donations to the club’s Build The Fort campaign, which has raised $6.1 million.

Mayor Robert Bria expected the council to make a decision on the tender at a meeting in April.