Yarra Junior Football League forced out of home for North East Link

About 11,000 young players in the Yarra Junior Football League are looking for a new home ground, with their current base to be demolished for North East Link. The league thinks it has found the perfect spot, now it needs State Government support.

Young players from Bulleen/Templestowe and Fitzroy are facing an uncertain future in the Yarra Junior Football League. Picture: Tim Carrafa

A Manningham football league believes it has found a solution to its looming homelessness crisis but talks between the North East Link Project and site managers Parks Victoria appear to have stalled.

Lower Templestowe’s Birrarrung Park has been identified as a possible new home for the Yarra Junior Football League by Manningham Council.

It’s used as parkland with a section of the site taken by Henderson Seed Farm, which Manningham Leader understands would have to relocate.

The council released its Yarra River Corridor Concept Plan in February, which identified several locations to provide for recreational and sporting use.

Bulleen Park, where the league has been based since 2010, is set to be demolished at the end of next year to make way for the $16 billion North East Link.

League chief executive Tim Murray League and vice-president Ishbel Moodie. Picture: Tim Carrafa

League chief executive Tim Murray said the Templestowe Rd site was the perfect location for the competition.

“Crucially it’s not on the other side of the Yarra River because families would then find it too hard to get to and they would look for another league,” he said.

Mr Murray said the league was frustrated with the delay.

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“It’s a great answer for the community but no one is talking to each other about how to co-ordinate and make it happen,” he said.

North East Link Project chief executive Duncan Elliott said the authority was “committed to finding suitable replacement facilities”.

Manningham Mayor Paula Piccinini said the council was working with the Yarra Junior Football League to ensure it could remain in Manningham.

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