Avoca prepare for first home game of season against Lexton after floods

Avoca play their first home game this season after floods ravaged their oval last year. Find out how the club is rebuilding on and off the field.

It might not be perfect just yet but Avoca cannot wait to be back home this weekend to play.

Avoca becomes the last club impacted by last year’s floods to return home after extensive repairs Avoca Public Reserve’s oval and change rooms.

The floods damaged their change rooms. social rooms and other areas despite sandbagging the area before the October 13 event.

Not everything is done, ahead of their clash with Lexton on Saturday in the Maryborough Castlemaine league, but it is ready for the club to return to play.

“We’re operating tomorrow with portables,” Avoca president Bill Drummond said.

“We don’t (have) access to our change rooms, showers, etc (yet). There are toilets being put in place for us to enable us to get back to home and train and play there.

“Hopefully everything will be in place to play there tomorrow.”

The Avoca floors after the flood. Picture: Avoca Football Club.

Avoca Football Club's oval after the floods. Picture: Avoca Football Club.

The club is scrambling to get everything ready.

It has also been allowed access to one of their social rooms, which hasn’t been finished, to make sure the club can at least get inside their building.

“They have just plastered, they haven’t been painted, carpeted or fitted out,” Drummond said.

“For the rest of the time we are outside in portables we will be able to go inside and have a meal and have drinks after a game.”

Drummond said the expected completion of the rooms is in June.

Avoca Football Club helpers rip up the carpet. Picture: Avoca Football Club.

The president said the support from players and the community has been exceptional.

“I think everyone has been amazing,” he said.

“No one has complained about the situation. Nobody has used it as an excuse to train.

“I couldn’t be happier with how everyone has taken it in their stride.”

Drummond said the club would continue to be impacted by flooding given how close it is to the Avoca River.

But after a levy was built following the 2011 floods and it helping in this instance, with reduced damage, he’s confident another adjustment to it could see the club cope the best it can if it happens again.

“Our facilities are on a flood plain and in my time we’ve experienced three one in 100 year floods,” he said.

“We have to be realistic with where the facilities are and while the facilities are there we need to be aware there will be setbacks like this.”

On the field the team has struggled so far, losing both matches, including last week’s 148-point loss to Harcourt.

Drummond said he was confident the team would turn it around after a raft of changes in the off-season and the loss of key players early.

“We started the year with four of our defenders out, two of our key defenders were injured,” he said.

“We’re expecting them back over the next couple of weeks.

“(For us) we have brought a lot of younger people from the Ballarat/Central Highlands region.

“When you bring in a large group of new people together it does take some time (to gel).”

Drummond added the club is not building for success this year, but in a few years time.

“I really think it is just a case of if we can get the bigger bodies back and work out how to play with each other I certainly like to think things should be on the improve.

“We only won three games last year so we have to be realistic it is a build over a longer period.

“We’re not looking at the short fix.”

The president said with both the juniors numbers strong and the netball playing well, it was just about getting the seniors sorted out to put the club on the right track.

The game starts at 2.35pm.