South Warrnambool pray for sunshine as it fights to stay at home

A ladder leading side in country footy is in the process of moving at least one game to another venue after winter conditions impacted their ground. Here is the latest.

A little ray of sunshine might save South Warrnambool from being forced to move their home game against Koroit this Saturday.

But the team concedes next week’s game against Hamilton might be on the move.

Weather and other factors has left the Swans oval, Friendlies Society Park, as a muddy football ground, which has put the ground in danger of not hosting football in the short term.

The Swans and the Warrnambool City Council have been looking at the issue throughout this week.

Initially, with weather not looking good, an alternative venue was being looked at.

But a turn in fortunes has seen the ground get a reprieve and be on track to host on Saturday.

“Latest update is that we’ve been working with council and it appears the weather gods have been kind to us obviously with today, and tomorrow and now more favourable forecasts due Friday and Saturday,” Swans vice-president Steve Harris said.

“The council has been working on the ground this morning and will continue to do so over the next 24-48 hours.

“It looks like we may be able to get play on Saturday as scheduled.”

If the weather turns, the club might be forced to postpone the game or seek an alternative venue.

Reid Oval is unavailable on Saturday but is available on Sunday to be used but Koroit are unable to play on the day.

South Warrnambool coach Mathew Battistello and his team might be playing at another venue. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

South Warrnambool also looked at hosting the game at one of the Warrnambool District league teams but with one netball court and logistics involved with getting facilities out to a venue, it’s not being looked at, at this stage unless things get worse.

The options left are for the game to happen at their home ground on Saturday, or potentially postpone it for two weeks and use the bye listed for club on July 29.

“We would need approval from all stakeholders to do that, it would be a last resort,” Harris said.

“Hopefully the weather gods being the way they are at the moment it means we will be able to play at home on Saturday.

“We are proceeding with that plan of attack at the moment.”

Harris conceded if the team plays at home this Saturday, next week’s home game against Hamilton would be moved.

“At this point it looks like next week, we were supposed to play Hamilton at home, hopefully that will be transferred to Reid Oval.

“That depends on what happens in the next 24-48 hours.”

A final decision on this week will be made in coming days alongside the council.

Harris said the club was now looking at what can happen in the future to prevent their ground from getting into such a shape.

He added weather was not the only factor in the grounds deterioration.

“It’s been compounded by three issues, the first one is the weather, which we can’t control,” he said.

“Because of the redevelopment for our change rooms, we’ve got a very heavily backended series of home games.

“We’re also a club who have now got 23 sides (playing), we’ve got the full football sides, the three female sides and an all abilities side and in many respects, in the long term we have outgrown the facility.

“There is training on our oval every night of the week except Monday and at least one or two games on Saturday and or Sunday depending on how the draw falls.

“In the long term we need another facility for the overload of our training but that’s not a short-term fix, it is a long-term solution.”

Harris said while the ground recovers the seniors will train at Reid Oval.

The Swans take on Koroit at 2pm on Saturday.