Junior sport matches called off as wild weather hits Melbourne, flooding grounds

JUNIOR footballers have been forced from the field and grounds flooded as torrential rain lashed Melbourne today. More than 50mm fell in some areas with the winter blast also dumping snow at alpine resorts.

Rain falls during a junior football match at East Keilor on Sunday.

JUNIOR footballers have been forced from the field and grounds flooded as torrential rain lashes Melbourne today.

While some matches have gone ahead, images and video shared on social media showed grounds at Keilor and Essendon Doutta Stars, in Melbourne’s northwest, under water.

IS YOUR GROUND UNDERWATER? Share your pics with us on Leader Local Footy

A video taken by former St Kilda rookie Nick O’Kearney, who now plays for Keilor, showed junior footballers being ushered from the field as rain bucketed down.

Incredible conditions for junior footy this morning down at Keilor Football Club! pic.twitter.com/H0obD1vcGa

— Nicholas O'Kearney (@nokearney) June 17, 2018

Keilor's ground was left under water by Sunday's heavy rain.

East Keilor shared images of a girls game which was called off due to the weather, with the Bureau of Meteorology reporting more than 25mm of rain has fallen at nearby Melbourne Airport since 9am.

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Westmeadows shared a video about 2pm which showed its ground, Willowbrook Reserve, and surrounds had been inundated by water.

“The ground itself is like a lake,” Westmeadows president Gareth Hanlon said.

Several matches in the Essendon District junior competition are understood to have been called off as a result of the heavy downpour.

Hanlon said he was in attendance at an under-15 match which was abandoned in conditions where he “couldn't even see” from the sidelines.

Players are hard to distinguish as rain hammers down during an EDFL girls match.

Keilor president Craig Hill said the club’s ground was likely to need 2-3 days to drain due to unprecedented surface water pooling.

“Very unusual to see that amount of rain in such a short period of time,” Hill said.

Essendon Doutta Stars ground after Sunday's heavy rain.

Hill said there was a “hell of a lot of water” on Keilor Reserve which had resulted in three games being called off due to safety reasons.

Senior players were not immune from the conditions, with VFL commentators describing weather “the likes of which we’ve never seen” at Williamstown’s Burbank Oval.

At one point, a snap from Seagull Willie Wheeler which appeared headed out on the full swung sharply in the wind and went through for a goal.

A remarkable goal from Willie Wheeler!

This should never have gone in but such are the conditions! #PJVFL #7VFL pic.twitter.com/p2w4DjJrg8

— 7VFL (@7VFL) June 17, 2018

WET WEATHER WREAKS HAVOC ON CITY

HEAVY rainfall has drenched the city over the weekend with buildings flooding as more than 50mm fell in some areas.

But the good news is, the worst is over … for now.

Wallan north of Melbourne recorded 54.6mm and Melbourne Airport totalled 44.4mm.

A surfer catches a wave in Port Phillip Bay in Port Melbourne. AAP Image/David Crosling

Wild weather sweeps across the city. AAP Image/David Crosling)

Pedestrians battle the wild weather outside Flinders Street station. AAP Image/David Crosling

Senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology Berin Bradshaw said the majority of the rain hit the state on Sunday morning and afternoon with Sunshine receiving 30mm of rain and Diamond Creek 29mm.

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Residents at a disability centre in Clayton were evacuated as the building flooded.

Craigieburn dam “partially failed” and SES volunteers were called in to provide sandbags to homes in the new housing estate under threat of flooding.

But the heavy downpour was welcomed by snow bunnies with up to 80cm of fresh powder falling in the alpine region.

Mt Hotham has its deepest mid-June snowpack since 2000 with 80cm of snow. The resort typically gets 20-30cm.

Hotham Alpine Resort spokesman Chris Hocking said the timing could not be better in the lead-up to the school holidays, with the resort opening its beginner, intermediate and expert terrains.

“There’s been very significant snowfall,” Mr Hocking said.

“You could describe it as the perfect storm.

“It’s an unbelievable blessing by Mother Nature — usually you only see this once in a generation.”

Evi 2, Savanna 4 & Madi 4 are loving the snow dump at Hotham. Picture: Chris Hocking

More snow is expected to fall during the week, with temperatures forecast between -3C and -5C.

Ms Bradshaw said the worst of the wet was over with only isolated showers expected in on Monday morning before a mostly dry Tuesday and Wednesday.

Melburnians are warned not to pack away their umbrellas just yet as the rain is expected to return later in the week with another wet weekend on the cards.

— Genevieve Alison and Chanel Zagon

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