Call to action: Aberfeldie Jets Basketball Club begs for much-needed facility
The Aberfeldie Jets Basketball Club has no home base and been forced to turn players away due to a lack of facilities in Moonee Valley. They’re fed up and asking for a highball stadium. But there’s hope on the horizon.
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A basketball club sending basketballers as far as Hillside and Caroline Springs for games is calling on the council to build a highball stadium in Moonee Valley.
The Aberfeldie Jets Basketball Club has no home base for its players and has been forced to send players to faraway school gyms to train and play.
Moonee Valley is one of the only metropolitan municipalities that does not have a highball stadium.
Aberfeldie Jets court shortage subcommittee member David Azarnikow said the club used 22 courts across 11 venues for Saturday games.
“Our families are forced to drive all over northern and western Melbourne because we don’t have enough courts in Moonee Valley,” he said.
“This is difficult, costly and unfair on our families.”
Mr Azarnikow said the club, which has 1000 members, had been forced to turn potential players away due to the lack of facilities.
“Because we don’t have enough courts, our association is forced to put a cap on our entire junior competition, restricting the number of children who can play,” he said.
“We now have 200-plus children on a waiting list because there aren’t enough courts for them.”
The club trains at eight venues across Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley, but teams are only given half a court each so more teams can train at the same time.
They are also very reliant on school gym availability.
“When we lose access to a training venue due to exams or other school functions, it means hundreds of children miss out,” Mr Azarnikow said.
He said it was so important that children who wanted to play basketball were able to do so.
“I am very sad (we have to turn kids away),” Mr Azarnikow said.
“We should be enabling all children who want to play basketball. Basketball keeps kids off streets.”
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Former Moonee Valley Mayor Narelle Sharpe said the council was in the early stages of planning for a highball facility.
“We are currently considering Quinn Grove Reserve as a possible location, and assessing future community demand,” she said.
Cr Sharpe said indoor and outdoor netball and basketball facilities were in “high demand” in Moonee Valley.
“We do not currently have enough facilities to cater for community needs,” she said.
A highball stadium has been prioritised in the council’s Long-Term Capital Works Plan and listed as a priority project in their Advocacy Strategy which seeks State and Federal Government funding support.