Dingley Football Club’s plea for an extra oval goes unheard at Kingston Council

JUNIORS are missing out on training and Dingley Football Club grounds­keepers are struggling to keep the field in decent condition at under-strain Souter Oval.

Dingley Football Club is kicking up a stink over being over looked in the council budget again. Their oval can't cater for the amount of players they have.

JUNIORS are missing out on training and club grounds­keepers are struggling to keep the field in decent condition at an overcrowded local footy oval.

But, after years of asking for another ground, Dingley Football Club was again passed over by Kingston Council in its budget, leaving club officials scratching their heads.

The club only has Souter Oval at Dingley to accommodate the needs of its 15 junior teams, six senior teams, four netball teams and about 200 Auskick kids for both games and training.

President Leigh Menzel said time on the training ground was at a premium, and it was often the youngest players that missed out, with their training sessions cut short or cancelled.

“Those kids just aren’t getting the training that they need to develop, and that affects the club long-term,” Mr Menzel said.

But it’s not only kids suffering, but the ground itself, which he said was “a mess”.

“We’ve spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to look after it and make sure it’s up to scratch, but when there’s a truckload of rain, we just have to stay off the playing surface,” he said.

To solve the problem, Mr Menzel would like the council to allocate the club a second, larger park.

The club has suggested the council build three new ovals in Rowans Rd, near the netball, tennis and baseball clubs.

Kingston Council chief executive John Nevins said the council would work with the Dingley Football Club to identify alternative venues while it investigated how to accommodate the club’s growth.

“Dingley Football Club’s requirements are being considered in the broader context of a study into the sport facilities of the Green Wedge, which sets out the short, medium and long term options to meet the needs of all sporting clubs in Dingley,” Mr Nevins said.

“The study will be considered by council in the near future.”