Southern Football League club Dodges Ferry Sharks says it needs $25,000 of water to survive

A regional football club says it won’t be able to survive if it doesn’t find access to water soon.

President David Bellars and committee member Phil Hammer inspect the dry ground. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

A REGIONAL football club says it won’t be able to survive into the coming season if it doesn’t get access to water soon.

Dodges Ferry Football Club has issued a plea for help to irrigate its ground after months of dry weather and limited supply of water.

Large patches of Shark Park on Old Forcett Rd have withered to brown, dead grass, with some sections reduced to just dirt.

The Sharks were told by Sorell Council no more funds had been budgeted to allow it to water the ground.

If we aren’t able to use the ground and facilities, I dare say the club’s going to shut the door, there’s no other alternative

Club president David Bellars said the ground was in the worst condition he had seen, and a solution was needed desperately.

He is meeting Prosser MLC Jane Howlett tomorrow.

Committee member in charge of the ground, Phil Hammer, said its current condition was “disastrous”.

“It’s as dry as we’ve ever seen it,” he said.

“If we aren’t able to use the ground and facilities, I dare say the club’s going to shut the door, there’s no other alternative.”

Sorell Mayor Kerry Vincent said the council was working on options to help, but all of those were extremely expensive and more than what the council could afford. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

He said the club needed about $25,000 as a short-term solution to water the ground for the next three months to get it ready to play on.

He said the community thrived on the football club and home games were watched by some of the largest crowds in the league.

WARNING OF WARM WEATHER’S RETURN

Players started preseason training last Thursday but had to be “selective” in the areas of the ground they used. They have been forced to find an alternative venue for Tuesday nights.

“We don’t raise enough money through the bar if the players aren’t here,” Mr Hammer said.

There is no mains water in Dodges Ferry and the oval depends on tanks at the primary school next door.

Water to fill the school tanks has previously been sourced from a bore, which is now running dry and is too salty to grow grass.

HEAT IS ON IN FIRE DANGER ZONES

The council then bought truckloads of water to service the oval, but that has proved too expensive to maintain.

With school returning in a fortnight and needing the limited water supply for critical sanitary and emergency systems, it has left the club without a reliable water source.

Mr Hammer said the only way the ground would recover was with four or five days watering a week.

Club president David Bellars will meet with Prosser Liberal MLC Jane Howlett, pictured, to discuss the issue. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

He said he had made more than 50 phone calls trying to find a solution.

Sorell Mayor Kerry Vincent said the council was working on options to help, but all of those were extremely expensive and more than what the council could afford.

Ms Howlett said the club was an important part of the community and she would work with it and the council to try to find a solution.

It’s understood a number of rival clubs complained about having to play at Dodges Ferry last season because of the ground’s condition.

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Southern Football League president Madeleine Ogilvie said the SFL supported the club in its urgent call for help to get the oval back to playing standard.

“We will help by engaging in negotiations with government and council to help facilitate a positive outcome,” she said.

Since Dodges Ferry was established 40 years ago it has won seven senior and six reserves premierships.

The club fields four junior sides from under 8 to under 14 and is hoping to re-establish the Colts under-18 side this season.

Women’s club South East Suns are also scheduled to host two home games at the ground this year. Cricket is also played there.

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