South Australian football clubs reap the benefits of Gather Round
As the second AFL Gather Round draws to a close, the event is set to leave a legacy for more than 40 grassroots community footy clubs, which will share in almost $2 million of funding through the new South Australian Football Facilities Fund.
The 42 clubs, representing 17 per cent of football clubs in SA, are recipients of the first round of grants allocated under the new funding program, a collaboration between The Malinauskas Government, the AFL and SANFL.
Among the funding recipients, Angaston, Tintanara, Tumby Bay, Nairn, McLaren Vale and Mannum will share in more than $400k for upgraded lighting.
Onkaparinga Valley, Penola and Pinaroo will undergo renovations to change rooms and ammenities, and other clubs including Gawler Central Sporting Club, Tantanoola Football Club, Mundulla, Mount Burr, Kingscote and Lock will receive funds to assist with goal post and net upgrades, scoreboards, turf and interchange benches. For a full list of recipients click here.
The remaining $6 million in the pool of funding will be allocated over the next two years, with the next round of funding expected to open in August 2024.
Funding is available to Australian Rules footy clubs, local councils, umpire associations and schools or tertiary institutions.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said Gather Round is an amazing celebration of football and will once again deliver a significant economic dividend for our state.
“But since the beginning, we’ve been determined to deliver something more – a lasting legacy to the social and sporting fabric of South Australia.
The South Australian Football Facilities Fund is doing just that, delivering better facilities for women, men, girls and boys in community sporting clubs right across our state.
I thank the AFL and SANFL for working in partnership with us to deliver these benefits.”
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said while Gather Round is a wonderful opportunity to host all nine AFL games in South Australia and create a festival of footy across four days for fans, it’s important the initiative also extends beyond the fixture and has a long-term impact on footy around the state.
“As we strive towards one million participants by 2033 we know we need to continue to invest in local clubs and their facilities to ensure we’re providing the best experience and environment for players, coaches, volunteers and umpires.”
