Hawthorn AFLW players and fans to benefit from Kennedy Community Centre upgrades

Hawthorn AFLW players and fans will soon benefit from upgrades to facilities at the Kennedy Community Centre in south-east Melbourne.

The entire community will benefit from the $103 million project which will draw fans to the new home ground for the Hawthorn AFLW team in Dingley. The dedicated match day pavilion and oval will include a 500-seat grandstand, team change rooms, umpire change rooms, media facilities, coaches’ boxes and a function space.

The Centre will also be home to a new Harris Elite Training and Administration Facility which includes a training oval, gym, indoor training facility and recovery facilities. This will be used by both the Hawks’ women’s and men’s teams and give them the infrastructure to compete against more established clubs across the competition.

The project has attracted a $15 million investment by the Victorian Government with Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos advising “we’re backing the growth of AFLW by investing in world-class facilities so Victorian clubs and their local communities can foster the next generation of elite talent in the game.

“This project will deliver better facilities for the local community, fans and encourage more women and girls to get into sport.”

Hawthorn Football Club President Andy Gowers notes “The Kennedy Community Centre will be a destination for women’s football right across the eastern and south-eastern suburbs.

“This funding is an important step in making our dream a reality to create a hub that has equal and inclusive facilities for both boys and girls, men and women from the community through to elite.”

The Hawks officially made their debut in the AFLW competition in 2022, with the side playing home games across a range of venues around Melbourne.

The Government has invested more than $100 million to help upgrade Australian football facilities that service female high-performance across the state, providing elite facilities to all 10 Victorian clubs which are enjoyed by the wider Victorian community.

Construction on the Centre will begin shortly with the project expected to be completed in December 2024.

Image. Credit: Hawthorn AFLW