Sports facilities receive national recognition with AFL awards

State and Territory winners of the most recent Ken Gannon Community Football Facilities Award have been named.

The Ken Gannon Community Football Facilities Awards recognise, on an annual basis, best practise in community football facility development across Australia, along with the people, clubs and other stakeholders driving best community level projects.

These awards are funded by the AFL’s Australian Football Facilities Fund which partners on $50 million worth of community football facility projects benefitting more than 100 clubs each and every year.

Ken Gannon had a decorated career across many areas of the game, including as Chief Executive of the Geelong Cats and AFL Victoria.

The State and Territory winners of the Ken Gannon Awards 2021 (with total project cost) are:

• Western Australia (National Winner): Lakelands Park Sporting Complex - $7,900,000

• NSW/ACT: Community Clubrooms for AFL in the Northwest - Pennant Hills Demons AFC - $2,080,000

• Northern Territory: Santa Teresa Oval Project - $811,500

• Queensland: Ferny Grove Falcons – New Change Room Project, $1,100,000

• South Australia: Norwood Oval Redevelopment - $10,682,500

• Tasmania: Brighton Regional Sports Pavilion - $6,480,000

• Victorian: Coburg City Oval Redevelopment - $6,715,000

• Community Clubrooms for the Pennant Hills Demons AFC - NSW

AFL Executive General Manager of Game Development, Rob Auld noted “the winners of the Ken Gannon Awards are remarkable examples of best-practice development that benefit the game and communities across Australia. 

“The AFL is proud of its investment into the game and the facilities we use. We are currently involved in more than 200 facilities projects in development or underway across the country at all levels of the game, from elite through to grassroots. The scale of facilities development benefiting football is unprecedented and is due to the growth of the game nationally, particularly in female football.

“Significant support from all levels of government is needed to make projects like these happen, which align strongly to the AFL’s aim of providing well-positioned, welcoming, accessible, fit-for-purpose football facilities that support our growing game’s strategic priorities.

“With participation growth, and the ongoing surge in the popularity of football for women and girls, the planning and development of fit-for-purpose infrastructure plays a vital role in ensuring the game can continue to cater for everyone who wants to be involved.

“To cater for growth in the game, the AFL aims to develop one new oval per week for the next five years, which will result in 250 new football ovals across the country in that time.”

The Santa Teresa Oval Project claimed the award as the winner for the Northern Territory. The Santa Teresa Oval Project is a $811,500 project in the Central Australian community of Santa Teresa. In partnership with Atyengenhe Atherre Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC) and Melbourne Football Club, Arid Edge transformed the once rocky football oval into a lush, green paddock bringing to life the ‘MCG of the Desert’.

After four years, the Santa Teresa community, 80 kilometres from Alice, relaunched their re-grassed oval in June 2021, along with goalposts from the MCG and brand-new lights at 100 lux.

The development benefits the Ltyentye Apurte Football Club and the community of Santa Teresa.

The redeveloped Norwood Oval also received national recognition in the AFL Facility Awards.

The $10.6 million redeveloped Oval was the only facility in South Australia to receive the Award with the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters having made a significant contribution of $4.8 million towards the redevelopment. The Norwood Football Club also contributed $5 million, the State Government invested $482,500 and the Federal Government granted $250,000. Award-winning winemaker and former Number One Ticket holder of the Club, Wolf Blass, donated $1 million towards the redevelopment.

In 2019, Schiavello Construction were contracted to complete the long-awaited project that would provide a new, two-storey multi-purpose community function centre where the former Baulderstone Stand was located, and overhaul existing change rooms and facilities for both male and female players to encourage increased female participation.

The redevelopment - which was completed in late 2020 - transformed the venue into one of the premier facilities for football in South Austrlalia.

City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters Mayor Bria advised “to be honoured with the Ken Gannon Community Football Facilities Award is an incredible result and testament to the vision, determination and hard work in what was a huge team effort.

“I would like to thank the Australian Football Facilities Fund for this Award and its $150,000 contribution to the redevelopment.

“The new clubrooms and member’s facilities have bolstered its appeal, as not only the home of the mighty Redlegs, but as a place to watch and enjoy the Adelaide Crows AFLW team.”

Among the vast range of new features, the multi-purpose facility includes a new 180 seat members clubroom, function space and new Premier’s Bar.

Image top: Santa Teresa Oval Project (before and after); image above redeveloped Norwood Oval courtesy Schiavello Construction