MPJFL president Brian Horan and secretary Jenny Bain said the lack of seating would result in fewer people attending local sport at Casey Fields. By Sally Bird
THE lack of seating and parking around the outer grounds of the state-of-the-art Casey Fields complex angered officials and spectators at an interleague carnival on Sunday.
League officials, a Southern Umpires Association official and spectators were unanimous in their disappointment with facilities around the four outer grounds.
Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League (MPJFL) president Brian Horan, who attended the interleague event, said the league had a number of issues with the complex. “There’s not enough parking, there is no parking around the ground and no seats for spectators,” he said.
“We’ve spoken with the council before about these issues when they were developing Casey Fields. Most of those issues were addressed but not these,” Mr Horan said.
MPJFL secretary Jenny Bain said the lack of spectator facilities was a decisive factor in the Devon Meadows Junior Football Club, based at Casey Fields, being denied the right to host the league’s final series this year.
“The main stadium is a great facility but the outer fields are disappointing,” she said.
“Devon Meadows wanted the finals here but how can you host finals when you have families with babies and elderly people.
“What would happen if it rained? There’s no shelter and people can’t park around the ground to watch the game,” Mrs Bain said.
“If you don’t have parking around the ground for junior football, people won’t come because you can’t sit in the car.”
Mrs Bain said other concerns of the league included the positioning of the coaches boxes inside the fence of the football grounds, no clubrooms and a lack of toilet facilities.
MPJFL vice president Marnie Williams said the league had been discussing the lack of seating and parking around the ground.
“I’ve never been here before. We should have been told we had to bring our own seats.
“It would have been nice to be able to back the van up and sit on the back but there’s no parking around the ground.”
Southern Umpires Association junior development officer Dale Armstrong said after umpiring a few matches in the morning, a seat would have been nice.
“I’ve been here since 8am and it’s been a long day. After umpiring a few games myself, my legs are a little tired,” he said.
Raechel Adams of Mornington described the lack of seating as “ridiculous”.
“For such a well equipped sporting arena it seems ridiculous they don’t have any seating for spectators,” she said.
“I coordinated the interchange last week and there wasn’t even a seat for the interchange bench.
“I expected a seat between the coaches boxes but there isn’t one. I had to sit on the wet ground at 9am in the morning.
“They spent so much on the fields themselves – and the ground is beautiful – but we’d love a seat to sit on. If I had room in the car I’d have brought some,” Ms Adams said.
Mornington Junior Football Club president Mark Brown also described the lack of seating as “ridiculous”.
“It’s a really good venue with no seating. The bins are pretty few and far between, too. My dad has been standing here since 9am,” he said.
Fiona Fisher and Jane Dobson, both of Mt Evelyn, said they had never been to a sporting facility without seating for spectators before.
“A grand stand would be nice but a bench seat would be great. Just to get you off the ground especially when the ground is wet. We’ve been here since 9.30am and we’ll be here till 4.30pm.
“You get a sore back from sitting on the ground. I have to keep standing up to stretch. I’ve never been to a sporting facility without a seat.”
Ms Fisher said they were sitting on the coats they were wearing and the towels they found in their boys’ football bags.
“We’re lucky it was warm, otherwise we’d be cold. Imagine if it was raining.”
Angela Walker from Yarra Junction said she was surprised she couldn’t park around the ground.
“This is weird. We’re disappointed.”
In last month’s state budget, the Brumby Government committed $538,000 to improve spectator facilities on the outer side of the VFL oval at Casey Fields.
