Struggling footy club’s grounds for gratitude

A TEAM effort has helped save a regional football club at risk of folding because of lack of water.

Funds have flowed to Dodges Ferry Football Club after the State Government, TasWater, AFL Tasmania and Sorell Council agreed to chip in to help rescue the club.

The Sharks will receive $25,000 in water to irrigate their home ground to ensure it is prepared for this year’s season.

TasWater will also temporary tanks to water.

The announcement comes after the Sunday Tasmanian highlighted the club’s plight at the weekend.

Club officials were preparing for the worst after months of dry weather and limited water supply withered their ground to brown, dead grass, with some sections reduced to just dirt.

But a meeting with Prosser install store MLC Jane Howlett on Monday led to a short-term solution to save the 2019 season.

The Government will contribute $10,000, with the remaining organisations chipping in $5000 each.

“This is a great outcome for the local community,” Ms Howlett said.

She said all parties would continue to work together on a long-term solution for the ground’s management.

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

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

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

Committee member in charge of the ground, Phil Hammer, said the funding meant everything.

“It was a matter of shutting the door if we didn’t find access to water,” he said.

“This community thrives on this football club.”

The Sharks’ first home game is scheduled for April 6.

Club officials are planning further meetings with the Government, council and AFL Tasmania in coming weeks to sort out a long-term solution, which they hope would see the South-East Irrigation Scheme extended to the primary school.

The Southern Football League has also offered to assist the club with oval maintenance and preparation ahead of the first game of the year.