All-weather football facility a game changer
THE dream of all-weather football in the Far North is coming to life for the Caravella brothers with a goal of opening up the game to the community and the world.
Work has started on the construction of synthetic pitches at Toogood Rd, Woree, on which former A-League player Zenon Caravella and his brother Angelo hope to develop the next generation of football stars.
Completion of the first stage – four five-a-side pitches and a clubhouse – is expected by the end of September, with the hope of two more to follow, finalising three years of approval processes.
“It’s been a dream of mine and it’s something we’re superexcited about,” Zenon said.
“We’re going to be able to use it all year round, so there’s more chances to play football, it never floods and ... it’s highly conducive to developing skills of young players.
“Football is a very technical sport, so for young players coming into the game, to be able to have a pitch that’s consistent just helps in developing their skills.”
While the fields will be a base for Caravella Football Academy, plans are afoot for five-a-side and seven-a-side competitions at the venue, with Football Queensland also keen to hold events there.
“It’s open to everyone to use. It’s not Zenon said.
“I think it’s going to bring more people to the game.”
It is also set to help football tap into academies from around Australia and Asia, who are lining up to play on the surface once Stage 1 is completed in September. just for CFA,”
Destination Cairns’s Glen Waddingham said it would add to the region’s growing sports tourism market.
“The city is priding itself on sports tourism at the moment … and having Asia so close as a massive football destination, and getting them to Cairns, this facility will get them one step closer,” he said.
Cairns FC coach Danny Graystone has been vocal in his calls for a synthetic pitch in the region and hoped the project would be a beacon for governments to consider a similar publicly accessible facility.
“The fact a private enterprise is building a synthetic surface shows we’ve got a need for them here,” he said.
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