EAT, DRINK AND PLAY
NEW LIFE FOR BOWLS CLUB:
SOUTHSIDERS will soon have a new spot to kick, sweat, eat, drink, chat and pirouette as The Grounds rises from the earth.
Motorists passing by the former Woree bowls club on Toogood Rd might have noticed a bright green field of top-tier synthetic turf taking shape, but there is a lot more on the way.
Caravella Football Academy founder and former Cairns export to the A-League Zenon Caravella explained ball sports were not the only thing on the menu.
He has teamed up with FNQ Dance Academy director Sarah Thorne to build a new “satellite studio” complete with sprung floors and oneway mirrors so parents can watch their kids.
“We actually share a lot of the same parents; she teaches the daughters and their brothers are at our academy,” Mr Caravella said.
“It was really exciting when we first chatted and realised, and now we’re making it happen.”
The sprawling complex will also include a considerable gym operated by Next Level High Performance Training, focusing on specialised training for both junior and senior athletes.
A turfed indoor miniature field will also be installed to allow younger players to learn the basics before taking to the full-size pitches outside.
“That’s really so they can work on their techniques before they go out and play,” Mr Caravella said.
The icing on the cake is a licensed cafe open to parents and the general public.
“We want it to be a place where you can eat, drink and play,” Mr Caravella said.
“It will be simple things like tapas and pizza, with a takeaway, and somewhere the community can come just to unwind.
“You don’t have to be involved in the football, the dance studio or the gym.
“We just want people from around the area to have a little place they can come and have a relaxed meal with their family.”
Mr Caravella bought the century-old former bowls club from Brothers Leagues Club last year.