Members of the Victorian football community have shown incredible support for the much-loved synthetic pitch of Clifton Park in Brunswick, Melbourne.
Ahead of the event on Wednesday night, clubs wanted to make a stand to say that the synthetic surface of Clifton Park deserves to stay, and that plans to replace it with natural grass should be abandoned.
Teams got together on the same pitch for open training sessions, showcasing not only the value it has for coaching, but also for the general community who come along to use it daily.
The evening featured key stakeholders from both club and council level who all shared the same view that synthetic is here to stay, in passionate speeches that really captivated what the get together was all about.
One of the key speakers was Moreland City Councillor Oscar Yildiz, who explained why all synthetic pitches are important for sustaining participation numbers.
“There are schools that use this facility every day – families use it during the day and clubs do so in the evening, you can play here 24/7,” he said.
“If the weather conditions continue like it did this year, and inconsistent weather keeps happening, how are clubs going to survive?
“What does the next 20 years look like for sporting clubs? We’re not against the environment or climate change, but it’s valuing mental health for our kids.
“It’s about supporting all the kids that have come out in support, and then the families as well – this is the community.
“Synthetic pitches need to continue and we need to keep building these facilities, not replacing them with grass.
“In New South Wales, they are actually creating more synthetic-based facilities than Victoria.
“Anyone including councillors or politicians that say we need to look for alternatives haven’t considered the value these facilities provide.”
After the event, Sebastian Hassett, Football Victoria’s Head of Government Relations & Facilities, spoke to Soccerscene reiterating the importance of synthetic pitches.
“It was a fantastic turnout, so many clubs and participants have supported a facility we desperately want to save,” he said.
“We know that participation in Moreland is soaring – demand for the game has never been higher and only going to be greater particularly with two World Cups coming up.
“It will be unlike any period in Australian football history, so we need all the facilities we can get.”
Hassett explained why synthetic pitches play such a pivotal role in the availability of facilities.
“Our job as a sport is to find these spaces for kids to play,” he said.
“Towards the end of winter, so many facilities around Melbourne are struggling to keep up with the demands of our game.
“There are many teams across heaps of clubs playing on our facilities – that’s where synthetics have a valuable role.”
Part of the proposal for removing synthetic pitches is the harm to health and the environment, but that supposed claim is countered by Hassett, outlining the benefits of synthetics like Clifton Park.
“Synthetics have three times the utilisation of natural grass – that is a fact we want to promote to people,” he said.
“We believe in the new technology that exists, it’s significantly better for the environment than what has previously been available under the old synthetic technology – it’s enhanced dramatically.
“As a result, when we see renewals come in for places like this, it’s going to be better for the environment because there’s no extra maintenance, fertiliser, and wastage of council costs.
“We think synthetic is a win-win for everyone.”
