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Dandenong Thunder to enjoy $700,000 LED lighting upgrade at George Andrews Reserve
Greater Dandenong Council and Dandenong Thunder have recently confirmed that works have commenced for new powerful lighting towers to be built at George Andrews Reserve.
The upgrade will cost $700,000 and is being jointly funded by Greater Dandenong Council ($500,000) and the State Government ($200,000) with a plan to improve the ground’s overall quality for both training and matches. They formerly had 200-lux LED towers and they will be replaced by 500-lux towers.
For the Greater Dandenong local council, the focus was to improve the facility for the community to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits through the increased amount of playable hours at the reserve.
Importantly, the project ensures that the Thunder have a ground that is up to professional competition and broadcast standards which means they can broadcast and host games that are viewed by a national audience, a huge step forward for the NPL Victoria club.
This broadcast upgrade also opens up the possibility to expand to national matches involving the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City A-League women’s teams and an even more ambitious goal of hosting a Matildas game. The ground can easily hold 5000 people and the lighting and broadcasting standards will be fantastic after this upgrade.
Dandenong Thunder shared the positive implications this light upgrade has for the club.
“The new lights mean the club will be able to host a number of games, not only that but it’s a step forward to the clubs ambition to be part of the NSD (national second division),” a club spokesperson told Soccerscene.
“The support from local council has been nothing but fantastic, Dandenong want to be a sporting hub for the south east suburbs.
“With the FA cup we have seen A-League clubs play at local level clubs, having these new high powered lights we will be able to broadcast at a higher quality, no more yellow light broadcast.”
This news presents an exciting future for Dandenong Thunder and the matches played at George Andrews Reserve. The quality of training, matches and broadcasts has improved tenfold and it matches the size of the NPL Victoria side that have big ambitions.
Following the announcement of the 2026 Victoria State Budget, Avondale FC and Hume City FC will both receive major backing for facility upgrades.
Valuable support for future projects
Avondale and Hume City now have immensely valuable financial support for infrastructure and facility upgrade projects.
Avondale will see an injection of $500,000 for lighting developments at its home ground, Avenger Park. Meanwhile, Hume City FC, will receive $250,000 to further improve its home ground, Nasiol Stadium, which opened in 2009.
Both clubs expressed their delight at the funding from the State Labor Government, and what the backing may bring to club facilities and overall development going forward.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Victorian Government and Sheena Watt for their support through this $500,000 lighting upgrade investment, which will have a lasting impact on our players, families and the wider Avondale community,” said Avondale Club President, Stephen Strano.
“We have hundreds of players across all age groups utilising these facilities each week, and these improvements will help create an even strong environment for excellence, participation, and community engagement,” outlined Hume City President, Ersan Gülüm.
As a result of these respective investments, both NPL VIC outfits appear set for incredibly opportunities to modernise, develop and strengthen their club infrastructure.
Lighting the path to a brighter future
The investments will see features such as lighting upgrades improve facility access for men’s and women’s teams, and LED scoreboards become part of a more modern matchday experiences going forward.
For both clubs, however, lighting upgrades are about more than keeping a pitch open late at night. Improved lighting is a means to a more accessible and supportive future in which both the men’s and women’s teams can utliise local facilities, and matchdays can take place in the excitement of playing ‘under the lights’.
And as Football Victoria CEO, Dan Birrell, highlighted, the improvements made to club facilities are benchmarks for the wider Victorian football community.
“Both Avondale and Hume City are pillars in the Victorian football landscape,” Birrell stated via press release.
“Professional level facilities like Avenger Park and Nasiol Stadium are critical for the development of Victorian football and Football Victoria welcomes the news that they will continue to improve thanks to the support of the Victorian State Government.”
More must follow
While the investments from the State Government come as welcome updates for these two clubs, there is still plenty more to be done to evenly develop facilities and infrastructure across Victoria’s football landscape.
Indeed, Avondale FC and Hume City FC are two fantastic community clubs who will no doubt put the funding towards impactful improvements.
But there are plenty more who still need external backing to build infrastructure not just for now, but for future seasons to come.
At just 52 years old, former National Soccer League player Ange Goutzioulis stood in front of a packed room at the Chisholm United launch night in Oakleigh and spoke about something no one ever expects to hear: a diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease.
But rather than retreat into silence, Goutzioulis chose to speak openly. He spoke not just about the disease itself, but about the reality of living with it, the uncertainty ahead and why awareness matters more than ever.
Early stages
For years, football was part of Goutzioulis’ identity. Coaching, movement and routine were all things that once felt natural. Then slowly, something changed.
“I couldn’t even stand properly… I was losing my balance,” he explained.
At first, the signs were confusing rather than alarming. A couple of falls. Difficulty moving. Hospital visits and tests.
“They said, ‘You haven’t got cancer, you haven’t got MS and you haven’t got MND,’” he recalled.
But the symptoms continued worsening. Eventually, further neurological testing revealed the diagnosis: Motor Neuron Disease (MND).
The confirmation came quickly.
“They called it after two or three minutes… they saw the machines and basically said, ‘Yeah, you’ve got MND.’”
The shock was immediate.
So too was the reality.
Understanding Motor Neuron Disease
Motor Neuron Disease is a progressive neurological condition that attacks the nerves controlling movement, gradually taking away the ability to walk, speak, swallow and eventually breathe.
There is currently no cure.
For many Australians, awareness of MND remains limited until it touches someone close to them. Goutzioulis now finds himself confronting not only the physical decline, but the emotional weight of understanding what lies ahead.
“There’s no way to stop it… it’s going to kill me,” he said honestly.
Even breakthrough treatments tomorrow, he acknowledged, may come too late for him personally.
Yet despite the enormity of that reality, his focus has already shifted beyond himself.
Fighting for awareness while fighting the disease
What stood out throughout the evening was not despair, but resilience.
Goutzioulis spoke candidly about refusing to surrender mentally to the disease. Against medical advice centred around conserving energy and managing fatigue, he continues trying to stay active.
“I keep walking,” he said.
“I’ve got a theory in life that if you work out and keep moving, maybe [your] muscles won’t waste away as quick.”
Whether medically proven or not, the mentality reflects something deeper: a refusal to let MND define every remaining moment.
There was also optimism in the small victories.
Doctors believe he may have already been living with the disease for three years — longer than expected given his current condition.
“That’s a positive,” he said. “So, I’ll take it day by day.”
Image Credit: One Nil Media
Football’s power beyond the pitch
The event itself quickly transformed from a club launch into something more profound: a reminder of football’s ability to rally around people during their hardest moments.
As speakers addressed the room, one message became clear — Goutzioulis is not facing this battle alone.
“There’s probably 100 people here,” said Bill Kosmopoulos, who was hosting the discussion,
“I guarantee there’s 100 people cheering for you, 100 people that would do anything to find a solution for MND.”
In community football, conversations are usually dominated by results, signings, tactics and ambition. But nights like this reveal another side of the game entirely.
Connection.
Humanity.
Support.
By speaking publicly, Goutzioulis gave a deeply confronting disease a human face. Not statistics. Not headlines. A person. A father. A football figure. Someone trying to process what it means to slowly lose control of their own body while still showing up for the people around them.
That vulnerability is precisely why awareness matters.
Because awareness drives conversation.
Conversation drives funding.
And funding drives research that could one day change outcomes for future families facing the same diagnosis.
Image Credit: One Nil Media
“We’re behind you”
As the night closed, the room rose behind him.
Showing admiration for someone willing to confront unimaginable news publicly in the hope it helps others understand the devastating reality of MND.
“On behalf of everyone… thank you so much mate,” one speaker told him.
“We’re behind you.”
Support and raising awareness for the disease is what matters.
