South Dubbo set for upgrade

By Will Dempsey

South Dubbo Oval home of the South Dubbo Demons will receive a $235,000 facility upgrade, which will include the crucial installment of floodlights.

Wes Giddings Council Manager for Sports Facilities in Dubbo says it “offers much needed relief to a struggling club.”

The upgrade package will include installing 200 LUX floodlighting and a separate Auskick field (pending council approval).

The Dubbo council is the main source of funding behind the project kicking in $181,000, with the AFL NSW/ACT $30,000 and NSW Government donating a $25,000 Community Grant.

“Without these sort of upgrades, the South Dubbo Demons can’t move forward,” Giddings said.

“Building the facilities in a country town such as Dubbo creates opportunity and encourages a more active community.”

Already installed from the upgrade are new goal posts funded by the council as well as new shed storage and lighting.

Giddings is impressed by the AFL’s commitment to the upgrade.

“AFL are consistently gaining participation and positively building the game,” he said.

Dubbo Demons Club President Kim Woodman says the upgrades will be crucial to helping the game grow in Dubbo.

“Due to restricted facilities at South Dubbo Oval, it’s been hard to create the foundations for a strong junior environment at the Demons,” he said.

“Our goal as a club is to encourage more juniors to come and play, so in 2013 we are going to be trialing the Orana junior regional competition.”

“Due to restricted facilities at South Dubbo Oval, it’s been hard to create the foundations for a strong junior environment at the Demons”

Presently juniors and seniors have to share a ground for training that’s broken up by a synthetic cricket pitch under only five lights.

” We have severely restricted conditions,” Woodman said.

The proposed plans for a separate Auskick field will not only provide the South Dubbo Demons more opportunity to host games, but also more space to train.

“With Auskick programs running in schools throughout the Central West, the key objective is to provide greater opportunity for children to play AFL on the weekend,” Giddings said.

The senior grades will also have the opportunity to play games under lights.

“This will attract and support members with in the club,” Woodman said.

The ground is used ten months of the year for AFL purposes, with AFL 9’s now running during the summer.

Woodman’s tireless efforts to improve the facilities at the Dubbo Demons are all driven by his love for the game.

The upgrades give the South Dubbo Demons the obvious opportunity to prosper into becoming a more greater and competitive club.

The club calls on the support of the community to back the approval for developments and get behind the South Dubbo Demons in 2013.