HAY Football Netball Club will publicly back Murrabit as a permanent venue for Golden Rivers Football League grand finals.
Lions president Anthony Slattery said he was planning to put forward a motion at board level to see the league once again have a fixed venue for its deciders. The Guardian believes at least two clubs other than Murrabit could support a motion that would see the Blues’ venue used annually with catering duties rotated among clubs.
The move comes following the board’s decision to hold the 2014 decider at Quambatook, a decision that has led to concerns from some clubs.
Including this year, the Saints have hosted the decider four times in six years since the league last used Kerang’s Riverside Park as a permanent venue for grand final day.
Concerns included having only one netball court available, while the size of the changerooms has also been considered a problem.
The board believes a temporary extension, as seen in the past, is an adequate solution.
Representatives of Ultima and Moulamein both expressed their support for using Murrabit annually while cautioning that such a proposal had not been discussed at committee level by their clubs.
Macorna president Jim Robins and Nullawil’s Darren Barker said their clubs were among those that won’t support such a move.
A high-quality football ground, two new netball courts and the centrality of the location are factors in Murrabit’s favour, according to Slattery.
“We’re all for it. Hell yes,” he said.
“Murrabit have better facilities than Quambatook and it’s a beautiful ground to play on.”
Slattery said the Lions’ perspective on grand final venues was formed in the knowledge that the season’s most important game would never be played at their ground.
“We never put Hay up for a grand final. We know we’re not going to get it because it’s too far away,” he said.
Slattery said he would send a notice of motion to the league’s board either this week or next.
“We fully support every grand final being played at Murrabit. We’re supporting them 100 per cent,” he said.
A committee meeting was due to be held at Moulamein last night. China Gibson said the Swans’ committee had not discussed such a move.
For more on this story see Wednesday’s edition of The Guardian (August 13, 2014).
