THE Mernda Football Club might have won a premiership but it faces a battle to survive.
The players filled the Whittlesea council chamber last week begging for help. They want council to upgrade their “unsafe” grounds and “decrepit” facilities in Schotters Road, claiming it is costing them players and sponsors.
The senior and junior members could not train on the grounds last season because of inadequate drainage. The club spent thousands of dollars hiring alternative training grounds and have asked council to be reimbursed.
Mayor Stevan Kozmevski told players and supporters the club could use the football ground being built at Woodland Waters estate in Mernda in 2014.
But club stalwart Tom Felle said this was not a solution because the grounds would not have any facilities until council found money to build them. “We can’t live on a wing and a prayer; we’re the black sheep of Whittlesea,” he said.
“Our clubrooms were built in 1946 and the club funded the extension in 1988 but nothing else has been done. We run out of hot water, the canteen is a disgrace and the umpire and away-team rooms are old portables. This is crisis time. The players are fed up. The council is waiting for the developers to spend money and develop sporting grounds elsewhere in the area.”
Demons president Jason Berry said that during winter water “sits on the ground, it’s so muddy other teams have refused to play on it”.
