BRENDAN LINES
RENMARK Football Club president Mark Trowse predicts AFL and SANFL matches could take place locally from 2022, after the announcement of a $555,000 upgrade to Renmark Oval’s lighting.
The joint project between the Renmark Rovers Football Club and the Renmark North Cricket Club will be funded through Federal Government, AFL and South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) grants.
Final approval from the Renmark Paringa Council came last month, rewarding both clubs’ efforts behind the scenes.
Work is to be completed in late 2021, but while the project is still in its infancy, discussion to attract league football has begun.
“We’d have to be talking about 2022 and we’ll start exploring avenues.” Mr Trowse said.
“I previously had formal talks with the CEO at West Adelaide about footy up here, and this was before the lights came into calculation and they were keen then,” he said.
“It’s just great for the Riverland. The Loxton boys have got their lights upgraded which I think is fantastic as well, so it’s not about Renmark it’s about the Riverland in general.
“I would like to acknowledge Ben Files from the cricket club, John Persinos our previous president and Tim Tol from the council and thank them for their efforts.”
The lighting upgrade level for Renmark Oval will be Class III – Community Cricket in line with Cricket Australia’s Community Cricket Facility Guidelines.
This will enable community cricket to be played under lights and is in line with similar projects that have occurred in Tanunda and Whyalla recently as well as the oval lighting project planned for Loxton.
SACA’s infrastructure strategy has identified oval lighting as a high priority for cricket venues in the Riverland to enable cricket to be played under lights out of the heat of the day.
The AFL has declined to comment on the upgrade.