Sport

AFL Victoria announces relief funds for flood-affected clubs

By Daniel Webb

Oct 24, 2022

Under water: Shepparton’s Princess Park on Sunday, October 16. Photo by Megan Fisher

Immediate assistance grants of up to $5000 are available for community football clubs impacted by floods in Victoria.

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On offer as part of the AFL’s Community Relief Fund, the funding is an initial response to help provide emergency support.

In a statement released on Monday, AFL Victoria said it was monitoring the scale and extent of the devastation suffered by many in the football community across Victoria due to the floods, with many grassroots clubs having facilities and equipment severely impacted.

The organisation outlined the importance of sporting facilities in the community, pledging support to get local football clubs back into operation as quickly as possible.

AFL Victoria is in the process of making contact with all impacted clubs, and is encouraging clubs to make contact through AFL regional offices.

The announcement comes just two days after the Shepparton Swans Football Netball Club spoke to the News about its home ground, Princess Park, which has been devastated by floods.

“The clubrooms are built of timber — they are going to be buckled. The wall is plaster and the carpets will be no good, so there will be a lot of cost involved in getting them back up to being useable,” club president Jarrod Sutherland said on Sunday.

“The positive is we have a bit of time on our side to clean it up with football and netball season being so far away, but overall it is a very disappointing situation to be in.”

While the football and netball seasons are some time away, the timeline for which summer sports, such a cricket, can get back up and running remains unclear, with a number of cricket facilities across the region severely impacted.