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AT LAST – AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN ALL-WEATHER FIELD – WE NEED YOUR VOTE FOR WATERFRONT DRIVE BY 11 FEBRUARY!

An Opportunity for an All-Weather Field

Whilst many clubs that we compete with currently have access to an all-weather playing surface, Balmain & District Football Club (BDFC), despite being the largest community football club in the country, has been unable to obtain access to such a facility. The recently completed all-weather fields at Rudd Park, Strathfield Park and Tempe Reserve show what can be offered by such facilities. Due to their hard-wearing nature, all-weather fields enable community use to be optimised whilst maintaining a high-quality playing surface.

Members may be aware that our Club had been hoping to secure access for our members to an all-weather playing field at the recently opened Rozelle Parklands. However, we were informed last year that the parklands delivered by the State Government will not include an all-weather playing surface. Instead, as announced by Mayor Darcy Byrne and NSW Minister for Roads, John Graham, the State Government is making a $20 million budget available to Inner West Council for it to identify and deliver an all-weather playing field elsewhere in our area, as well as providing other local facilities.

As a result, Inner West Council has resolved to consider four existing playing fields for conversion to an all-weather playing surface and is currently seeking community feedback on which field to select. The four fields under consideration include our home playing fields at Waterfront Drive in Callan Park and at Easton Park. The other two fields being considered are at Balmain Road in Callan Park and Leichhardt No.2 near the Leichhardt Swimming Pool.

The BDFC Club Executive has unanimously resolved to advocate for one of our two playing fields at Waterfront Drive to be selected for conversion to an all-weather surface.  This is based on the obvious benefits of providing an improved playing surface for all year-round use, alongside the building for which funding has now been secured to be renovated and converted into the new BDFC clubhouse and community facility.

Choosing to provide the new surface at Waterfront Drive would enable users to draw on the new facilities being provided at the clubhouse – which include toilets and changerooms – and the existing 200-lux floodlighting, and would not impact on any nearby residents.

Our club is keen to pursue new hybrid grass technology for the all-weather surface, delivering a modern mixture of grass and manufactured materials, drawing on the great advancements that have been made in the development of all-weather playing surfaces.

We are strongly advocating to Inner West Council to select the Waterfront Drive field for all-weather use and, in doing so, provide improved facilities for our 3,000+ members, many of whom live on and around the WestConnex tunnel facility and have lived through the impacts of its construction over the last few years.

As BDFC members will be aware, our Club has been advocating to Inner West Council to provide more fields and improved playing surfaces for decades; this new funding is a great opportunity for the Council to meet the needs of the local sporing community.

Examples of the recent installations at Rudd Park and Strathfield are below.

Rudd Park

Strathfield Park

VOTE NOW TO HELP US ACHIEVE OUR AIM

You can help us with our campaign for an all-weather playing surface at Waterfront Drive by completing the Council’s on-line survey by 11 February 2024 and choosing Waterfront Drive as your priority selection for an all-weather playing field for the local community. BDFC’s secondary choice for an all-weather field is Easton Park.

We hope you will act to support BDFC and our local community in this campaign.

VOTE NOW

All-Weather Field at Rozelle Parklands

At Balmain & District Football Club, we understand the importance of having access to quality sporting facilities. Unfortunately, our club and the wider sporting community are facing a critical shortage of playing spaces. That’s why we’re advocating for the development of sporting facilities at Rozelle Parklands, including an all-weather playing field.

Last season, our club lost over 1,350 hours of playing and training time due to ground closures and washouts. The shortage of local fields is a growing issue that affects not only our club but also the wider community of local players. The existing fields are overused. As our community grows, so will the depth of this problem.

We believe that the Rozelle Railyards development project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to secure an all-weather playing field in the heartland of our membership. We have strongly advocated for vital sporting infrastructure at Rozelle Parklands, and we believe that the provision of an all-weather field with priority, year-round access for our members is crucial.

As the NSW state election approaches, we have asked the candidates for the seat of Balmain to commit to three important points:

Priority year-round access for our club to the new rectangular football field at Rozelle Parklands.
Advocating for the new football field to be an all-weather field.
Providing adequate and suitable parking for users of the sporting facilities.

We support the use of hybrid grass technology over traditional synthetic surfaces for the all-weather field. The technology and materials for all-weather fields are advancing all the time, and we believe an all-weather football field at Rozelle Parklands may be the last opportunity for our club and our community to secure the year-round field we so desperately need.

We urge all our members to read and share the responses from the candidates. Let’s continue to advocate for quality sporting facilities for our community.

Read our letter and the response from each candidate below:

Philippa Scott
Kobi Shetty
Freya Leach (no response received)

1 Year To Go – FIFA Women’s World Cup

20 July 2022 marked one year until our sport takes centre stage in Australia and New Zealand with the FIFA Women’s World Cup. With 1001 girls and women registered to play for Balmain DFC this year, we truly cannot wait for the rest of the country to see and learn what we already know – women’s football is awesome!

The tournament will take place between the 20^th of July and 20^th of August 2023, with games played across various cities, states, and stadiums. For the first time ever, the tournament will include 32 nations as they compete to be named the world’s greatest International Women’s Football Team.

Qualified Nations

Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Sweden, Spain, France, Denmark, United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Zambia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa

Venues

Brisbane Stadium – Brisbane, Australia

Dunedin Stadium – Dunedin, New Zealand

Eden Park – Auckland, New Zealand

Hindmarsh Stadium – Adelaide, Australia

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium – Melbourne, Australia

Perth Rectangular Stadium – Perth, Australia

Stadium Australia – Adelaide, Australia

Sydney Football Stadium – Sydney, Australia

Waikato Stadium – Hamilton, New Zealand

Wellington Original Stadium – Wellington, New Zealand

Watch Some Highlights!

FIFA Women’s World Cup Goals | All-Time Top-10s

FIFA Women’s World Cup Moments | All-Time Top-10s

Balmain DFC – A Pillar For Ukrainian Refugee

IT was the sound of bombs striking targets 10km away from his village in Mariupol early one morning that alerted Aleks Prykhno the war with Russia had started. Within days his city was in near ruins and he had some life-changing decisions to make – and make in a hurry.

“We lived 10km from the combat line and when the shelling began we learned about the beginning of the war,” Aleks told Inside Back through an interpreter. “The next day, residential areas were shelled and bombed. There was no electricity, water or gas and civilians began to die.

“There were shortages of food and it became more and more difficult to buy food. It became dangerous to move around the city.”

Living with his wife and 84-year-old wheelchair-bound mother, Aleks realised survival was only possible by fleeing the war zone as quickly as possible. The trio drove across Ukraine from east to west in their Kia, arriving in Warsaw and then flying to Sydney to be reunited with their son, who has been living and working in Australia for five years, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

The Australian government offered Ukraine’s war refugees sanctuary, for which the Prykhno family is most grateful for.

But it’s the inner west’s football community, led by Balmain FC, that has been the real pillar throughout this harrowing time. Aleks and the Tigers struck up a friendship in 2015 when he played against their 45s and over team in the final of the European Masters Games in Nice.

The bond grew stronger four years later at the 2019 European Masters Games in Torino, with Balmain inviting the accomplished goal-keeper to stand between the sticks as they went on to win the gold medal in the 50+ age group.

When the Tigers heard Ukraine was under attack, they contacted Aleks to check on his family’s wellbeing, offering them whatever support they could. Since the Prykhnos’ arrival in Sydney, the club has organised meals, work, transport and financial assistance. And they picked up a quality goal-keeper in return. Aleks, who saved a penalty in his second game, is helping the Tigers’ over-50s side work their way up the table in the Canterbury District competition.

“Football is my life and always has been. It is on the same level as work and friends,” Aleks said. “Many thanks to the Balmain team who supported and sympathised for me and my family during the difficult days for us, when we were still in Mariupol. Playing football here helps to distract from worries and negative emotions for a while.”

Balmain FC treasurer – and Aleks’ teammate – Keith Irving said: “Whilst it is a small thing against the backdrop of conflict in his country, as a community club we are delighted to be able to offer him a small escape from the worries he undoubtedly has.”

But the war is never too far from Aleks’ thoughts. He said: “My rage is still hard to imagine. I try to support my mother and wife and be of service to my family in Sydney, but I really miss my country.”

Story written by Adam Lucius for The Inner West Review

Story: www.innerwestreview.com.au/story/7822248/balmain-fc-a-pillar-for-ukrainian-refugee/?src=rssutm_email=20799

ABC Radio Interview

Listen to Balmain DFC Treasurer, Keith Irving, speak to James Valentine on ABC 702 about Aleks journey: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_SHsEHAHrU

Have your say about our Clubhouse!

Have your say about our Clubhouse! There’s a lot of discussion about Callan Park right now, and it’s important our members’ voices be heard.

One important way to do this is by completing the Greater Sydney Parklands’ Survey about the future use of buildings at Callan Park.

Be sure to tick “Sport & Club Amenities” along with other ways you would like to see the buildings being used. Wherever you have the chance to include or mention “Balmain DFC Clubhouse”, please do.

Lastly, please share the survey with friends and family in our sporting community!

Learn more about Our Future here.

Back to Football Training Program

The last thing we want is for players to return to football after all these months of lockdown – only to hobble off the field again because of an avoidable injury.

Over 45 player John and his teammates had the same concerns. John reached out to us with the idea of a pre-season training program to ease the transition for members back onto the field – particularly those with a few more years of experience.

Our fantastic physio partner Balmain Sports Medicine (BSM) stepped up to the mark, with Matt Wiadrowski putting together a tailored series of exercises for members to work through in the week’s ahead.

Click here for a PDF of the ‘Back to Football’ Training Program, and get started on those squats.

We’ll also be sharing a few videos created by BSM via our social media, which demonstrate proper technique in some of these exercises (view the first video below). To stay in the loop, make sure to follow the club on Facebook, Instagram and/or YouTube.

Stay safe, find your fitness and be kind to your body so we can all come back strong after the long break.

Kit Return

Time to return your Team Kit to Callan Park Waterfront

Senior return – Sat 12th and Sun 13th August 10am – 2pm

All other returns – Sat 26th and Sun 27th August

Our Future

Learn about the major projects our club is working on right now: access to a clubhouse at Callan Park, and securing a new playing field at the Rozelle Railyards.

BBC & GMT

Learn about the Men’s and Women’s competitions in the Association: the Bill Brackenbury Cup (BBC) and the Grace Martin Trophy (GMT).