Lights switched on at Canterbury Park

LIGHTS beamed down on the Eaglehawk Football Club last Saturday for the first time at Canterbury Oval.

The stadium lights and an electronic scoreboard were unveiled at the Bendigo Football League senior’s game between Eaglehawk and Kangaroo Flat, as packed crowds watched on from their new spectator shelter.

The upgrades are the final stage of the 2010 Eaglehawk Open Space Precinct Park Master Plan, which has seen more than $7 million invested into the community sporting hub.

“Sport is such an important part of every community but particularly here in Eaglehawk where it’s a great connector for families, for juniors, for older people whether you’re playing or just want to come and sit in these magnificent facilities and enjoy a game,” said Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan.

“It’s been a long time coming to get footy and netball back here after what has been a really difficult year.

“It really is a tremendous asset for Eaglehawk and for the broader City of Greater Bendigo.”

Club vice president and member of the Eaglehawk Development Committee Andrew Reid said the upgrades are particularly important for the integration of the women’s football team.

“We’ve had women’s football for one year so far but given that most of their games are on Sundays they’ve never really slipped into the culture or the full effect of the club,” he said.

“This is the last piece of the puzzle in this project. It’ll set us up for a long time to come.”

The upgrades can also transform the grounds into a multifunction space, with the scoreboard doubling as a screen for community movie nights.

For the record Eaglehawk’s seniors got a 72-point win over Kangaroo Flat, while the women’s team won 35-26.