HUNDREDS gathered at the Inverleigh Recreation Reserve on Saturday to cheer on the Hawks in their season openers, and to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new social club rooms.<\/p>\n
The event included a visit from Golden Plains Shire mayor Cr Gavin Gamble, and Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson, who said the facilities highlights the dedication of Inverleigh\u2019s sporting community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s your commitment, aspiration and dedication to your community that has delivered this, and I\u2019m so proud that we have worked together on such a great day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not just for footy, this is not just for cricket, this is for the entire community. This makes a really big difference to families, to young kids, and of course, to a wonderful club.\u201d<\/p>\n
Funded with $500,000 from the Federal Government pledged during the 2019 election campaign, the upgrades include a new social space alongside updates to the kitchen, bar and canteen.<\/p>\n
Inverleigh Football and Netball Club president David Haste said the works highlight the Shire\u2019s commitment to the continuing expansion of the club.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Golden Plains Shire didn\u2019t have a forward plan for this sporting complex, then this sort of stuff would never have been able to be presented in the first place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we\u2019ve got a lot we want to achieve out here. We\u2019re expanding, we have our first ever girls team in Inverleigh, and we have run out of capacity.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, our next biggest focus is lights on the back oval. We can\u2019t run without them, so if we can get that going, we will be set up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inverleigh local Peter Emery played for the Hawks for over a decade in his younger days, and said the addition of a social room is \u201clong overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe facilities are absolutely magnificent. It\u2019s been great to be able to have a beer and watch from behind the glass windows,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBack in the day, we had the roof over our head and that was it. There was nothing to get you out of the cold or even the rain sometimes. This should\u2019ve been done years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ceremony was followed by seniors footy between the Hawks and the Werribee Centrals. For the record, the good guys got the win by 94 points!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HUNDREDS gathered at the Inverleigh Recreation Reserve on Saturday to cheer on the Hawks in their season openers, and to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new social club rooms. The event included a visit from Golden Plains Shire mayor Cr Gavin Gamble, and Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson, who said the facilities highlights the dedication […]<\/p>\n