The AFL, St Mary MacKillop College and Tuggeranong Valley Australian Football and Netball Club are joining forces to provide significant improvements to an underutilised oval in Isabella Plains.
Commencing Thursday, 21 November, MacKillop Oval at St Mary MacKillop College’s St Peters Campus, will get a $420,000 facelift. The project will upgrade lighting, improve the playing surface, deliver an electronic scoreboard, and add supporter seating and covered interchange benches.
The three funding partners believe the upgraded MacKillop Oval has the potential to deliver more than 8,100 hours of Australian Rules Football content in the next decade – a 300 per cent increase on the field’s current capabilities. Much of this increase is due to the new 100-lux lighting, which enables training and matches to be played in the evening. With a flick of a switch and when suitable, the lighting can be reduced to 50-lux to make it more economically viable and environmentally responsible.
The partnership agreement sees the AFL contribute $200,000 from the Breaking New Ground program, St Mary MacKillop College matching the funding with a $200,000 input, and Tuggeranong Valley Australian Football and Netball Club adding $20,000.
AFL NSW/ACT Manager ACT and Southern NSW, Steve Mahar, thanked St Mary MacKillop College for the school’s enthusiasm about the project. “The upgrades to MacKillop Oval will play a key role in accommodating Canberra footy’s continual growth, particularly for youth girls – a category at the front of mind when prioritising which elements of the ground to upgrade.
“Thank you to St Mary MacKillop College for being such a willing contributor to the project. AFL Canberra is grateful for our partnership and we know the facility will further bolster the experience for your students. I hope this project is the first of many of its type across Canberra.”
Mr Michael Lee, St Mary MacKillop College Principal, said: "St Mary MacKillop College recognises that the AFL is Australia’s premier sporting organisation. We’re delighted that they are making a significant financial contribution to young people in the Tuggeranong Valley who wish to play Australian Rules Football on quality facilities.
“These upgrades are of benefit not only to MacKillop students who are here now and into the future, but also to many other young people in this part of Canberra. This is community engagement at its best and we are pleased to be in partnership with both the AFL and Tuggeranong Valley Australian Football and Netball Club. Thanks to the AFL, TVAFNC, and also to Catholic Education for their role in fostering the mechanics of this partnership."
Anne Bennie, President of Tuggeranong Valley Australian Football and Netball Club, said: “Tuggeranong Valley is one of Canberra’s biggest Australian football clubs, with more than 550 members. This new facility will provide much needed training and playing space for our players and opponents.
“It will provide our senior teams more access to fields in the off-season, providing a great base for success. The club is thankful to St Mary MacKillop College for its strong community mindedness in joining with the AFL to create MacKillop Oval not only for their students but as another home for The Valley players.”
The MacKillop Oval upgrades will be completed by May 2025.
Main image: Mr Michael Lee (Principal St Mary MacKillop College), Steve Mahar (AFL NSW/ACT) and Katie Kearney (TVAFNC) with players from TVAFNC and St Mary Mackillop College.
###