Footy field escapes the centre square mire

You know your footy field is in trouble when its centre square is more suited to mud wrestling than to a display of some Aussie Rules ball-handling skills – or even a decent ball-up!

Slowly, steadily, surely though, mud had become the dominant feature at the Hope Valley Oval, in Adelaide’s northeast.

One problem was the square’s age – it had last been upgraded more than three decades ago.

Another problem: it just wasn’t level. Whenever it rained, the water didn’t drain – it pooled. And that meant mud, mess, and generally terrible conditions for footy (or, over summer, cricket).

Basically, it was a bog.

Rather than fiddle around the edges, it was decided the best bet would be to simply start again from scratch – to dig up the old square, get rid of the bog, re-lay it with fresh turf, and put in a new drainage system.

It cost $40,000 (the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing put in $25,000), but boy was it worth it.

The Hope Valley Sporting Club says since the new square was laid in February 2018, it’s had a good, solid workout (on the busiest weekends the ground hosts up to 15 footy games).

With a bit more time to really settle, by season 2019 the ground should be in absolutely tip-top condition for some ripper Hope Valley performances.

May the force be with them!