Mypolonga sports clubs’ future looks bright after another $500k win
The state government has committed another half a million dollars to a coming facilities upgrade.
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The future of Mypolonga’s sporting clubs looks brighter than ever after the state government committed another $518,000 to an upcoming facilities upgrade.
The extra funding, announced on Tuesday, will allow the club to install:
- a fourth netball court
- a new playground
- new lights around the oval
The Tigers had already announced plans to build a new canteen, changerooms and toilets after winning a $500,000 grant in March, and raising several hundred thousand more from community members, the clubs and the Murray Bridge council.
Add it all together, Mypolonga Combined Sports Club president Joel Eckermann said, and the town’s sports teams would be set for decades to come.
“Our team of volunteers have worked extremely hard over the past five years to attract this funding, and to finally have the positive news that we can now start building feels a bit surreal,” he said.
“We are completely overwhelmed, but mostly just excited for the future of our kids and grandkids, who will have fantastic facilities for the next 40 to 50 years.”
Netball club grants officer Courtney Blacker said it was particularly important that the new building would give Mypo dedicated women’s changerooms and accessible toilets for the first time.
Previously, up to 100 netballers had been forced to line up for just one shower on a Saturday, and change clothes in their cars.
“We’re a welcoming and inclusive community out here at Mypo, but for many years, our facilities have not told the same story,” Ms Blacker said.
“These upgrades will make a huge difference to women across all sports codes and community groups.”
The town’s population has been steadily growing in recent years, and football club president Jason Stewart hoped the new facilities would keep Mypo’s clubs from ever having to merge with any of their rivals.
“You can visibly see the momentum shifting here at Mypo,” he said.
“Our sports clubs are thriving, our numbers are increasing, our volunteers are active, and our community is positive about the future.”
Ms Scriven has been a regular visitor to Mypolonga in recent years, including in 2022 when the town was named South Australia’s agricultural town of the year.
“Each time I’ve been to the club, I’ve seen firsthand the strong community spirit,” she said.
“We (the state government) are so pleased to provide this grant … it will go a long way to expanding the facility and attracting sporting and community events to the region.”
Work on the new facilities should be completed sometime in 2025.
The funding will come from the state government’s Thriving Regions Fund.
