Footy could be back

By Simone Hare
FOOTBALL could once again be played on Marysville’s Gallipoli Park, if plans to rejuvenate the sport in the fire-ravaged town come to fruition.
Plans are also in the pipeline to create a Marysville football team.
The town has not fielded a football or netball team for a number of years.
John Phillips, president of the newly-formed Marysville and District Football and Netball Club, said the suggestion to import football games to Marysville was a recent development that had evolved in the wake of the Black Saturday fires.
However, development of the fire-ravaged town is essential before any football games can commence.
“There is an existing football oval in Marysville at Gallipoli Park. We will have that up and running by early next football season but our short to medium term objective is to import football from other leagues to Marysville,” Mr Phillips said.
“We would also like to encourage schools to use the oval and bring kids back with activities such as Auskick and AFL player visits,” he said.
Goal posts for Gallipoli Park are being funded through the Victorian Country Football League’s bushfire appeal fund, Mr Phillips said.
Fixtured games from the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League (YVMDFL) and Eastern Football League (EFL) have the potential to relocate to Marysville when facilities become available.
YVMDFL CEO Stephen Walter is supportive of the proposal to import football matches to Marysville, along with the potential for pre-season and finals games.
“We would consider possibly getting a couple of clubs to support the Marysville endeavour, and play a couple of pre-season games up there,” Mr Walter said.
“I would be supportive of playing a final at Marysville if the facilities met Yarra Valley District Football League standards,” Mr Walter said.
The re-location of fixtured games would help foster community spirit in Marysville and surrounding community districts after the bushfires Mr Phillips said.
The games would also have the potential to benefit local business, regenerating trade in the fire-affected areas.
“It will improve the economy of the town. Some of these games will be high-profile and attract reasonable crowds,” he said.
However, according to Mr Phillips there are no immediate plans for the creation of a local football team, but the door is still open for the future.
“The concept of getting a regional team up and running will be closely assessed and only pursued if it is considered viable and this could be three to five years down the track.”
Mr Walter said sport had the ability to bring a community together.
“Sport can help rebuild the community spirit, and if that involves a football team I would support that,” Mr Walter said.
If a Marysville football team was to be introduced it is likely they would seek to join an existing league.