By Matt Fotia
Whilst Covid-19 put a dampener on their 50th year, the Glen Waverley Rovers still have something to celebrate in 2020, with a new pavilion at Brentwood Reserve progressing nicely.
The Rovers – who are situated in the City of Monash – are the winter tenants at Brentwood Reserve and along with summer tenants – Glen Waverley Cricket Club – celebrated the news that their old pavilion would be torn down when it was announced on April 28.
Speaking on behalf of the club, Andrew Green says the old pavilion was well past its best before date.
“The old pavilion was exactly that – an old pavilion – very 1970’s well past its used by date,”
“The changing rooms – particularly the away rooms – were atrocious, other clubs must have hated it,”
“And the facilities for female sport were appalling, pretty much non-existent, so it was completely unsuitable for the modern purposes of a football club.”
The Rovers and their cricketing counterparts had been working together on the project for almost 10 years and like all projects of this manner it suffered setbacks.
It was almost across the line a couple of years ago but missed out being in the final budget. Finally after countless meetings with the City of Monash Recreation Department the project got across the line.
Green says all of the City of Monash councillors have been a great help throughout the whole process.
“The Monash councillors, particularly councillor (Shane) McCluskey who’s been a real supporter of the project, have been brilliant in helping us get it off the ground,”
“It’s happened really quickly; the old building was demolished within a month and the new one is well underway now.”
The spike in female representation at both clubs was another driver behind the project with the previous facility nowhere near the level required for female sport.
“Neither club could provide adequate for the growing female representation,”
“We had two old male toilet areas and two single toilets for women – so if you came to Brentwood you wouldn’t have planned to use the toilet,”
“City of Monash recognised that because it was never on the cards to tidy it up or extend it, it was always a case of knocking it down and building a new building.”
With the pavilion due to be completed in February 2021, the Rovers will be hoping that it helps attract some new families down the club in anticipation of their 51st year of football action.
“(Glen Waverley)Rovers has always been a family club and we trade ourselves on that motto,”
“We’re here to get families and kids of all abilities to enjoy football, it’s not about being the best player, it’s about being in a family environment,”
“The new pavilion will be another great selling point, because I’m sure we would’ve lost some players in the past who would’ve come and said – hmm I don’t like that (about the old pavilion).”