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Facility development

Presently the juniors play their games at home ground venues which includes the Jack Martin Centre / Coolaroo, University and Rockville, which is their preferred venue.

Rockville Park, the present home of the DDJAFL

There is no designated home ground or HQ for football. Consequently when finals are held, Harristown High School and the University ground have been used. When the Brisbane Lions Cubs played in Toowoomba this season the match was played at a very good, well suited, rugby union ground.

Without appropriate facilities for the juniors  the game will not develop.

While we have used a number of different venues, it is obvious that to succeed as a sport in Toowoomba, a known home ground is required.

The Jack Martin Centre, home of the Cooloroo Football Club

Currently in Toowoomba there are a number of examples were this strategy has attracted players due to the excellent facilities and has attracted sponsorship. These include:

Hockey Clyde Park

Rugby Union Gold Park

League Athletic Oval

Soccer Captain Cook Oval

Baseball Commonwealth Oval

All these venues are identified by the public and are maintained by their associations, in conjunction with their State Associations. These venues are maintained at a high standard that is safe for their players and able to support a high level of competition. In the last two years the Hockey and Rugby venues have hosted International fixtures.

The DDJAFL would like to develop Rockville Park. This venue is Council controlled, but is central to public transport and easily accessible to schools in the area. Specifically the junior league will address the following areas:

1. Management of the facility together with the City Council
2. Structural changes and Risk management strategies to minimize any chance of risk to players and supporters.
3. Wind and sun protection
4. Seating
5. Upgrading canteen and cooking facilities

The committee should be aware that the Junior League has received excellent support from the City Council regarding Rockville.

In additional the Council has granted management rights to two junior clubs, East Toowoomba and South Toowoomba, to develop grounds of their own, namely the TAFE oval and Harristown Park.

Harristown Park, the home of the South Toowoomba Junior Football Club.

All junior clubs support an upgrade of Rockville, but those developing their own training grounds do require assistance in the purchase of Goal Posts, Safety Equipment and First Aid Equipment.

Presently only one school, Harristown High School has a designated AFL oval.

The establishment of Rockville, Harristown Park and TAFE Oval and the use of the University ground are essential if the Primary School / Secondary School competition is to develop.

With an upgraded Rockville Park as our Headquarters, it is our aim to have 6 ovals available for junior football and 3 available for senior football by 2002, in Toowoomba.

AFL grounds are also being established and used in Warwick, Goondiwindi, Dalby and Kingaroy.

Our proposal to the committee is to allocate funds over a three-year period to:

1. upgrade Jack Martin Oval and Rockville Oval.
2. support to junior clubs in the provision of football goal posts and safety equipment.
3. Obtain access AFL design and ground maintenance consultants for landscaping ovals.