Ballan forced to play away from home as construction delays continue

The Central Highlands team’s ground is receiving a $4m upgrade, which will improve the standards of comfort for players, spectators and club officials.

The renovations include female friendly changerooms for all teams and a social pavilion with a bar, kitchen, function room and a tiered concourse for spectators.

The project, funded by the Victorian Government, the Ballan Bendigo Bank and the Moorabool Shire Council, was originally set to be finished in October before being pushed back to early this year, and then getting a further delay to May this year.

The club was hopeful this Saturday, against Carngham Linton, would mark host its first game at the venue since 2021.

However, in a statement issued earlier this week Ballan revealed there had again been further delays.

This week’s clash will now be held in Ballarat at Sebastopol’s home ground, the Marty Busch Recreation Reserve.

And now fears are growing the club won’t be able to play home at all for the rest of the season.

“The chances of playing there this year are extremely slim,” Ballan president David O‘Hanlan said.

“As far as the pavilion goes, for it to be completed it is going to take a power of work by a power of people.

“It will be 100 per cent finished by the end of the year, but at the moment it is not near completion.”

The club is scheduled to play four matches at home before the end of the season.

O’Hanlan said the club was hopeful it might get back for the final two, against Newlyn in round 16 on August 5 and Gordon in round 18 on August 19, but the Blues were not getting too excited.

There is still a lot of work to be done not only on the pavilion, but fencing at the ground and cleaning up of the area to get it ready for football and netball.

O’Hanlan said the team would just deal with the latest setback like previous delays, with an emphasis on staying strong as a club.

“The excitement has been and gone,” he said.

“We’re in a stage we get through as best as we can and deal with the curve balls as they arrive.

“We’re a one club town, we’ve got a lot of loyal members and supporters who have been dealt with tough times over the past couple of years.

“As far as supporters go in our league, ours will be probably the best because they’ve stuck through in thick and thin.”

The president said it was a shame the delay in the ground was continuing because the club is in a strong position on the field.

“We’ve got a very good junior programs,” O’Hanlan said.

“Our Auskick and under-9s are at record numbers, our under-12s are undefeated, our under-15s have lost one game and our under-18s have come from two years ago not having a team to having a full side now.

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“Our reserves and senior teams have also improved and our netball is in extremely great shape.”

Ballan take on Carngham Linton at 2.30pm on Saturday.

A decision on the venue for their next few games will be made in the next couple of weeks, based on availability of grounds in Ballarat and surrounding towns.

Originally published as Ballan forced to play away from home as construction delays continue