On any given weekend, Ballyshannassy Park is a busy meeting place for Burwood City FC, with players of all ages taking to the field, families gathering on the sidelines and volunteers keeping the club moving. But behind that activity, the club is facing a simple problem. It’s facilities have not kept up with the community it now serves.
Burwood City FC’s Football Victoria-affiliated participation has grown from 80 players in 2019 to almost 250 today, a remarkable 184 per cent increase in six years. And that is only part of the picture, with the club also fielding teams in Masters competitions and running social football programs that bring even more people through Ballyshannassy Park.
The change in who is playing is just as significant. Female participation among the club’s Football Victoria-affiliated players has increased from just one participant in 2019 to 50 today, which represents a remarkable shift that reflects the growing demand from women and girls to be part of the game.
The club now needs a facility that reflects that growth.
Supported by Whitehorse City Council, a proposed $6 million pavilion at Ballyshannassy Park would provide Burwood City FC with modern, inclusive facilities and a genuine home for the growing football community.
Football Victoria’s Head of Government Relations & Facilities Lachlan Cole said the project was about giving a successful local club the infrastructure to continue growing.
“When you spend a weekend at Ballyshannassy Park, you can see the strength of this club and the role it plays in the community,” Mr Cole said.
“The growth of the club in recent years has been fantastic, but the growth of women and girls participation in particular has been incredible. We need facilities that reflect that change and make sure everyone feels welcome and has access to quality infrastructure.”
“The proposed pavilion would give Burwood City FC the home it needs to support the club’s next chapter and ensure Ballyshannassy Park can continue serving the community well into the future.”
For a club like Burwood City FC, a modern pavilion is about much more than providing somewhere for players to change.
It is a place where junior players can begin their football journey, where senior and masters players remain connected to the club, where families spend time together and where volunteers build the community that sits behind every team.
The proposed pavilion would create the infrastructure needed to support that broader role, with modern changerooms, amenities and social spaces designed around a diverse and growing football community.
It would also help address the changing face of participation. The rapid growth in women and girls at Burwood City FC demonstrates the demand that exists locally, and the importance of providing facilities that are inclusive and accessible to everyone.
Burwood City FC Vice President Jet Li noted that “For us, this project is about much more than replacing an ageing pavilion. It is about creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming facility that can support the future growth of football in our community, particularly for juniors, women and girls.”
“As the club continues to grow, the current facility limitations are becoming increasingly difficult to manage and restrict our ability to provide the standard of facilities our players and families deserve.”
“A partnership with the State Government would make an enormous difference to Burwood City FC and the wider community. A new pavilion would allow us to provide safe, modern and inclusive change facilities for women and girls, improve the safety and experience of our junior players, and give the club the infrastructure needed to support continued participation and growth.”
“Burwood City FC would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Football Victoria, Council and the State Government to bring this important community project to life.”
Whitehorse City Council has supported the proposed project, recognising the opportunity to provide a long-term community asset at Ballyshannassy Park by undertaking design works and formally endorsing the project in its advocacy priorities for the 2026 State Election.
Football Victoria stands strongly behind Burwood City FC and Whitehorse City Council in advocating for state government partnership to help progress the proposed $6 million pavilion and deliver infrastructure that matches the scale and diversity of the football community already using the reserve.
Burwood City FC has done its part by building a club that people want to be part of. Now Ballyshannassy Park needs a home that matches it.