In the heart of Thornbury, Darebin United Apollo SC is proving that community football is thriving, but its players and volunteers are being held back by outdated, unsafe facilities.
Darebin United now boasts over 300 players across 20 teams, including more than 130 children under 12 and over 70 female players, with participation having tripled in the past six years.
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Despite this remarkable growth, Mayer Park, the club’s home ground, has seen no investment in infrastructure for over a decade. In 2024 alone, Darebin United lost 23 training sessions due to unsafe, waterlogged conditions. The pitch is uneven, inconsistent, and at times dangerous, particularly for junior and female players.
Club President Michael Slaughter explained the situation is becoming dire and “things need to change”.
“I have been there for six years, and the club is at a stage now that we need something new,” he said.
“In 2024, we lost 23 training days due to the condition of the pitch. There is no drainage at Mayer Park and no synthetic surface, which over winter makes it really unsafe.
“Even in summer, you’ll see holes all over the pitch. The cricket area is maintained well, but the soccer side just falls away in comparison. If you check our Change.org petition, parents have already left heaps of comments about how unsafe it is.
“We had five teams back in 2021 and now we’re over 20. That’s a fair bit of growth. The pitch gets a good run, and it’s hard to move people around. There’s only so many training sessions you can cancel, and then there’s the cost of finding alternative grounds indoors or outdoors, which isn’t ideal.”
Darebin United is a leader in inclusivity, with 40% female representation on its committee, seven female coaches, and growing female participation, and it is one of Darebin’s first and only 2-Star Club Changer accredited clubs, providing affordable football pathways without private academy backing.
Rapid growth has put the club’s facilities under pressure, which are now outdated and unable to meet the needs of all players, male and female. The current facilities problem extend beyond the pitch.
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“Our change rooms go back to the dark ages. Usually, the men’s team would use one for home games, but even now teams refuse to use it because of communal showers and no cubicles. It’s falling apart,” Slaughter explained.
“There’s no heating or cooling, and it’s pretty ordinary. We’ve outgrown the little storage room we had, and we’ve been working with council to get more storage facilities.”
The competitive nature of the area also makes the facilities issue more pressing
“It’s a very competitive area, and it’s hard to attract people to the club when these are our facilities. Nothing has been spent on the grounds since the lights were installed 10 years ago,” he added.
Darebin United Apollo SC is now calling on Darebin City Council to urgently prioritise the upgrade and redevelopment of Mayer Park’s playing surfaces. The club is advocating for safe, sustainable facilities that reflect the growth and importance of community sport in Darebin.
This is just one of the many stories of growth and the need to build new or update existing facilities across Victoria. Is your club seeking funding for future facilities? Would you like support discussing your club’s options for funding? Or do you have a story about your club’s facilities that you would like us to share? We want to hear from you.