PLAYERS gave the thumbs-up to the new $2.9 million all-weather synthetic turf at Kareela Oval last weekend.
"Everyone was excited to be playing on the synthetic fields," Sutherland Shire Football Association general manager Jeff Stewart said.
"They got a much truer bounce on the ball than on some of our turf fields.
"They could concentrate on their play because there was no concern with an uneven surface to run on."
Fields 2 and 3 at Kareela have been refurbished with a multi-purpose synthetic playing surface which will allow the fields to handle three times the usage of normal turf.
This will allow up to 60 hours a week compared with 25 hours a week on turf.
The fields will also be able to be used in all types of weather.
Fields 1 and 4 at Kareela are also being refurbished but with natural turf.
The synthetic surfaces need to be replaced only every eight to 10 years while turfed surfaces require annual renovations, costing several hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
The project includes markings for mini-football fields, a synthetic cricket pitch and outfield, capacity for Oztag, lighting and fencing.
Mr Stewart described the synthetic fields as a fantastic investment that gives a state-of-the-art facility to showcase football in Sutherland Shire.
‘‘Last weekend across 61 fields in Sutherland Shire we had 1575 teams playing,’’ Mr Stewart said.
‘‘On the Kareela fields we had 29 games across all age groups. The Kareela fields are a starting point for hopefully more synthetic fields across the shire, which will relieve pressure on some of our existing grass fields.
‘‘And it’s good to know there is a field there we can play on even if it rains.’’
CONSTRUCTION:
Sutherland Shire Council has spent $2.9 million creating two synthetic sports fields (fields 2 and 3) at Kareela.
Two natural turf fields (fields 1 and 4) are also being refurbished at a cost of $600,000 bringing the total of the project to $3.5 million.
The synthetic fields are designed for multi-sports use including football, oztag, touch football and cricket.
The fields are certified to FIFA standard.
Fields 1 and 2 are full-sized football fields and are line-marked to be able to be used as eight quarter-football-fields. There is also one cricket field.
All excavated soil from the site was re-used across a number of shire sports fields as top dressing.
Fields are lit to night game standard.
USE: As of Saturday, March 28, Kareela synthetic fields are fully utilised.
The fields have been allocated for the winter sports season to Sutherland Shire Football Association for mid-week training and weekend competition, and Sutherland Shire Oztag for a mid-week winter competition.
The Kareela synthetic fields will host more than 30 football games each weekend catering for players from five to over 45. All clubs will be represented.
The synthetic fields will also be used for primary, high school and representative school sport.
BOOKINGS: All requests for summer use will be managed by the council: crs@ssc.nsw.gov.au
Have you tried out the synthetic playing fields? Tell us what you think.
