With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, Dapto football club players are more hopeful than ever that only bad weather will stop them playing matches at Lakelands Oval.
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This increased optimism comes after a new fence was recently built around Dapto Phoenix Football Club's main field.
Led by club president Ashley Sulcs, Dapto Phoenix FC secured a $25,000 Community Building Partnerships Grant from the NSW Government.
The club also scraped up a further $5500 through sponsorship to build the fence around Lakelands Oval's only full-sized soccer field.
Mr Sulcs was now hopeful players wouldn't miss out on games should the club's fields be vandalised once again.
Vandals struck on "numerous occasions' last year, forcing players to miss out on "way too many games", according to the president.
The worst happened last August when unregistered trail bike riders tore up six of the seven soccer fields at Lakelands Oval.
The joy-rides created tracks, some ankle-deep, all over the fields after rain soaked the ground.
The vandalism left Mr Sulcs, along with the committee, players and parents, feeling disappointed.
"Hopefully we don't feel like that again," the president said on Wednesday.
"Getting this fence in has been a long-term project for the club. We may not be able to stop people from damaging our fields but I think the fence will help.
"It will hopefully help with field one, at least one field, which will give us the opportunity that even if the other fields do get damaged, that we can reschedule the games over the one protected field.
"That way the kids don't have to miss out."
The Phoenix is this year fielding 27 teams from under 6 division all the way up to women's open division. The club has almost 270 players on its books.
The fence should hopefully protect the fields from vandalism from the motorbikes and anyone who wants to destroy the field.
- Dapto Phoenix FC president Ashley Sulcs
"The fence should hopefully protect the fields from vandalism from the motorbikes and anyone who wants to destroy the field, which will provide the kids with an opportunity to ensure that they don't have to miss games due to the vandalism," Mr Sulcs said.
"I want to thank [Member for Shellharbour] Anna Watson and Wollongong City Council for their efforts.
"I also want to thank everyone at the club and our sponsors for getting on board."
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
