Kilmore Football Netball Club, KFNC, will move to the new community pavilion at JJ Clancy Reserve with the old social rooms to be vacated by Sunday, October 15.
The club will be moving premises during the next two weeks hoping the new rooms will be fully operational by mid-late November.
KFNC president Ben Egan said the club was ‘beyond excited’ about the move.
“While there is great history in the old clubrooms, the move into the new facility brings us in line with where we want to be, striving to be the biggest and best sporting club in our region,” he said.
“We have outgrown the old space and the new pavilion is state-of-the-art.”
Former Blues Social Club president Peter Thomas said he was a bit disappointed the old social rooms couldn’t have been used by another community group.
“It wasn’t so much keeping the rooms it was if they had to be demolished, but I was more so unhappy with council’s approach to knocking down the building when it was quite possible another community group could use it,” he said.
“When the last president of the social rooms handed it over to the football club itself it was on the proviso they agreed to maintain it and keep it not only for the football club use but for general use for the community … it wasn’t just for the football club.
“That was in 1987 so that’s 36 years they’ve been using it so it’s been well and truly used, there’s no doubt about that. It’s just a bit disappointing that some other community groups couldn’t use it.”
Mr Thomas painted the original 1970s member board used in the social rooms and offered to create a new board at no cost to the club if they would be willing to find somewhere in the new rooms to hang it up.
The JJ Clancy Reserve Committee of Management agreed and now the history of the social rooms will be remembered on the walls of the new pavilion.
“The history won’t be lost completely and it’ll probably become a good talking point,” Mr Thomas said.
“A lot of the people at the club now weren’t even born when the social rooms were done.
“It’s all history and it’s a shame to see it go. Not so much go but that it couldn’t be used by someone these days.”
Due to the nature of the shared space, some items from the current social rooms will be unable to fit in the new space.
Those interested in memorabilia or other items from the old social rooms can contact the KFNC for further information.
“The club has accrued a large amount of history over 150 years and while we love to show off as much of it as we can, the nature of the shared space in the pavilion means we can’t display as much of it before,” Egan said.
“Rather than certain pieces of memorabilia sitting in boxes collecting dust, we would rather it go to our loyal members.
“In regards to equipment like the tables, chairs, even the bar – it all needs to go. Not much is coming across as the council and JJ Clancy committee have invested in some fantastic fittings.”
The club also has its 2023 Annual General Meeting, AGM, on October 24 where all committee positions will be declared vacant.
After being elected president last year, Egan said his time in the role has been ‘equal parts challenging and rewarding’.
“The highlight, no doubt, was the big night in fundraiser, raising over $100,000 and bringing the community together like we did,” he said.
“On-field we may have regressed on the ladder slightly, but the growth we have seen in our young players has been a pleasure to watch.
“We think we are really we set up for future success and will be back in the finals again in 2024.
“The current committee is fantastic and will continue to work hard to improve the club, but we need fresh faces coming through both to energise the club and take the load off those that work incredibly hard.”
Egan said those who want to get involved with the club should consider joining the committee.
“The club is in an extremely strong position. Our growth both on and off the field has been outstanding over the last five or so years and will continue to grow,” he said.
“There really isn’t a better time to jump on board with the club.”
KFNC AGM will be at 7pm on October 24 at Kilmore Trackside’s Golden Reign Room.
