Football club warns it won’t be able to play on field if proposed cricket wicket goes ahead

The potential installation of a turf wicket on a popular football oval has the South West’s largest football club worried for its future if plans go ahead.

The Shire of Harvey is looking into the installation of a wicket on one of its primary ovals at the Leschenault Recreation Park.

The wicket is planned to be installed on oval six, but it has the Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault Junior Football Club, who rely on the oval, concerned about the wicket’s impact.

HBL juniors president Craig Ewen said the wicket should not go on oval six, but stressed he does not want the situation to devolve into a debate about cricket versus football.

He said the club is the sixth biggest club in the State and by far the largest in the South West. With about 15 games per weekend, as well as training, more 10,000 people use oval six every year.

However, if the wicket is installed, the HBL Juniors would no longer be covered by insurance leaving them unable to use it.

“It’s not us saying we don’t want to play on a turf wicket because we don’t want to get hurt,” Mr Ewen said.

We are legally obliged to not put our kids out there.

With the State Government pledging $100,000 towards the project and WA Cricket Association providing $50,000, there is significant pressure to break ground — with the money at-risk of being returned by the end of the year.

The wicket was originally approved in 2019 at the same time the Shire of Harvey developed the Leschenault Recreation Park master plan.

Despite including two new football ovals, much of the project has not yet come to fruition.

Mr Ewen said if the extra fields go ahead, he would have no issue with the wicket, but currently the football club could not afford to lose an oval.

“On oval six, on average, we have around 500 players per weekend and that isn’t including finals,” he said.

“Are you prepared to push 10,000 kids a year off here, to have to play elsewhere?”

At the most recent council meeting, the Shire of Harvey narrowly voted to endorse a new sport and recreation plan, which references the 2019 master plan, five votes to four.

This new plan lists the installation of the turf wicket on oval six as a high priority while the creation of additional playing fields and sporting facilities is listed as a medium priority.