Redevelopment works have begun at Williamstown Football Club’s home ground, DSV Stadium.
The project, which is scheduled for completion in April, includes new female friendly facilities and a full upgrade to the club change rooms and football services.
The $2.2 million upgrade, funded by both state and federal governments and AFL Victoria, will allow Williamstown to cater for the increasingly diverse range of participants that call the club home, as well as providing facilities for the border community.
Williamstown chief executive Ashley Baker thanked state and federal representatives, Williamstown MP Melissa Horne and Gellibrand MP Tim Watts, for helping secure $1.5 million in public funding for the project.
“This project is incredibly important for the Williamstown Football Club and our local community, and it wouldn’t have been achievable without the support of our local Members at both State and Federal levels,” she said
“Melissa and Tim work tirelessly to support our community and deliver on initiatives that deliver meaningful outcomes. Both Members are great supporters of the Williamstown Football Club, and I thank them for their ongoing commitment.”
The redevelopment will also feature new office spaces, warm-up and conditioning spaces, kitchen facilities, medical rooms, and gender-neutral bathrooms.
While Williamstown Football Club are the primary beneficiaries, visiting football clubs will also be able to use the new facilities, and in the summer months, Williamstown Cricket Club will be granted exclusive access to them as well.
The 2025 VFL season begins on March 22, while the VFLW season begins in April. Fixtures for both competitions have yet to be released and it’s unknown at this stage if the upgrades will be completed in time for the club’s first home games.
Williamstown will go into the new season with a new president, with Merryl Dooley becoming the first woman in the club’s 161 year history to assume the role.
A long serving board director, Dooley was elected to replace outgoing president Clint Rippon who stood down at the club’s annual general meeting on Monday night.
