By Tyler Lewis
A fortnight ago the Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club was awarded two Outer East Premier Division finals.
The Brookers are listed to host arguably the two biggest finals of all; the second semi and premiership-deciding grand final.
And while the club is in desperate need of the financial shoots that hosting a pair of big finals consequently bring, there is a slight issue surrounding the biggest day on the Outer East Football Netball calendar…
The Brookers still aren’t in their rooms!
A $2.5m pavilion was the promise when the works took place at Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club back in 2020, but on the cusp of September, the rooms are still yet to be completed.
Instead of putting its brand-new facilities to good use, the club has been forced to implement makeshift bars with marquees for its supporters and delegate its players to miniscule portables for training.
Senior coach Brad Coller is pleased his club received the finals due to the club’s financial hardship, but isn’t confident in the completion of the rooms, nor in the reaction from the club’s officials.
“Officially it’s announced, but there’s still no guarantee,” Coller said.
“We don’t even know when we’re getting into our rooms, and I’ll tell you now, if the first game out of our new rooms is a final where we don’t get to play in it… there’s going to be a lot of dirty players, coaches and supporters.
“(if that’s the case) It’s going to be tough to get volunteers for that day when we’re seeing someone else use our facilities.
“I think the club needs them (the finals) definitely, because we’ve had such a financial loss in the last 18 months more so than any other club, due to the fact we haven’t had a home.
“When we played at Officer, people weren’t paying at the gate to get in and bringing their own grog, that’s the lifeblood of your finances as a small country club.
“So we definitely need it, but whether that’s going to happen or not I am not so sure.”
The emotion surrounding the wait for its rooms has shifted from frustration to sheer sadness for Gembrook Cockatoo FNC, as the wait has taken its full toll.
“We play our last two games away, so Healesville in two weeks is our last home game,” Coller said.
“To be honest, I would love to be in by then and say that we will be, but I am not holding my breath.
“It would be devastating because we’ve got Spud (Michael) Firrito probably playing his last year in football all together and his family were involved in putting the club and clubrooms together all those years ago and he mightn’t even get to play a game in them.
“If he doesn’t get to play in those rooms, it would be something I will look back on and be very sad about for a long time.
“It’s taken a massive toll on everyone, I would like to say we play Healesville in them in two weeks’ time, then we host a final… that would be ideal.
“But if we don’t get in them before finals, there will be a lot of unhappy people around the place, that’s for sure.”
A Cardinia Shire council spokesperson has revealed the issues behind the unopened rooms.
“Cardinia Shire Council remains in regular contact with the Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club and Gembrook Reserve stakeholders to keep them up-to-date with regards to the redevelopment of the existing football/cricket pavilion project,” Council said.
“From the emergence and continued impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic to the head contractor going into liquidation, this has been a complex project with a number of challenges which have now been worked through.
“Council officers are doing all they can to see this pavilion redevelopment project through to completion at the earliest date possible and is supportive of this redeveloped pavilion and ground being used for the upcoming finals season.
“We anticipate receiving occupancy by the end of August.”
Gembrook Cockatoo’s final home game is this Saturday, when it hosts Healesville.
