We, the undersigned, request the Moonee Valley City Council to adopt a fair and reasonable strategy regarding the allocation of facilities to football in the municipality.

At a Council meeting on April 27, 2021, Moonee Valley City Council rejected a motion to adopt a New ‘Moonee Valley Football Strategy’, a document which surmised the enormous challenges currently facing football in the municipality.

Principally, football is concerned that the current state of facilities and access in the municipality is leading to girls, boys and senior footballers being turned away from community sport. In the post COVID environment, we feel this is a poor result for community health and wellbeing, community building and recovery from a devastating 2020.

In this municipality, demand for football is significant and growing as evidenced by the following:

• 7 clubs with a combined 1456 participants in the last full season (2019)
• Growth of 182.4% in women’s football between 2015 and 2019.
• Total participation reached a record high in 2017 (1601 players) but fell subsequently because Essendon United was forced to give up 15 junior teams to Meadow Park (Hume LGA) due to insufficient facilities across 2018 and 2019.
• In the two years before, the men’s game grew at 9.3% in 2016 and 6.2% in 2017.

The decision by the Councillors on 27/04/2021 is perceived by the football community as a substantial step backwards for football that is causing clubs and participants significant anxiety in relation to the future of the game in this municipality.

We acknowledge that relations between the Clubs and Council have been historically fractious, and both sides must shoulder their share of blame for this. However, repeated efforts from the football community to improve relations are considered to have fallen on deaf ears.

Our hopes of a new spirit of cooperation and conciliation following an incredibly difficult 2020 have been dashed. Notwithstanding, we will now re-double our efforts to provide the community with a service they are crying out for.

We, the undersigned, call on the Moonee Valley City’s Councillors to:

• Call a meeting to reconsider the following:

1. Acknowledgement that the legacy Winter-Summer allocations are no longer fit for purpose and need urgent amendment, recognising that football is a year-round sport and the demand exists to play every month.
2. The development of a Regional Hub, with pitches and amenities that can act as an overflow for all clubs and can also host gala days and regional events.
   Consultation with the Moonee Valley clubs to understand the potential for greater facility access - including the potential for year-round access given the demand for the game.

This petition has been agreed upon by all clubs in the Moonee Valley Football Group: Essendon Royals, Essendon United, FC Strathmore Split, Newmarket Phoenix and Moonee Valley Knights