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The AFL and Ausco Modular have launched a new temporary change and clubroom building for community sporting clubs affected by disasters.

Revealed yesterday at Princess Park in Shepparton in regional Victoria, the first location for the project, the $800,000 portable facility provides the Shepparton Swans Football Netball Club with temporary clubrooms ahead of the Swans’ first home match of the 2023 Goulburn Valley League season on 22^nd April.

Built over the summer the clubrooms will remain at Princess Park while permanent facilities are redeveloped to replace those damaged during floods in October 2022.

Built by Ausco Modular in Adelaide and transported to Shepparton in the past week, the rapid deployment clubrooms consist of changerooms for players and umpires.

The AFL-owned facility is expected to have a 30-year life cycle and has potential to be located at 15 to 20 different sites, to benefit community football clubs most in need.

Greater Shepparton was one of the areas hit hardest by floods that devastated parts of the country last year, with the famous 95-year-old local sporting club, Shepparton Swans, facing the prospect of not having a home base in 2023.

Head of AFL Victoria, Ben Kavenagh stated “community football clubs are the heartbeat of towns and communities across the country and the Shepparton Swans epitomise this as much as any club, having been a big and important part of the local community for nearly a century.

“To see the Shepparton region devastated by flooding was shattering and placed enormous pressure on residents, local businesses and community groups like sporting clubs. To have this portable facility in place at Princess Park, the first-of-its-kind for our industry, will hopefully alleviate some pressure on people involved in the football club and help the Swans bounce back strongly from the floods.

“On behalf of the AFL, I thank Ausco Modular for partnering with us on this project. We also greatly appreciate the support provided by the Greater Shepparton City Council with whom we have worked closely to bring this project to life.

“Hopefully this is a big success and benefits not just the Shepparton Swans but other clubs most in need over coming decades.”

Greater Shepparton City Council’s Director Infrastructure, Gary Randhawa noted “Council is looking forward to seeing these temporary facilities installed ahead of the upcoming football season, which enables Princess Park to be utilised once again as an important sporting field and recreation reserve in the region.

“We thank user groups and the community for their patience over the past five months."

Shepparton Swans FNC President, Jarrod Sutherland added “having this new temporary facility installed for the first time, at Princess Park, is fantastic for our club.

“A lot of people at the club have been working really hard so the club can have a successful 2023 season following all the devastation caused by the floods. These facilities will help us to function properly when at one stage it looked like we may be without a home base for this season.

“We thank the AFL and Greater Shepparton City Council for their support of the Shepparton Swans and the local community.”

Click here to contact Ausco via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

Images: Shepparton Swans FNC players and volunteers in front of the newly installed portable changeroom facility at Shepparton's Princess Park (top, credit: Allie James Photography/AFL Victoria), a render of the new rapid deployment portable changeroom facility developed by Ausco Modular and the AFL (middle) and the Shepparton Swans FNC juniors train at Princess Park ahead of the 2023 Goulburn Valley League season. The ground was severely flooded in October, 2022 (credit: Allie James Photography/AFL Victoria).

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