Preparations for the under 19 state softball championships at Keilor have been thrown into disarray after the association claimed the council failed to adequately prepare the ground.
Keilor Park Softball Association is due to host the championships from March 11, but president James Sweeney said the playing surface is unsafe as is, and unlikely to be ready in time for the competition.
“It still needs to be levelled, have grass laid, the en tout cas around the bases needs to go in, just to make it a safe playing surface,” Mr Sweeney said. “We were supposed to host the open age state championships two years ago, but the ground wasn’t fit for play, so we moved it, on the condition that we got these championships.
“So the council has known about it for two years and still done nothing,” he said. “They keep telling us it will be ready, but we’re three weeks out and things like grass take longer than that to bed down.
“The work should have been finished by November to get it right by March … it would be dangerous for school kids, and the under 19 boys pitch around 100km/h, so it’s not good enough.”
The association has not played at the ground since Christmas, moving games to Sunshine due to safety concerns.
Mr Sweeney said the association would be forced to spend its own money to repair the diamonds there, with the loss of future hosting rights a real possibility.
“It’s too late to pull out now, so we will have to go ahead,” he said.
“It could mean we never host a championship again. We’ve got state players and Australian players, and they won’t stick around in sub-par facilities.”
Council’s community wellbeing director, Kath Brackett, said she is confident the grounds will be ready in time.
“Council has undertaken and is continuing to undertake significant works at the site, costing about $100,000, including irrigation and surface works that will ensure high quality surfaces in the future,” she said.
“Ground works commenced in late 2016, due to the need to wait for warmer weather to ensure the works were successful.”
Contrary to the association’s claims, she said three of the four diamonds were ready for competition now, with contingency plans in place for a fourth diamond.
