One door closes as another opens

A significant sporting chapter in Mt Barker’s history has closed, but another era on the cusp of opening has the town excited about its sporting future.

The first stage of Mt Barker’s $9 million Sounness Park redevelopment is on track for completion by February next year after Mt Barker Football Club played its last game at Frost Park, now the former home of football in the town, on Sunday.

Excitement is brewing over the redevelopment, which will eventually host soccer, hockey, cricket and football once all stages are completed.

Frost Park has been the lone home of football in Mt Barker since South Mt Barker Football Club folded before the start of the 2005 season and was evicted from Sounness Park due to unpaid ground rental fees.

Bulls president Brad Hook said Sunday was a day of mixed emotion for the club’s members.

“We are super excited about the new oval and having state-of-the-art facilities, but Frost has been our home for 20 years,” he said.

“It was a sad, sad day to play our last game there.

Mr Hook added the club was keen to transfer its history as soon as the clubrooms were completed and would incorporate the history of the former North and South Mt Barker clubs into their collective story8telling.

According to Shire of Plantagenet acting chief executive John Fathers, the redevelopment will revive more than just sport.

“It will aid in the revitalisation of Mt Barker as a town,” he said.

“It will add to what council has done already and will get things back on track as far as football is concerned.

“There has been a bit of lull since the demise of that club (South Mt Barker), and we are trying to get footy back on track.

“Having all the sports in one location will be fantastic.”

Wauters Enterprises site supervisor Andrew Mexsom said construction was on track for completion in February with the change rooms and clubrooms already taking shape to overlook the realigned ground.