Our future
Despite Balmain DFC being the largest community sports club in the Inner West and the largest community football club in Australia, we do not have access to a Clubhouse. What’s more, every year we find we cannot provide sufficient training and playing fields for our members in our local area.
Some major opportunities have arisen for us to tackle these issues and the Club Executive is working hard to deliver the facilities outlined below – a clubhouse and all-weather playing field at Callan Park, and a new playing field at Rozelle Parklands. We cannot achieve these goals, however, without the support of the State Government and the local council. We are currently working with both to secure their commitment to our proposals.
Clubhouse and All-Weather Playing Field
The Club is working towards securing its own clubhouse and an all-weather playing field at Callan Park to support the NSW Government’s plans to activate and improve the park. Greater Sydney Parklands (GSP) has identified Building 497 – behind the goals at Waterfront Drive – for adaptive reuse as a clubhouse and sports community facility.
Former NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes, expressed enthusiastic support for our proposal at the Callan Park funding announcement in January 2021. Since then Greater Sydney Parklands has run a public tender process for the lease of the building. Following our submission of a successful tender and securing grant funding to support our proposal the Club is currently working with the State Government to finalise proposals for the refurbishment of the building. Works are expected to start on site later in 2024.
Rozelle Parklands Playing Fields
The State Government has recently opened the new parklands at the former WestConnex works site in Rozelle, across the road from our Easton Park field. The Parklands include a floodlit rectangular sports field and an oval. The Club has been seeking Government and local council support for the Club to have priority access to these facilities to help tackle our acute lack of playing and training space.