Shared Goals

Fri 21 June, 2024

St Joseph’s College Echuca has today announced an exciting partnership with Echuca Junior Football Club which will secure access for youth in the wider community to a new MCG-sized football oval at the College’s Kildare Campus.

The collaboration means the new oval will not only service students of St Joseph’s College, but also be the new home of the Echuca Junior Football Club (EJFC).

The tender for construction of the oval is expected to be released by the end of the month, with a contractor to be appointed by the end of July 2024. It is anticipated that the oval will be fully operational by the end of Term 1, 2025.

St Joseph’s College Principal Anne Marie Cairns described the collaboration between the school and junior football club as an exciting development in the future of the College, and for the broader Echuca Moama community.

She said the MCG-sized fully dedicated football oval, with premium turf surface, drainage and professional maintenance team would be the top echelon of any junior sports facility in the region.

“At St Joseph’s College we are committed to not only educating our students in the best possible way, but also to enriching the whole person through participation in activities that support their interests and passions,” Ms Cairns said.

“During the planning phase for our second campus, our focus was about more than just increasing access to state of the art education facilities for our students. 

“Our big picture vision was also about maximising our 80 acre greenfield site to provide greater opportunities for the broader Echuca Moama community, and this announcement is the first step towards bringing that vision to reality.”

Ms Cairns said the College and EJFC were also working with stakeholders from Echuca Football Netball Club, Goulburn Murray Football League, and AFL Victoria Future Funds in a bid to secure funding for the installation of AFL specified game day-approved lighting at the oval.

Echuca Junior Football Club President Stuart Addicott said the club was thrilled to be joining forces with St Joseph’s College in a mutually beneficial partnership that would ensure no child missed out on playing the sport they love.

He said for season 2025 and beyond, training, game day matches and development activities for the club would all take place at the Kildare Campus oval, providing a ‘one club – one home’ venue for their junior teams.

Mr Addicott said for many years the club had been in discussions around the requirements for a second or alternative oval/sport precinct to accommodate the growing requirements of their current 300+ Auskick, U10, U12, U14 and U16 participants.

He said there was limited availability of active space areas in the community, which was restricting the club’s ability to provide for development programs, youth girls and football inclusion programs. 

“The limited venue opportunities for training with our current 12 teams has required us to separate age groups across different venues each week to accommodate training. This has been a continuous logistical burden on the club and has impacted our “One Club” philosophy.

“We are blessed to have been provided this opportunity by St Joseph’s College and look forward to utilising the new space to further engage the community through our football programs.

“The SJC values of courage, hospitality, compassion, justice, wonder and hope all align strongly with our EJFC values of development, inclusion, encouragement and integrity and together we will provide young people with leadership and confidence through education and sport.”