Tigers pride of the north
Hume Weekly
BY BRENT DIAMOND
10/02/2009
RICHMOND Football Club will use its new $8million training hub at Highgate Recreation Reserve in Craigieburn at least once a week during the AFL season to reduce the pressure on a parched Punt Road Oval.
The Tigers made a "Hollywood-style" first appearance at the new hub last week - with recruit and former drug addict Ben Cousins giving advice to young juniors - for the club's AFL community camp.
Tigers skipper Chris Newman believes the club's venture to Craigieburn will help the community and the team.
"Having a state-of-the-art facility to practise our footy on is great for the club," Newman said. "Hume City Council have worked really hard to get the ground to the condition that it's in.
"It's a great opportunity to meet some of the local people who will be sharing a close relationship with us in the future."
Newman described the oval as having "MCG dimensions" and was looking forward to training on the lush green grass.
"It looks a bit different now that there's no stands around it, but they will be building stands around it.
"We're really looking forward to coming out here and starting our campaign."
Tigers defender Graham Polak, who is recovering after being hit by a tram last year, said the new oval could help fast-track his recovery.
"I'm probably ahead of schedule at the moment and hopefully training out here on these conditions will help too.
"I'm just going to plug away and take it day by day."
Polak said he was looking forward to getting to know the area better.
"It's always good to get out to places like this that I'm not from and I haven't really heard of before.
The training hub will include an additional football field, walking tracks, and a sports pavilion and playground.
It was developed by Hume Council, Stockland and the State Government, which together contributed $7.4million to the venture.
Council CEO Domenic Isola said having Richmond Football Club in Hume City provided many opportunities for the community.
"Our community will be able to see their heroes up close and our young football players can learn from the very best," he said.
Newman believes Cousins has already had a positive influence on the team at training and expects he will be a role model for the community.
"He's been really positive and upbeat.
"He's a good player to have at our club because he does all the right things on the track.
"He's pushing himself to limits that a lot of the younger guys have never seen before."
Richmond president Gary March said he hoped the Craigieburn community would get behind the club.
Highgate Recreation Reserve is due for completion in early 2010.
The first stage, which has been completed, includes the MCG-sized training ground, and works have started on the second oval.
The roads and car park have also been completed and the first stage of landscaping work is under way.
The site will use recycled water for irrigation, with a water management plan approved by the water authority.
