THE Millicent Football Club has found a beacon of light amidst the dark shroud caused by COVID-19, with the chance to finally hold games under the new lighting system at McLaughlin Park.
Installation was completed earlier in the year, but due to the cancellation of the Western Border Football League season, the Saints missed out on a chance to put the lights to the test.
While the lights are unlikely to see A Grade action until 2021, they have been utilised for training, along with the first of three junior trial matches.
McLaughlin Park Sports Incorporated chairperson and Millicent Football Club committee member Craig Tunkin was the instigator behind the grant application which made the upgrade possible, with the funds received through a grassroots sports and recreation grant from the state government, supported by SANFL and SACA.
He said the previous lighting situation was dire and the improvement was a necessary investment.
“We were in a situation where our lights were irreplaceable – we could not get new globes for them because they were too old,” Tunkin said.
After weighing up a couple of options, Tunkin said it was decided to go down the LED path.
“We could have gone halogen – they are cheaper to install, but dearer to run and all that type of stuff,” he said.
“We ended up locking into putting LED lights on our existing towers.”
The results of that decision have been impressive, with more than enough light to host night matches at the venue.
“You need a minimum of 100 lux to play a game and we ended up with about 140, so we can now have night games,” Tunkin said.
That opens up opportunities for the Saints in future Western Border Football League seasons, where a twilight fixture could be added to the draw.
“We did have one (a night game) scheduled against East at the start of the year, but obviously COVID changed that,” Tunkin said.
“We might look at different options even with the existing juniors this year, whether we could look at a Friday night game or something.”
In terms of cost Tunkin said the new system does not any more than the old system, while providing almost double the lux output.
This latest upgrade at the home of the Saints adds to a list of projects which have been completed over recent years to keep the club up to scratch in the modern world.
The new changerooms with a second-story function/viewing room has been the largest undertaking of recent years, while an electronic scoreboard and more recently solar power has kept the Millicent Football and Netball Club up with the times.
Tunkin said some minor clubroom renovations are next on the agenda.
