Fairlea Sports Precinct: Project 10:100+

Project 10:100+ is about opening more doors to sport for Melbourne's growing inner north

Every week, local children, teenagers and adults miss out on opportunities to play sport because Melbourne's inner north does not have enough sportsgrounds. YJFC is already at capacity, unable to accommodate more use at our Fairfield Park home at a time when participation in community sport continues to grow.

That’s why the club has established Project 10:100+, with the aim of securing government investment in the underused Fairlea Sports Precinct, which represents one of Melbourne's most significant untapped opportunities to grow community sport participation. 

Located within Yarra Bend Park, FSP currently sustains less than 10 hours of sporting use each week across its two sportsgrounds. The grounds are constrained by poor drainage, uneven surfaces and limited infrastructure. Meanwhile, local demand for sporting facilities continues to grow, with local clubs already reaching capacity and turning prospective participants away. 

Project 10:100+ proposes transforming FSP into a modern, year-round, multi-sport precinct capable of supporting more than 100 hours of sporting activity per week. That’s thousands of additional training sessions, matches and community sporting experiences every year.

The project would upgrade both Fairlea East and Fairlea West ovals, including the development of a synthetic football pitch, improved natural turf facilities, competition-standard lighting, drainage, irrigation, spectator amenities, accessibility improvements and supporting precinct infrastructure.

The upgrade would help YJFC reach our goal of gender equity by ensuring girls and women have reliable access to quality facilities at a time when female participation in sport is growing rapidly. It would also create more opportunities for local players to train and compete without travelling outside their community.

The upgrade would significantly increase local sporting capacity, expanding football provision from two grounds at Fairfield Park to five grounds across the broader Yarra Bend and Fairfield Park precinct. A synthetic surface would enable substantially more year-round use than traditional natural turf facilities, creating greater access for local clubs, schools, community organisations and sporting programs. 

Importantly, the project builds on substantial public investment already occurring in the surrounding area, including the Thomas Embling Hospital expansion, Melbourne Polytechnic upgrades, and Netball facility development. By concentrating recreation infrastructure within the existing sporting precinct, FSP can help meet the needs of Melbourne's growing inner north while protecting surrounding parkland for environmental and passive recreation purposes. 

Community sport is about much more than competition. It helps children build confidence, gives teenagers positive social connections, supports physical and mental wellbeing, and creates opportunities for people of all ages to be active and connected to their community.

For many families, local sporting clubs are where friendships are formed, volunteers contribute and communities come together. Project 10:100+ is designed to ensure more people can experience these benefits close to home.