EDITHVALE-Aspendale Junior Football Club is calling for the urgent redevelopment of its clubrooms to improve accessibility.
The junior football club now hosts nearly 900 players a season at its Glen Street Reserve homebase, including more than 200 children in the AusKick program. EAJFC president Naomi McKay said a redevelopment of the club’s facilities is necessary to facilitate “inclusion, dignity, and ensuring every member of our community has equal access to participate.”
A statement from the junior football club read that “on 11 June 2025, a person with a physical disability was unable to access the toilets and had to use the player change room to use the facilities. More recently, on 29 March 2026, a wheelchair user was unable to access outdoor bathroom facilities due to inaccessibility and lack of privacy, and was forced to use change rooms while others stood outside to provide privacy, an undignified and unacceptable situation.”
“The change rooms themselves present significant concerns. Toilets, showers, and changing areas are all contained within a single open space, offering no privacy or dignity. This is particularly problematic for female players, who now represent 22 percent of the club,” the EAJFC statement read. “Accessibility issues extend beyond the main building. Outdoor toilets require users to step up to enter, making them inaccessible to people with mobility challenges.
“Despite serving the community for decades and supporting multiple sports, including AFL and cricket, the Glen Street clubrooms have not kept pace with the evolving needs of the community. The current state of the facilities is limiting participation and excluding vulnerable groups.”
The club is calling for the state government and Kingston Council to consider funding the project.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 8 April 2026