Pre-season training allows sporting clubs to access City-managed sporting facilities outside their normal seasonal allocation, where capacity and ground conditions allow.

Pre-season access is managed to support fair and equitable use of facilities, encourage sharing between sporting clubs and protect playing surfaces so they remain safe and fit for competition throughout the year.

All pre-season use must be booked and approved by the City before training begins.

When is pre-season access available?

Pre-season bookings are considered around existing seasonal allocations.

Where a facility is already allocated to a seasonal tenant, pre-season use must be coordinated so that it does not conflict with the seasonal user's activities. Playing fields can only be used for pre-season training when they are not being used by the seasonal tenant. 

The City's seasonal periods are:

• Summer season: 1 October to 31 March
• Winter season: 1 April to 30 September.

How to apply

Pre-season applications must be submitted by an authorised club representative. Applications from individual coaches will not be accepted.

Before applying, clubs should:

1. Collect all pre-season training requests from coaches.
2. Determine the training nights and facilities required.
3. Submit one coordinated pre-season booking request on behalf of the club.
4. Wait for written confirmation from the City before using the facility.

Where a club is requesting its home reserve and is aware of the existing seasonal allocation, it can submit its application directly to the Community & Recreation team. Clubs requesting an overflow venue, or where the seasonal allocation is unclear, must wait for confirmation from the Community & Recreation team before commencing use.

Pre-season fees

Pre-season use of playing fields is generally charged in 6-week blocks using a proportionate seasonal fee.

The proportion reflects the days of the week the facility is allocated:

• Monday to Friday: 10% of the seasonal fee per day
• Saturday: 25% of the seasonal fee
• Sunday: 25% of the seasonal fee.

For example, a club allocated a ground on Tuesday and Thursday would be allocated 20% of the applicable seasonal fee before the 6-week pre-season calculation is applied.

For playing-field bookings of less than 6 weeks, the standard casual community fee applies. Courts are also charged at the applicable casual community fee per use.

Fees are based on the confirmed pre-season allocation rather than the amount of actual use during the booking period

Pavilion and sports lighting access

Pre-season access to a pavilion must be arranged with the primary seasonal tenant.

The City does not charge a pre-season pavilion fee, although the primary seasonal tenant may apply a nominal or fair and reasonable fee for access. 

Where sports lighting forms part of the primary tenant's seasonal allocation, access to the lighting must also be arranged with the primary seasonal tenant.

Looking after playing surfaces

All clubs have a responsibility to minimise unnecessary wear during pre-season training.

Clubs should:

• avoid training in high-wear areas, including goal squares, centre wickets/squares and areas immediately outside change room entrances
• rotate training activities across the playing surface
• conduct activities off the main playing surface where possible
• use portable goalposts to reduce concentrated wear
• use non-studded runners where practical and surface conditions permit
• seek alternative training venues where grounds are wet, waterlogged or otherwise unsuitable.

This maintains the useful turf-protection emphasis of the existing webpage while aligning it with the expanded Guidelines.

Practice matches

Pre-season practice matches must not be held without prior written approval from the City.

Approval of a pre-season training allocation does not automatically provide approval to conduct practice matches.

Ground closures and restrictions

The City may close a sporting ground at any time to protect the playing surface or the safety of users. 

Pre-season bookings may also be restricted during the finals period, and sporting grounds identified for finals cannot be booked for pre-season use.

Assistance

For further details and assistance please email [email protected].