The winter months coincide with the major football codes of Rugby, Rugby League, Soccer and Australian Rules. Each of these sports impose a high level of wear and turf damage at a time when grass growth is slow. Pre-winter preparation is a critical maintenance activity to ensure that a high level of surface playability and minimal turf damage is achieved.
High traffic combined with wet soils on poorly drained fields can cause a dramatic deterioration in the quality of the turf surface.
Anecdotally the popularity of the football codes is such that most municipal sports fields are used most days of the week for a combination of training and matches. The available data for soccer and AFL football confirm the increasing pressures on the winter use of sports fields.
In the "Football Federation Victoria State Football Facilities Strategy to 2026"[1], it has been identified that the demand is exceeding the supply of pitches in most LGAs particularly in the Melbourne metropolitan area. If the game continues to grow as projected, 420 additional pitches will be desirable by 2026.
In NSW, football (soccer) is a growing sport and there is an increasing demand for playing surfaces that are fit for purpose[2]. It has been identified that integral to the sport’s growth is the need to provide quality and sustainable facilities that will meet the needs of football. Football NSW note that poor drainage and wet weather affect the quality of natural turf pitches and will generally cause the grounds to be closed rather than risk widespread damage that cannot be easily repaired.
AFL football utilises nearly 3000 ovals nationally as record numbers of players are attracted to the game, especially women and girls. In Victoria alone, women and girls numbers increased by 41% in 2016[3]. In Victoria it has been identified that there are insufficient grounds available for the sports confirmed and sustained growth.
While these statistics are only a snapshot of some of the winter sports, it does highlight the likely pressures on grounds and the need for good winter management programs.
As soils become wet, there are several things that occur:
Damaged natural turf Field of Play during the winter season
The objectives of a natural turf winter maintenance program are to:
The maintenance program needs to reflect the:
Managing municipal sports fields for winter play is a challenge due to the high use and often limited budgets. However, preventative programs that set up the field for the rigours of winter will pay for themselves with better and safer surfaces and less repair in the spring.
Tips and reminders for implementing a winter natural turf maintenance program:
Developing an appropriate natural turf winter maintenance program is crucial in maintaining the value of the sports field asset and the playability of the surface. SPORTENG can provide a detailed agronomic evaluation of your sports fields and assist in developing an appropriate maintenance program. Contact us now for more information!
We also invite you to consult our detailed blog post explaining natural turf Field of Play maintenance throughout the year.
[1] Football Federation Victoria State Football Facilities Strategy to 2026
[2] NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy 2020 - 2030
[3] “Growing the Heartland – Football Facilities Development Strategy” 2017 – 2022. AFL Victoria