After many summers based at the QEO in View Street and then a nomadic existence between the famous ground and Weeroona, the Dragons finally made the Napier Street venue their home last season.

New rooms, built at a cost of more than $670,000, were officially opened earlier this year.

Two of the key players in the club’s permanent relocation to Weeroona Oval, were long-time secretary Peter Crow and former player and president Morrie Hesse.

Among the many tasks they have regularly done were putting up and then taking down the photos and honour boards between seasons in the old “Dragons Den” shared with Sandhurst FNC at the QEO.

“Moving from the QEO had been talked about for a long time,” Hesse said.

“Now it’s happened and we have a place we can call and feels like home,” he said of a venue where the Bendigo Football Umpires, South Bendigo Junior Football Club and the Fire Brigades are also tenants.

Club president Stephen Prowse said the support from major sponsor J.L. King, which is naming rights sponsor of the ground, was a huge coup for the club.

J.L. King is in the final year of a three-year deal.

The company’s national marketing director, Scott Gray said the ground location, along busy Napier Street, played a major bearing in being a club sponsor.

“There were also some links between players at the club with our business.

“We sponsor about 20 various sporting groups and clubs, but this is one of our biggest,” Gray said.