DEMOLITION: The Gardiner Reserve changerooms get knocked down last week. Picture: GISBORNE FOOTBALL-NETBALL CLUB FACEBOOK PAGE

HOW DID GISBORNE FARE IN THE ADDY FOOTBALL AND NETBALL ISO-SEASON?

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READ MORE - Gisborne's 2010-19 Decade in Review

MORE than one million dollars worth of upgrade works will have been completed at Gardiner Reserve when Gisborne makes its return to the football field and netball court next season.

While there has been no Bendigo Football-Netball League season played this year due to COVID, there has been plenty happening at the Bulldogs' home ground with facility development.

Gone are the past-their-used-by-date football changerooms, with demolition beginning last week to make way for new home and visitors changing facilities.

Gisborne president John Wood freely admits that the former changerooms were certainly befitting of a venue that is renowned in the BFNL as "The Graveyard".

"It's known as The Graveyard down here and we always joke that teams would leave sunny Bendigo and get to Gisborne where the weather is drizzly and you've then got to get ready in the old changerooms," Wood said on Monday.

"Believe me, they weren't much better on our side either, so it's really exciting for the club to be getting new rooms. These new ones are going to be female-friendly for our women's team, so we're really looking forward to next year."

It's known as The Graveyard down here and we always joke that teams would leave sunny Bendigo and get to Gisborne where the weather is drizzly and you've then got to get ready in the old changerooms
- John Wood - Gisborne president

As well as the new changerooms for football, Gisborne's netball facilities have also been bolstered, creating what Wood now calls the club's "netball precinct".

The Bulldogs have built a second netball court funded entirely by the club, as well as new netball changerooms.

"When this current committee took over, we had a list of things that we wanted to do," Wood said.

"The first was to get the club back on its feet financially and another key point was to improve the infrastructure at Gardiner Reserve.

John Wood

"We managed to secure two grants and that has helped us get two brand new sets of rooms for the football and netball."

The Bulldogs have also had their football lighting upgraded from 100 lux to 150 lux, while a canopy will be erected to provide shelter for supporters on the terrace between the social rooms and changerooms.

As well as the facility upgrades, the Bulldogs have been busy this year raising money to support FightMND.

The Bulldogs in partnership with the Gisborne Giants, Gisborne Masters and Gisborne Rookies raised more than $80,000 for FightMND through the sale of 4444 Big Freeze beanies.

Wood said all the Bulldogs' football and netball coaching positions for this year would roll over into next season, as would the club's key off-field roles.