Close to $2.5 million awarded to AFL Riverina clubs to improve facilities

The fund provides grants to community clubs for the revitalisation or addition of sporting facilities to help improve the accessibility and involvement of women in sport.

Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong and North Wagga football netball clubs were successful in their applications.

More than $1.7 million was awarded to the Lions for the club to build new women's change rooms, parents rooms, and bathrooms, and install new lighting.

Meanwhile North Wagga received just over $700k for use towards new multipurpose change rooms.

GGGM president Jason Hamblin said the funding will benefit not only the women already involved within the club but the next generation.

"This funding announcement is truly exciting news, and represents a once in a generation investment in our communities. It is truly life-changing for those who will benefit from these new facilities, both now and for generations to come," Hamblin said.

Football captain Lucy Anderson said the additional facilities will be a welcomed change.

Improving facilities at Ganmain Sports Gound, she said, will help women feel more involved with their club.

"I think it's amazing to be able to get that money and provide some better facilities for us," Anderson said.

"It gives us a better chance of having nice change rooms and help us feel a bit more at home, like we have more of a place in the club."

Ensuring that players aren't kicked out from change rooms or forced to get changed in public cubicles, contributes to women and girls feeling respected within football clubs.

Anderson hopes the addition of improved lighting at the ground will also boost their chances of hosting women's finals games.

The Southern NSW Women's League, which Ganmain competes in, plays their games on Friday evenings through the summer, and light quality is a consideration when booking finals venues.

"They'll be useful for a lot of training, and hopefully going forward for us maybe some night games might be on the horizon," she said.

"It'll be better to see the ball and hopefully we can grab a few finals games, which would be nice."

Just over $28.6 million has been awarded to 26 applicants across the state.

Under funding guidelines construction should begin by the end of September and be completed by October 2026.