Long Point Turf Serving No.1 Sportsground
BY ALEX TIGANI
Newcastle’s No. 1 Sportsground had a close connection to the Upper Hunter when hosting five local AFL Hunter Central Coast games on Saturday.
No, it was not Singleton’s Tahlia Thomspon who held her own on the last line of defence for Lake Macquarie against women’s powerhouse Newcastle City.
It was not Muswellbrook’s Walter Pankhurst who threw his body at the ball each time the Maitland Saints entered the forward line in the top of the table men’s clash under lights.
It was not even the presence of Newcastle Central Coast Umpire’s Association president Cameron Moore, a proud army officer based at the Australian School of Infantry in Singleton.
It was the luscious Tiftuf Bermuda grass they all played on which had been grown and transported from Long Point’s Tickalara farms near Singleton.
Muswellbrook’s Walter Pankhurst (Maitland Saints), Australian School of Infantry Singleton army officer Cameron Moore (NCCUA president) and Singleton’s Tahlia Thompson (Lake Macquarie Dockers) inspected the turf at Newcastle’s No.1 Sportsground on Saturday. They discovered that the turf was grown and transported from Long Point’s Tickalara farm.
“We had 30,000 square meters of turf all washed out when we put it in in 2021,” Musturf managing director Patrick Muscat told The Hunter River Times.
“Every single square metre was washed.
“All the soil was washed off the grass, so it allows the water to be drained well on a pure sand base.
“This stops all of the contamination on sports fields from the farms.”
Musturf managing director Patrick Muscat pictured at Singleton’s Howe Park in January, 2022.
The local AFL Hunter Central Coast competition returns to the No.1 Sportsground for the first time since work began on the multimillion-dollar upgrade, which includes new light towers, in mid-2020.
It has also been an eventful year for the Musturf team after laying 1500m² at Singleton’s Howe Park while also continuing to supply turf for Sydney’s Royal Botanical Gardens.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Tigani is the deputy editor of The Hunter River Times newspaper who enters his third season on the AFL Hunter Central Coast BarTV commentary team. Prior to his stint in the Hunter Valley he was the editor of the Geelong and District Football League record, presenter on the GDFL Footy Show (Channel 31 Melbourne and Geelong) and a freelance writer for the Geelong Advertiser.
