The City of Victor Harbor has agreed to back a bid by the Great Southern Football League (GSFL) to host either the July 2024 or July 2025 South Australian Country Football Championships.

The bid will be lodged by GSFL, working with Victor Harbor and Encounter Bay Football Clubs.

The council has committed to a financial contribution of $50,000 cash and $5,000 in-kind, on the basis of a successful tender.

The South Australian Country Football Championships include senior Men’s and Women’s teams from twenty-four country football leagues in the six zones across the state.

It also features a SANFL League match between the South Adelaide Football Club and another team yet to be decided. 

The SANFL has recently changed the bidding process for the championships, seeking to appoint towns / areas two years in advance. 

To submit a tender GSFL requires the support of council, both in a financial capacity and through venue provision, before the deadline of 21 April.

The council says it is supporting the major event bid in order to boost the winter economy.

Victor Harbor last hosted the Championships in July 2021 and the council says the event injected an estimated $1.25 million into the local economy.

The council provided support to the GSFL tender for that event with an investment of $30,000 plus GST cash and $5,000 in-kind support. 

It also committed to sponsorship of $40,000 plus GST and an in-kind commitment of $5,000 for the 2023 championships, which ultimately went to the Barossa. 

The cash contribution would be used to support the event management related costs for the SANFL and GSFL to host the event, while the in-kind support would support the preparation of the ovals for the event, additional waste management costs, traffic management and waiver of hire fees. 

The funds would not be required until the event happens, in either July 2024 or July 2025. 

If the application to host the event was not successful, the funds will no longer be required and therefor the pre-committed expense allocation would be withdrawn from the budget.