Dream comes true: Illawarra Stingrays finally have a place to call home

The massive revelation comes following the announcement of $2 million to upgrade the facility in Dapto from the NSW government via its 'Level the Playing Field' program, which sees almost $30 million spent to enhance female sport across the state.

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It was back in 2018 when a Wollongong Council vote confirmed the Stingrays would have a home ground. It has taken six years to get to finally there.

It has been a long and painful journey for the Stingrays, which has been without a home ground through its existence despite producing some of the greatest Matildas of all time such as Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, and Michelle Heyman, as well as an abundance of A-League Women's talent.

The Stingrays currently lease Guest Park, Fairy Meadow for its training base, and also have an agreement in place with Illawarra Premier League club Wollongong United to share its home ground, Macedonia Park in Berkeley. However this has long been known to be an unsustainable arrangement in the long-term.

The Stingrays and Dapto Phoenix FC plan to share Lakelands Oval, providing a direct pathway for aspiring girls from juniors to senior football.

Work on the ground - which will include upgrades to its two football fields, associated lighting, and a replacement of the old amenities building at the site to make way for a larger, new universal-access facility - is set to commence in September this year and is scheduled to be completed by September 2026.

Along with the $2 million in government grant funds, the Stingrays has also received private contribution of $1 million plus an additional $500,000 not included in the overall budget, totalling $3.5 million.

One person who was equally as relieved and she was buoyant was Stingrays president Kathy McDonogh, who said it was a proud moment for those involved.

"It'll hopefully be the jewel in the crown of female football in the region," McDonogh said.

"We've got an awesome board of women who have worked so hard and I feel like we've just overcome so much to get to this point. It's been a battle and an exhausting goal at times, but I couldn't be happier and I couldn't be prouder."

For a club that has produced so many national sporting heroes, for them to be homeless for so long is unfathomable. The Stingrays are a club with a rich and storied history. As McDonogh explained, this history will now be able to be showcased.

"We're going to have our own clubhouse, which is the first time ever," she said.

"In the garage of my house, I have got boxes of memorabilia of stuff on Michelle Heyman, Caitlin Foord, Cailtin Cooper, all the outstanding players from our region who grew up and were born and bred in this region. Now I've got somewhere to hang it all where the girls can walk into the house and know they're part of this legacy.

"These are local girls. When I think about what our trophy room is going to look like, I'm so overwhelmed."

McDonogh added that the relationship between the club and Dapto juniors has been one of the main reasons as to how this announcement came to fruition.

"The president of Dapto Matthew Theris is a really strong advocate for women's football as is Nadine Page," she added.

"We've got some really great, talented people that have backed this. I've got to say Wollongong United have also been wonderful and so supportive of us."

The NSW Government grant will see almost $6 million spent on facilities in the Illawarra to enhance female sport participation.

Shellharbour City Council will receive $2 million for the new Shell Cove sporting complex which is set to accommodate a range of sports and also include parking, amenities, access, and landscaping.

Meanwhile, the facilities at Flinders Oval will receive $1,857,250 to build a new female-friendly amenities building for players and referees, which in turn will improve access for females to participate in the sport for Stingrays of Shellharbour RLFC.

A total of 26 projects will receive a total of near $30 million of funding from the state.