Sam Kerr Football Centre
Development of a state-of-the-art soccer infrastructure
Western Australia

In the early planning stages for the project, SPORTENG were part of a Think Tank that focused on sustainable led design practices for the construction of the Centre.

A SPORTENG solution was to test the existing natural sands on site to see if they were suitable for harvest to be used as the growing medium for the turf. This testing confirmed the high quality of the local sands, which were sieved, cleaned, and used on-site. These site-won sands reduced the need for both the disposal of materials from the site and the demand for sand to be harvested from elsewhere while reducing transport-related impacts and overall costs for the project.

The first use of the Sam Kerr Football Centre was as a FIFA World Cup training venue – a deadline that couldn’t be moved!

SPORTENG worked closely with the client and the contractor to ensure that this event's turf coverage would be well established. Unfortunately, construction programming issues pushed the establishment of the turf into the winter season. The couch grass initially specified (a warm-season grass) had moved into dormancy at the time of planting and was not suitably established for the purpose.

The SPORTENG Agromony team worked with the contractor to oversee ryegrass (a cooler-season turf) to supplement growth and fill in any gaps on the playing surface. This solution ensured that the pitch's turf was established and resilient in time to welcome international teams.

SPORTENG collaborated with key stakeholders on this exciting project from conception to completion.

The community attention that the FIFA 2024 World Cup generated here in Australia and around the world was exciting to be part of.

The SPORTENG team is especially proud to have been involved in the Sam Kerr Football Centre at this exciting time in Australian sporting history.

This world-class soccer facility is a great asset to football players in Western Australia, and it’s fantastic to see such high-calibre training facilities and playing fields to support grassroots, community and high-performance football programs.

About the centre being named after Matildas Captain Sam Kerr, Premier Roger Cook said: "Sam Kerr is a global football superstar and truly a sporting icon – she's an incredible role model for Western Australians, and I can't think of a better name for our new home of grassroots football and high performance." 
Present during the official opening ceremony of the centre, Captain Sam Kerr added: "As a proud West Australian, I am incredibly privileged to have this amazing State Football Centre named after me. 
It fills me with pride to think that football in WA is growing so rapidly in popularity and that children, at a grassroots level, as well as world-class sporting teams, will be able to access these impressive facilities."

Source: WA State Football Centre renamed to inspire the next Sam Kerr