“At the eleventh hour”: Cricket club furious over attempted last-minute Box Hill Oval deal

An alleged lack of consultation was at the centre of an intense debate on Monday night.

Matthew Sims
September 25, 2025

Whitehorse Council has admitted it failed to fully consult all stakeholders before discussing the future management of Box Hill City Oval, with potential decisions set to controversially reshape access agreements between AFL and cricket clubs using the facilities.

🧑‍⚖️ The decision: In the council report, staff put forward three options and recommended councillors endorse “Option One”, which would include the Box Hill Hawks Football Club (BHHFC) receiving an annual lease of the new west pavilion and the BHCC only able to access parts of the new facilities five times a year.

Box Hill Cricket Club (BHCC) representatives hit back at the proposed option being dropped at their feet “at the eleventh hour”, leaving them about two days to discuss their stance.

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⏲️ Not enough time: According to BHCC life member, Ken Trollope, the club received notice of the council’s recommended motion on the Thursday before the meeting, held the following Monday.

Trollope said some of the three options “fundamentally change” the club’s usage of the site and it needed a reasonable amount of time to consider its response.

🚧 Upgrades on the way: A joint project between Whitehorse Council, federal and state governments, and AFL Victoria, the $28 million invested into the oval would include reconstruction of the sports field and cricket nets, the demolition and reconstruction of the western pavilion and a refurbishment of the southern pavilion.

Works are planned to commence in October and be completed in 2027.

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🥎 Sharing spaces: BHCC president Lisa White requested councillors endorse an alternative option, which would allow both the AFL and cricket club to share pavilions via seasonal licences based on their respective seasons.

She said it was “essential for the survival of the club” that they have “equal access” to the new facilities.

⏱️ Extra time: Councillor Ben Stennett moved to postpone moving forward until the council meeting on Monday October 13, with eight councillors in support and three opposing.

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🚦 No impact: Whitehorse Council director of community services, Lisa Letic, said the deferral of the decision would have “no material impact on the delivery of the project”.

🗣️ Limited dialogue: In an emotionally charged presentation to the chamber, councillor Peter Allan said he was “white-knuckle ropable” that these options had come before council for approval without consulting with all stakeholders.