Colac Soccer Hub
Colac Otway Rovers is one of the fastest-growing football clubs in regional Victoria, and the only club in the state playing home games outside the town it's named after. Since 2023, our registrations have grown from 37 players to more than 180, and the number of teams we field has gone from two to ten. That growth has been driven almost entirely by volunteers, and it's happened without the club ever having a home ground of its own.
Right now we operate across three separate venues, sharing grounds, equipment and volunteer time with other sporting clubs across the shire. We're advocating for a dedicated Colac Soccer Hub because our growth has outpaced the facilities we can access, and because a permanent home would let the club plan further ahead: more teams, more programs, and a stronger base for female, junior and all-abilities football in the region.
Why we need a permanent home
Football is one of the fastest-growing sports in Victoria, and Colac Otway Rovers is proof of that locally. But community clubs like ours are increasingly being asked to do more with less. Every venue we currently use is shared with other codes and clubs, which limits how many teams we can field, when we can train, and how much we can grow our female, junior and All Abilities programs.
Our volunteers already carry a heavy load, transporting goals and line-marking equipment across town, and maintaining grounds we don't own. A dedicated facility would remove that constraint entirely, letting the club put its volunteer effort into players and programs instead of logistics.
What we're advocating for
In 2023, Colac Otway Shire Council commissioned Otium Planning Group, working alongside SportEng and HB Architects, to carry out a Football (Soccer) Facilities Feasibility Study for the shire. The study, funded through the Victorian Government's Local Sports Infrastructure Fund, examined current and future participation and recommended a dedicated Soccer (Football) Hub with rectangular fields in the Colac/Elliminyt area.
The former Colac High School site has been identified as the preferred location, chosen for its accessibility, capacity, opportunities to co-locate with other community uses, and its ability to support the club's growth over the next decade. The study proposes a staged approach to delivering the hub, so facilities can be built progressively as funding becomes available.
Our advocacy so far
Explosive growth in participation across the shire, from two teams to ten, straining our access to grounds.
The Colac Otway Football (Soccer) Facilities Feasibility Study is released for public exhibition.
Club, Council and Football Victoria representatives advocate for the project together at Victorian Parliament.
Public exhibition and submissions close. Community response is overwhelmingly supportive, with every submission backing the study's findings.
Council unanimously endorses the study, formally backing a new Colac Soccer Hub on the former Colac High School site.
Design, funding and delivery planning - we'll update this section as milestones are reached.
In the news
Colac Herald, 20 February 2026
Stay in the loop
The feasibility study is endorsed — funding and construction still need community and government support behind them. Here's where to find out more.