General News
17 August, 2022
Wilsons reach naming rights agreement
AGREEMENT has been reached between real estate company Wilsons and the Mortlake Recreation Reserve Committee for the naming rights at Wilsons DC Farran Oval’.
AGREEMENT has been reached between real estate company Wilsons and the Mortlake Recreation Reserve Committee for the naming rights at 'Wilsons DC Farran Oval’.
The committee and Wilsons reached a formal agreement recently, with new signs now erected at the grounds as part of the deal.
Mortlake Recreation Reserve Committee chairperson Jacinta Wareham said the committee was thrilled to welcome Wilsons as one of the major sponsors of the ground.
“We’re very excited that Wilsons have come on board,” she said.
“The naming rights were an initiative we put out there about a year ago and Wilsons snapped it up straight away."
“The fact Wilsons is putting money back in to the community; we’re putting that money back towards projects which benefit the community, so this is a win-win for everyone.”
Retention of the existing DC Farran name was important to both the committee and Wilsons, with both parties agreeing to maintain the iconic name early in the process.
“It was a fantastic gesture,” Ms Wareham said.
“We had a discussion about how we would do that name and the first thing Lucas (Wilson) said is we don’t want to take away from the original name."
“That wasn’t something the Recreation Reserve Committee wanted either."
“We wanted to recognise the contributions of past people and it’s an iconic name which we wanted to maintain with a good balance.”
Wilsons director Lucas Wilson said the opportunity to partner for the naming rights was a no-brainer.
“The Mortlake community has been great for us in terms of business and we’re big on putting back in to the community in any way,” he said.
“Sport is such a cog of togetherness, community and health and wellbeing."
“I’ve got a little history having played footy here early on, and I think it’s such a central venue for women’s footy, men’s footy, umpires, cricket and the newindoor centre."
“When it came about, we absolutely wanted to be involved, go all in and get involved in something with no downside; we wanted this all to be positive.”
Mr Wilson said supporting mental health initiatives had always been close to his heart, and the naming rights of the grounds allowed the company to support a facility which had a role to play in positivehealth outcomes.
“A lot of the stuff we’ve put support behind has involved mental health spaces, which is important to me, and I think the recreation reserve combines recreation, getting together, fitness and health,” he said.
“It’s all linked, and has become such a big part of the community for not only Mortlake but the people from all over the place which the reserve brings in.”
The partnership helps to usher in a new era for the ground following a range of recent improvements.
This includes upgrades to the social and umpires rooms, indoor training facilities, irrigation system, turf wicket and scoreboard.
The upgrades were headlined in June with the first game of night football played at the ground under a new $470,000 lighting upgrade.
“We’ve had some major projects in the last couple of years and it’s very difficult when you have to source funding,” Ms Wareham said.
“It’s fantastic Wilsons have come on board to help us out with funding.”
Mr Wilson said the partnership was something both sides were in for the long-haul.
“The quality surface and the lighting opens the ground up for so much more, but these kinds of facilities don’t just come out of the ground without financial means,”he said.
“We see this as a long-term proposition.”
