Every now and then, you visit a football club that simply makes you smile.

For the past few years, I've been fortunate to build a wonderful relationship with Simon, Greg and Lisa at Metro FC. Through Morton's Soccer School we've trained there, the club has generously hosted Hobart Cup matches, and I've worked closely with them in my role as President of the Central Region Junior Football Association.

Every interaction has been positive.

Every visit has been enjoyable.

But I'll admit something.

Every time I drive through those gates, I'm just a little bit green with envy.

A Club I Always Enjoy Visiting

The facilities at Metro FC are simply outstanding.

Two fully lit pitches.

Spacious, modern changerooms.

A magnificent new clubhouse that has become the heart of the club.

There is room for football to breathe, to grow and to bring people together.

As someone who has spent decades around football grounds across Tasmania, I genuinely appreciate what Metro has built.

It is a facility any community club would be proud to call home.

Just a Little Green With Envy

The envy isn't about wanting what someone else has.

It's about recognising what is possible.

Every football club dreams of facilities like these.

We all want somewhere our players can develop, our volunteers can gather, our parents can enjoy a coffee and our community can feel at home.

Metro has created exactly that.

And football in Tasmania is better for it.

Who Remembers the Old Clubhouse?

Of course, it wasn't always like this.

Who remembers the old Metro clubhouse?

Golly.

Whenever I think back, I can't help but hear the Monty Python sketch.

"Luxury!"

"We used to dream of living in a corridor..."

"We lived in a shoe box in the middle of the road..."

Now, I'm not suggesting the old Metro clubhouse was quite a shoe box in the middle of the road...

...but by today's standards, it certainly feels like another era.

Yet those old facilities produced footballers.

They produced coaches.

They produced volunteers.

They produced lifelong friendships.

They produced memories that have lasted generations.

The buildings may have changed, but the spirit of the club has remained exactly the same.

The Tasmanian Tyranny of Distance

There is one thing that always makes me smile.

Living in Tasmania, we seem to have our own version of the tyranny of distance.

I still hear people say, "It's all the way out at North Chigwell."

Really?

North Chigwell is only about 13 kilometres from the Hobart CBD. On a normal day, it's little more than a 10 to 15-minute drive.

Sometimes we convince ourselves somewhere is a long way away simply because we don't go there very often.

The reality is that football families travel much further than that every weekend.

Parents leave the Huon before sunrise.

Families come from Sorell, the Eastern Shore, Brighton, New Norfolk and the Channel.

Compared to those journeys, North Chigwell is hardly an expedition.

And once you arrive, you'll quickly realise the drive was worth it.

It Doesn't Happen by Accident

Facilities like this don't simply appear.

They are built through vision.

Through persistence.

Through grant applications, fundraising, planning meetings, negotiations and thousands of volunteer hours that most people never see.

The ribbon cutting might last only a few minutes.

The work behind it often takes years.

It is also only fair to acknowledge Independent Federal MP Andrew Wilkie, whose support in securing Federal Government funding helped turn this vision into reality.

But funding is only the beginning.

It still takes committed club people to turn bricks and mortar into a football home.

Metro has been blessed with generations of volunteers who have done exactly that.

Everyone who has contributed to Metro FC should feel incredibly proud of what has been achieved.

Eighty Five Years of Community

This weekend isn't just about opening a wonderful new clubhouse.

It's about celebrating 85 years of football.

Think about that.

Eighty five years of players pulling on the Metro shirt.

Eighty five years of coaches giving up evenings.

Eighty five years of volunteers cooking barbecues, marking pitches, washing jerseys, serving in canteens and balancing budgets.

Clubs don't survive for 85 years by accident.

They survive because generation after generation decides they are worth fighting for.

That is something every football person can respect.

A Great Day for Tasmanian Football

Football shouldn't be jealous of facilities like Metro's.

Football should celebrate them.

Every quality facility strengthens our game.

Every successful community club raises the standard for everyone else.

Metro's new clubhouse isn't just good news for Metro FC.

It's good news for football in Tasmania.

So congratulations to everyone who has been part of the journey.

To Simon, Greg, Lisa and the many volunteers, committee members, players, coaches and families who have contributed over the years, well done.

I'm still just a little green with envy every time I visit.

But much more than that, I'm grateful that our game has another home we can all be proud of.

Happy 85th birthday, Metro FC.

Here's to the next 85 years.

Why Metro FC Leaves Me Green with Envy