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February 28, 2026 — 5:30am
A near century-old tennis club is fighting for survival after the emergence of plans to demolish it to make way for a redevelopment dubbed the “MCG of the East”.
Three tennis courts and clubrooms used by Mitcham Tennis Club would make way for a two-storey gymnasium, as part of Whitehorse Council’s $17.5 million draft master plan for Walker Park in Nunawading in the city’s outer east.
The club’s other two courts would be replaced by a barbecue area, play space and outdoor gym equipment under the long-term plan for the council-owned site.
A report to council suggested the 94-year-old tennis club should disband or amalgamate as it was “underperforming” and that its space should be re-purposed.
Club president Doug Evans is deeply frustrated by the push to disband and is determined for the club to survive.
“The future is very shaky, very unknown,” Evans said.
The report claimed the club had about 60 members as of July 2024 and its key issue was an “ageing” committee and membership.
However, Evans said there were now more than 110 members aged from four to 84.
The proposed redevelopment does include two courts with markings for both tennis and netball, but there’s no suggestion the club shifts there. Evans said the “toy courts” were unsuitable for competition anyway.
About 800 people signed an online petition to save the club, including Aisha Madan, 21, who joined 18 months ago.
She was thrilled to be welcomed into its supportive community and would be devastated if it folded.
“Going to another club, it’s not the same,” Madan said.
“Everybody else that I play with would feel the same, there would just be this feeling of emptiness.”
A Tennis Victoria spokesperson said the club is considered “healthy” and its court usage exceeds the state average.
“From a sport perspective, we cannot afford to lose our tennis footprint in this region,” they said.
Soaring demand for recreational facilities prompted the council to develop an alternative plan for the site, however the plan is yet to be finalised and consultation is open until mid-March.
High-priority projects include upgraded public toilets, more female changing rooms and the indoor gymnasium to replace a “dilapidated” facility used by the Nunawading Gymnastics and Sports Club.
That club’s manager, Sarah Carthew, said the organisation had 550 members and had outgrown their existing building.
While detailed designs for the new building are not yet available, Carthew said the club would work with any groups, council and the community to find a solution that benefits the majority.
Several sports organisations use Walker Park, including footballers from the Mitcham Football and Netball Club which dubbed the ground the “MCG of the East”.
Local netballers who need training facilities are also pushing to be part of its future, including Nunawading Netball Club which trained there before shifting to a local primary school.
Nunawading Netball Club president Gabby Sullivan said their current location was “less than satisfactory” as the school’s synthetic floor gets slippery, and players don’t have access to toilets or change rooms inside the buildings.
Sullivan said Mitcham Netball Club can’t even offer training as there’s nowhere for players to go, and a lack of infrastructure is a key reason why many girls drop out of sport.
“By giving them courts to train on, by giving them change rooms where they’re safe, giving them toilets, giving them a place where there’s a club room, they feel like they’re connected to something bigger,” she said.
Sullivan said combined netball and tennis courts would be unsuitable as both sports tend to train at similar times.
Whitehorse Mayor Kirsten Langford said Walker Park had finite facilities and a growing number of people using it, but no final decisions would be made until all consultation was complete.
She said the long-term plan for the area had to balance diverse and growing needs of many people, clubs and groups.
“Any updated information provided by stakeholders and the broader community will be reviewed and considered in the further development of the master plan,” Langford said.
North Eastern Metropolitan MP Nick McGowan, who is based in the area, said shutting a tennis club with a long history was “outrageous” and urged the return of netballers to Walker Park.
“Our young and senior community have too few sports grounds and opportunity as it is,” he said.
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