May 21, 2026
Years of fundraising and grant writing have paid off with the official opening on Saturday of new all-inclusive changerooms at Lyle Vidler Oval in Kingaroy.
The changerooms, which adjoin the Kingaroy Cricket Club building, will be a boon for all the sportspeople who use the oval.
The opening, by South Burnett Saints club president Jeremy Zaccardi, coincided with the Saints’ annual Heritage Day as well as the club’s first home game of the 2026 Darling Downs AFL competition.
Jeremy said funding for the changerooms project came from a State Government grant, Queensland Cricket, AFL Queensland, Stanwell, the South Burnett Regional Council, local businesses and individual donations.
As well, an amazing “Buy A Brick” campaign raised almost $50,000 towards the project; signs posted along a corridor on the side of the building recognise this large list of individual donors.
Some of these donations came from former Kingaroy Bulldogs and Kingaroy Jets who trek back to the South Burnett every year for Heritage Day to share memories as well as watch the on-field action.
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It was also a big day out on the oval for the Saints’ senior men’s and women’s teams who took on the Goondiwindi Hawks.
As is tradition on Heritage Day, the Saints men played in the old Kingaroy Bulldogs strip to honour the early days of Australian Rules football in the South Burnett.
They defeated the Hawks 11.6-72 to 10.7-67.
Fletcher Brown (3), Jack Mines (3), Sean Dunning(2), James Flavel, Joshua Keleher and Mitch Francis were the successful goal kickers.
The Saints’ senior women defeated the Hawks 7.9-51 to 1.0-6.
Six-pointers were kicked by Reanna Fenton (2), Aleisha Collins, Hannah Carty, Hayley Ellison, Jalara Wagner and Nicole Gunston.
Earlier, the Saints’ juniors were also in action at Lyle Vidler Oval:
- U13.5s – Coolaroo 9.9-63 def. Saints 4.4-28
- U15.5s – Goondiwindi 16.14-110 def. Saints 6.11-47
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Two special Bulldogs Spirit medals were awarded on the day:
The men’s award, the Ron Bird Medal, recognises a well-respected former coach of the old Kingaroy Bulldogs. It was presented to Josh Freeman.
The women’s award, the Kassulke Family Medal, recognises the long support of the family from Bulldogs’ days through to the Saints. It was presented to Aleisha Collins.
Both players were deemed to show true “Bulldog Spirit” on Saturday in their games against the Goondiwindi Hawks.
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This weekend, South Burnett Saints’ U11.5s, U13.5s, U15.5s and senior men will take on Coolaroo teams at Rockville Park in Toowoomba.
Saints senior women have a bye.
