MEDIA RELEASE: Chris Lane Field honours local sporting identity
Former Moonee Valley resident and Essendon Baseball Club member, Chris Lane, will have his memory honoured with the renaming of a sports field and new facility development in Strathmore Heights.
Moonee Valley City Council has endorsed the renaming of Boeing Reserve Oval 4 to Chris Lane Field to honour the life and local contributions of the talented Essendon baseballer who died tragically overseas in 2013.
Moonee Valley City Council Mayor, Cr Pierce Tyson, said the renaming of the oval to Chris Lane Field resulted from overwhelming community support for the initiative which highlighted the name as a fitting tribute to a local champion, with a community survey showing 97 percent of respondents supporting the name change.
“Chris Lane’s immense talent and determination took him to the United States on a university scholarship. His leadership qualities on and off the field were recognised and loved by those around him and Moonee Valley is proud to name a local landmark in Chris’s honour,” said Mayor Tyson.
Renaming of the oval to Chris Lane Field is part of Council’s redevelopment of the area into a new Little League baseball field and facility at Boeing Reserve, with construction due for completion in mid-2023. The new field and facility will provide a dedicated playing ground and venue for young athletes, their families and the community to come together and enjoy the thrill of baseball.
“The naming of this sporting ground to Chris Lane Field serves as an enduring legacy to the passion that Chris had for the game and the way he gave that energy and enthusiasm to the Essendon Baseball Club and the wider community,” said Mayor Tyson.
“This new facility and sports field provides a space for inspiring and nurturing the next generation of baseball talent, something Chris would have been strongly supportive of, as evidenced through his lifetime efforts with the club”.
ENDS
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact –
Media Contact
Tess Garrod
Team Leader Media and Communications, Moonee Valley City Council
P: 0484 010 461 E: media@mvcc.vic.gov.au