Innovation: Behind goal netting system

BGIS’ Perth Stadium account team installed an innovative behind-goal netting system to allow the safe removal of training nets before each AFL game, while eliminating safety risks and providing a more efficient way of working.

The old system required four 15-metre poles and nets to be quickly removed from the ground by eight to 10 trained staff on each end of the field. This posed risks and potential harm caused by tripping hazards, the weight of the poles and the potential for injury when the poles ‘drop’ against the fulcrum of the staff lowering the poles.

The solution created by the Perth Stadium account team utilises a high-tension rope across the roof, with a winch arrangement to lower the netting to the ground. This removes the need for heavy poles and eliminates the threat of tripping hazards and heavy lifting. The system also removes the ‘pinch points’ which are associated with the lowering of the poles by eliminating the need to ‘catch’ the poles as they are lowered to the ground. It also reduces the number of staff needed in a crowded and unpredictable area during those crucial minutes before the start of a game.

The behind-goal net innovation is clipped into already existing connection plates on the astroturf which have been modified to include removeable weights to hold the netting in place. It is lifted into position using the winches on the gantry, eliminating the need for manual erection of the 15-metre poles by BGIS staff. Once in position, the net provides the same coverage as the previous behind-goal net without the problem of physical poles needing to be removed.