Gerringong Lions are more than just a rugby league club, they are an essential part of the local community.

A club built on hard work and camaraderie on and off the field, the Lions have saved all levels of governments hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, over the years, by making major improvements to their ground and facilities by doing it themselves.

Michael Cronin Oval is more than just a sporting hub for the picturesque South Coast township, it is the place to be in Gerringong whenever the Lions are in action.

And the club is getting bigger in recent years with girls and women’s sides adding to their large junior base and men’s teams.

Spreading out the use of the facilities for training and matches over the course of any given week is an issue so better lighting is needed at the ground.

Liberal candidate for Gilmore Andrew Constance has promised a major funding upgrade for Michael Cronin Oval if elected on May 3.

Constance and the Liberal Party Deputy Leader Sussan Ley visited the Lions den during the week to announce that they were pledging $200,000 for LED lighting at the venue if the Coalition gets the nod over Anthony Albanese’s Labor government next month.

“It's very easy to support community groups that are actually chipping in themselves,” Constance said.

“To be able to put the pledge in, in terms of the $200,000 for the LED lighting is important and the community has just worked tirelessly.”

The Gerringong Lions celebrate winning the men's first grade grand final in the 2024 Group 7 competition. Photo: Game Face Photography

Ley paid tribute to the local community members for doing more than their fair share of work to ensure their ground is always up to a high standard.

“For us to support you is just a real privilege and a pleasure,” she said.

“When Andrew came forward to the team and mentioned some of the projects that mattered to him, this one really stood out, and he's fought really hard for it, because everything that you undertake to make a promise about in an election campaign, you personally have to care about, you personally have to fight for.

“We want to demonstrate that we're here for you, that we care about what you care about, and we want Australians to get ahead, and we want to back our sporting teams and our smaller communities.”

Lions president Alan Miller said the logistics of getting all their teams onto the field is a constant struggle so better lighting would enable them to have more night-time training sessions and matches.

“We are a big footy town and we've only got one dedicated this size for a lot of teams. We've got 18 junior teams and five senior teams, and we've all got to share this field,” he said.

“So by getting the lighting, we'll be able to have games and training at night, so it will make a huge difference to how we run.

“We've got eight junior women's teams and a couple of senior women's teams and it's just getting stronger and stronger. It's great - they play a pure form of football. They're taught properly from the start and they're good to watch and we, as a town, come out and watch them.”

Miller said their clubhouse was built by voluntary labour and a lot of drainage work at the ground has been done by locals rolling up their sleeves.

Junior club secretary Jodie Egan, whose son Dylan made his NRL debut for St George Illawarra last weekend, has been a driving force in fundraising to keep the Lions strong.

Kiama Deputy Mayor Melissa Matters said the new lights would pay for themselves within a year because the extra night-time activity would bring more revenue to the club and the town with people flocking to the ground whenever matches are on.