Man who gets Belmore Sports Ground ‘match fit’ for Bulldogs

The ground’s head greenkeeper has worked for the council for 28 years and is passionate about getting the surface ready and looking good.
The weeks leading up to a home game is super busy for Lee and his offsider, Grant, who spend extra time mowing and marking the fields.
“The work satisfaction is what I really enjoy … being able to mow and fertilise it and look back at it like ‘oh geez, I’ve done a good job’,” Lee said.
“It’s a busy week, but the day before the game I’d sit in the grandstand and just look at the field and think ‘yeah, it’s going to be looking awesome’.”
Lee started out with the council in 1996 as a first-year greenkeeper apprentice and worked at Canterbury Golf Course before moving to Belmore Sports Ground, where he has worked for the past 22 years.
In between all the hard work, Lee’s had the chance to get to know some of the players over the years, who are always grateful for his efforts to keep their home ground in top condition.
“We used to have five of our best players take on five of their best in a friendly game of footy at lunch time – this was around 15 years ago,” Lee said.
“I used to catch the balls for Hasem El Masri at the end of training and I’d throw them back to him.”
Mayor Bilal El-Hayek said he was looking forward to the weekend game and encouraged everyone to go out and support the team.
The Bulldogs will host their first home match of the season against the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL’s Multicultural Round this Saturday, March 23, at 3pm.