Rugby 4 Life Infographic

Age-based modifications make the sport played in heaven safe to play here.

Rugby infographic including Rugby goal post minimum sizes.

4 Reasons Why PILA's Preferred Supplier Status Benefits You

PILA is proud to be the preferred supplier of goal posts to all national AFL associations including AFL Victoria Country and the FootyMart online shop, plus many football associations including Football NSW (see them all here). We have developed these partnerships because we are passionate about fostering grassroots sport and providing access to quality, safe sporting equipment for juniors and seniors in all locations and from all backgrounds.

Here are just 4 of the many reasons our preferred supplier status is important for you:

1. Pre-Qualified Supplier

When investing in any sporting equipment you need to be certain of the credibility of the manufacturer and their product. With a preferred supplier, your sporting association has already done the hard work for you. PILA's Australian made aluminium goal posts have been endorsed as the best and safest by the very people with the highest authority in this regard. This saves you time investigating and researching.

2. Buying Power

By partnering with PILA, the associations have negotiated discounted rates for their clubs and schools. This means you can have the quality you want at the best possible price.

3. Exclusive Funding

Associations that offer funding or subsidies for goal posts specify PILA as the sole supplier of goal posts in order to qualify for assistance. PILA keeps an up-to-date list of open funding including that available from our partners. This way you can receive financial assistance for your goal post purchase.

4. Peace of Mind

By purchasing your goal posts from your association's preferred supplier you have the peace of mind that your goal posts meet their standards. Where field audits may be held, yours will perform better and you will have an advantage when tendering to host elite competitions like the AFL's NAB Challenge. This confidence means you don't have to do anything more.

PILA has long-standing relationships with many of our preferred supplier partners and we are honoured to be chosen by all of them. We are committed to manufacturing the highest quality and safest goal posts both for our integrity and theirs. Our goal posts also have the endorsement of being used by more than 75% of Australia's major stadiums, so you know for certain that when you purchase PILA's goal posts you're getting the very best.

PILA's Stadium AFL Goal Posts Installed Quickly and Easily in MCG's 4 Day Field Conversion

The grandstand's seats were still warm on Sunday 29 March when the MCG arenas team started the colossal task of converting from cricket to footy in time for the season opener between Carlton and Richmond on Thursday 2 April. The ICC Cricket World Cup offered a pleasant distraction over the summer, but it also delayed the start of the premiership season and Australia was itching for it to get underway.

Herculean Task

Australia's sporting shrine is in high demand this year, hosting World Cup Cricket, State of Origin Rugby League and International Soccer Friendlies, as well as AFL. Transitioning between each will pose challenges for the MCG, and this particular transformation was more complicated than any before it. With more than 40 separate pieces of work to complete inside and out of the stadium, work commenced less than an hour after Australia thrashed New Zealand in the World Cup final. Boards were laid down to protect the recently resurfaced turf while machinery drove out to take the portable cricket pitches to their winter home in Yarra Park. Signage had to be swapped, changerooms refitted and of course, goal posts installed.

PILA's Participation

None of this happened by chance - it took months of planning, strategising and preparing to accomplish this feat. For our own small part PILA was commissioned mid-2014 to manufacture a set of 15m aluminium Stadium AFL Goal Posts with bases customised to be easily installed in the MCG's existing footings. Managing Director, Reece Wooldridge, spent considerable time with MCG Head Groundsman, Tony Gordon, ensuring the goal posts would be perfect.

Easy Installation

As demonstrated in the MCG's video, PILA's goal posts were manually installed by just a few men. No need for heavy or expensive equipment, and done quickly enough to fit into their tight timeframe. It's the goal posts that make the MCG iconically AFL, and the MCG has chosen the safest and highest quality goal posts, made here in Australia by PILA sport.

It took more than 200 full time and casual staff, but thanks to their hard work and with the weather on their side, the MCG was successfully transformed into the AFL Mecca for another stunning season of footy. Watching as photos and video streamed through of the installation was a glorious time for all of us at PILA - not just another feather in our cap, but THE feather in our cap.