Volunteers left to clean up mess after partying teens leave a trail of destruction at Albany Roller Derby track

Albany Roller Derby League volunteers were left to clean up shattered glass, blood and vomit off their beloved track last week, after the community-run venue was left trashed by teenagers. The grassroots sporting club regularly hires out its 825sqm playing space, dubbed The Track, to community groups, sporting clubs and parties. Venue-hire costs form a key fundraising stream for the club along with skate programs, children’s birthday parties and roller hockey. But Albany Roller Derby League president Natalie Jarvis said the damage caused by the latest hirer had forced the committee to think twice about opening their venue to the public. Albany police closed down the event around midnight on Saturday, August 1, citing irresponsible supply of liquor by the 17-year-old host with more than 200 guests told to leave the premises. Sergeant Michael Russell said attendees were co-operative but he warned people needed to be aware of the rules surrounding irresponsible supply of alcohol. “Police will certainly prosecute in cases where the evidence indicates that the people are supplying liquor to juveniles without going through correct channels,” he said. Ms Jarvis said the morning after the party, hirers asked for more time to clean up the venue, which was happily granted by the league. But hours turned into days, with the hirers opting to be invoiced for the cleaning fees, which at the time of publication had still not been paid. “We’ve never had a problem before ... the community in Albany have been fantastic, supportive and really embraced the track and Albany Roller Derby,” Ms Jarvis said. “So it is really unfortunate that some people decided to take advantage of us and our good nature.” The blow comes after a challenging few months for the club as it continues to battle the impact of COVID-19. With international and State tournaments cancelled, other community roller derby leagues, such as Bunbury, have folded. “We are trying really hard to come back from COVID-19 shutdowns and we are not fully back to functioning,” she said. “We don’t have the money to outlay on cleaning up mess from people who have chosen just not to. “They acknowledged that they made the mess, they acknowledged they were going to come back and clean up, then they failed to do so.” With no word from hirers and the track still in disarray days later, 15 volunteers took to the area on Wednesday night with high-pressure hoses for more than five hours. Vomit, blood, smashed glass and chewing gum had to be cleaned from the floor, cigarette butts pulled from clogged drains. The fire extinguisher was set off during the party and first-aid kits were strewn across the premises. The club were forced to throw out some of its furniture after being damaged beyond repair. Ms Jarvis said hiring a commercial cleaner would have racked up thousands of dollars which was not an option for the entirely volunteer-led club. “We really hope they can acknowledge that maybe this party got out of hand and it wasn’t the way they intended,” she said. “It would be great if they could make amends and recognise that it was a mistake and they can contribute to the financial load that we are carrying for them. “I think as disappointing and as hurtful as this was to see our venue treated this way, it fills your heart to see people get the job done and work together, and that made me really proud of our league members.”