If anything, he joked, the sport could be named “goodminton”.
The letter has equally baffled Badminton Victoria’s chief executive, Clint Proctor.
“Those comments are funny to read, to be honest,” he said.
Proctor had worked for the AFL until last year. “I couldn’t think of two more polar opposite sports,” he said.
Badminton, he said, was far from rowdy: for one, it wasn’t associated with alcohol.
“Our community is vibrant, respectful, fun and definitely safe.”
Tom Kou says there is growing demand for badminton courts in Melbourne.Credit: Jason South
Proctor added that the sport was very multicultural and most players had backgrounds from countries such as China, India and Indonesia.
He said there was rising demand for courts, particularly in Melbourne’s east and south-east.
“It’s incredibly popular,” Proctor said. “At MSAC [Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre], we have 12 courts, and they’re constantly full from 6am to 10pm.”
Tom Kou, 24, is a university student and keen badminton player. He works part-time at Mitcham Badminton, which has 12 courts and is a five-minute drive from the planned Vermont site.
Kou said the courts were full every evening, and he supported the proposal for a new centre.
“There is too much demand for the sport at the moment,” he said.
Kou said badminton was a positive hobby largely free of rebels, and he doubted noise would be a problem.
“Compared to other sports, we’re quite sensible, I’d say,” he said. “There’s not much graffiti going on around here.”
Loading
Stairway Church senior pastor Maurice Benington said the proposal for a badminton centre on the church’s land seemed like a harmless proposition.
He said there was ample parking on the property and he was bemused by the suggestion that badminton players were troublemakers.
SOS Rooks Rd organiser Joe, who did not wish to use his surname following recent criticism, acknowledged the claim of antisocial behaviours was extreme, but said that was a concern expressed by one resident.
He said the primary worry was unreasonable noise levels from game play, chatter and cars.
“Most sports centres don’t have homes on the boundary,” he said.
Joe said he had organised the group to support a friend who lived behind the proposed centre. There were now four home owners who were objecting.
“They have been living there peacefully for decades. I know there’s a lot of support for [the centre] but … residents will have to face these disturbances 24/7,” Joe said.
Another badminton official, who didn’t want to be named because he manages several centres, said he could understand anxiety from residents living behind the shed.
But he rejected the criticism of antisocial behaviour — “You won’t have ferals” — although he acknowledged noise could be a problem in a steel building without sound insulation.
Loading
Eric said the Vermont centre was still in the early stages of the planning process, and he hoped to be operating by 2025.
“We chose this location to offer residents – including children, parents, young adults and seniors – a healthy way to socialise face-to-face and stay active away from screens.”
The planning application will be open to submissions when it proceeds to a 14-day public advertising stage. If the proposed centre receives a minimum 20 objections, it will be referred to councillors for a decision.
A Whitehorse Council spokeswoman said she could not comment on an application still under consideration.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.