A small soccer club is devastated after missing out on government sports funding that is now the subject of a scandal.

Former sports minister Bridget McKenzie has been fighting allegations of ‘pork-barrelling’, accused of dishing out $100-million in sports grants mostly to marginal seats.

Coledale Waves Soccer Club, located in the safe Labor seat of Keira in the NSW Illawarra, was devastated after it didn’t receive one of the grants.

Coach and member of the club Martin Smith tells Deborah Knight they are now furious after hearing they may have missed out to a less-deserving club in a marginal seat.

“The conditions at our ground are considered atrocious… there is a very hard surface because the ground was built on old coal tailings and it’s quite bumpy. We have no floodlights.

“We have very high hopes for this Aus Sport grant because we met all of the criteria, we put together a fantastic application.

“It’s a slap in the face to volunteers across the country… our elected representatives are using taxpayer-funded money for political gain. It’s just disgusting. It’s unethical.

“We’re considering our legal options.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Getty/Tracey Nearmy

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