The lighting upgrades to the Oval were apart of a $1.62 million project to improve facilities like Verge and Eden street fields and the South West Rocks sports complex.

The funding was provided by the NSW Government's Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF) and ClubGRANTS program, with contributions from Council, Football NSW and AFL NSW/ACT.

Port Macquarie Magpies and Bellingen Bulldogs will be the first two clubs to play at the Oval in a night match for their under 15's North Coast AFL round 2 catch-up match.

The fixture will be this Wednesday night, August 19, with both clubs meeting halfway after their previously scheduled game was called off due to rain.

Jim Stirling Oval is originally the home ground for the Macleay Valley Eagles AFL Club but due to COVID-19 concerns and their volunteers being in the high-risk area for the disease, the club have sat out from this years AFL North Coast competition.

"It's a real disappointment that the Macleay Valley Eagles haven't been able to field teams in this year's competition, but it will be great to see footy action back in the town," AFL NSW North Coast Community Football Manager Paul Taylor told the Argus.

"Hopefully this will help to keep AFL on the local radar so that the club can reform next year when some 'normality' has returned.

Kick off for the match will be 6:00pm.

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