An underground power cable running to Dimboola Recreation Reserve was cut on Monday while council workers were digging footings for five new cabins at the neighbouring caravan park.

Hindmarsh Shire Council hired a replacement generator to allow footballers to train in the stadium on Tuesday night.

On Thursday, with the netballers preparing to train in the stadium, the lights for the oval were switched on in preparation for football training – at which point, the temporary generator overloaded.

Attempts to restart the generator caused it to catch fire, with juniors still training in the stadium being evacuated before the generator was extinguished.

With no lights available, training was called off for the netballers and the footballers used the synthetic surface at the hockey centre.

Senior football coach Al McKinnon said training on specifics became difficult. 

“We did what we could, but it’s not good on your body when you are used to playing on soft ground,” he said.

The netball team had already been experiencing training difficulties in the preceding weeks.

A Grade coach Ant Toet said sickness had swept through the squads prior to the interleague break.

“We’ve had really disjointed preparations recently,” she said.

No power meant the usual social atmosphere after training on Thursdays was also quieter. President Col Campbell said dinners were prepared using gas under temporary lights.

“It was certainly an inconvenience,” he said. “In the end we were picking the under-17s team by phone light.”

The latest disruption follows difficulties with the reserve’s light towers after one fell in high winds in 2015.

Temporary lighting was in place for more than a year afterwards.

A more powerful generator had been organised to enable training this week.

“We have organised some practice matches just in case,” Toet said.

The council’s chief executive Greg Wood said he was hopeful work to replace the damaged cable would be completed by the end of the week depending on weather.