p.s Monty..

could you alter the subject suffix to relate a little more to Docklands ..a new one( Not etihad !! ) perhaps ??

am aware which is which:) any facilites at bubbledome are going to be shared .. why not have our own ?? AN oval with training facilites attached is better than a walk

We wont ever be far spiritually from the G..Indeed certain usiness capacities are due to return there. However am intrigued with this new news

We'll see if this emerges beyond a conversation on a talkback radio station - but the only thing that would sway my opinion at this stage, would be if they are offering us a better deal financially than we are getting at the Bubbledome project.

The facilties look very impressive, and no, the walk from facilities to training oval is not that far

Wholewheartedly concur...lets see what transpires and what sort of offers are put on a table.

Much of the put hurrah about Bubbledome was to tie in with the Team Melbourne thing..all for one...one for all etc.. That has all come to absolutely zero. The shine if any about Bubbledome has faded. We and it..are no longer an ideal fit..

will be interesting to see if anything transpires for sure

I would assume we'll still use Casey during the Summer and use the new facilities at the Docklands during the season? During the summer the Docklands facilities will be used by the public? I'm not sure what happened to having facilities with in the MCG? Maybe the MCC didnt like that idea.

This Is how I read it..

Who knows but Ill trust Jimmys doing the best thing for the club.

I thought I would touch base in relation to what has become a somewhat confusing communication in relation to our club’s facilities, an issue which has challenged many generations of MFC administrators.

I am a regular reader of Demonland and Demonology and enjoy the discussions. I have encouraged our staff to read the sites as we can learn a lot from what our supporters are saying about our club.

Now that life has settled down a little, I will try and make a contribution from time to time.

In relation to our facilities, the key points are as follows:

The MCG is our home. A key component of our realignment with the MCC is to give the club a stronger presence at the ground (visually and spiritually) and a number of concepts are being discussed, with enthusiasm and understanding. We cannot underestimate the importance of the realignment, but at the most fundamental level it relates to the Melbourne Football Club and its ‘sense of place’. As I like to say, “if the MCG is the paddock that grew, it is the Melbourne Football Club who cultivated it”. Simply, we are no longer a tenant, we are home.

The MCC have been tremendous, we could not have asked for more.

Unfortunately, the MCG cannot be our training venue. It can however be our administrative base, at least in the foreseeable future, or until a better option presents. Anyone who has visited our offices would know we need to upgrade our facilities which are tired and we are fragmented over three levels. Our retail outlet is also problematic.

For anyone who has experienced the Junction Oval in recent years, our football team is being severely compromised in relation to quality and access (summer). Our club has also suffered from the dislocation of the organisation into two parts (ie MCG and Junction Oval).

The club also needs to establish a community base as a key part of our growth strategy.

The likely next phase for the club is as follows:

The club has signed a 30 year agreement with the City of Casey which will go before Council in the near future – hopefully for final approval. Once approved, this will be formally announced, in the meantime keep it amongst ourselves! We have built excellent goodwill with the City of Casey and they have been great to deal with. It promises to be a very strong relationship.

This is an integrated agreement, very focused on community. The club will have access to the outstanding facilities in Casey, including Casey Fields as well as the Recreation and Aquatic Centre. An AFL quality facility will be built at Casey Fields for the MFC as part of an overall upgrade, to include gym, change-rooms etc - to be completed early next year.

Community will be at the heart of what we are calling our ‘growth imperative’.

Casey Fields will be utilised extensively by the club, particularly in the summer months, but also during the season where it is likely that we will spend at least one day integrating training and community activities. It will be known as our Casey Campus.

As you would also be aware, we are a long way down the track in relation to finalising the establishment of an elite training centre at Olympic Park, within the new rectangular stadium, training at Gosch’s Paddock.

Our Olympic Park Campus will be a shared facility, with Melbourne Storm and Melbourne Victory, and will house our football operations as well as the flexibility to co-locate some of our MCG based staff. Whilst still separated over two venues, we are only a few minutes walk across the footbridge and the facilities promise to be excellent. If all goes to plan, we will be in a position to move into the facilities in the first half of next year. In the meantime, we will operate between the Junction Oval and Casey as we did (quite successfully) this year.

The Docklands’ opportunity is interesting, but it is only at a very early concept stage. We will explore the opportunity, as it could present a Hawthorn/Waverley Park option where it puts the entire organisation in one facility immediately adjacent to a training ground in the traditional AFL club model, rather than a shared facility within a soccer/rugby stadium with a non-exclusive training ground down the road. It would complement our Casey arrangement whilst not compromising our MCG heritage, where we would seek to maintain a strong presence. Given that it is a ‘green-field’ site, it presents many opportunities to integrate with local community and business in the heart of the ‘new’ Melbourne. It is an interesting concept, but that is as far as it has developed thus far.

Hope this clears up a few things, and I look forward to seeing you all at the footy tomorrow.

Schwabby.

thanks for that Cam, just a quick one, would this facility at Docklands be ours?, as an asset on our balance sheet? as opposed to paying out huge rent fees to the Bubbledome?

Also great news on Casey lets hope the council approves the deal!!

I thought I would touch base in relation to what has become a somewhat confusing communication in relation to our club’s facilities, an issue which has challenged many generations of MFC administrators.

Thanks for the update. Thanks also for uniting this club and giving it a real chance to succeed in the long term

...

Thanks for that Cam, it is fantastic to read.

You and your team and doing great things with the MFC. we're all proud as hell.

Keep up the good work!

I couldnt see the Money being thrown at a new complex only to have it gifted to us. I sense it too will be a community facility of sorts but ours to use for I would probably consider a minimum rent.

This wouldn't and won't happen. We've just realligned ourselves with the MCC, as one of their clubs. We're not going to then move over to Docklands. Especially, for the fact that the whole point of Casey was to provide the club with more supporters and members over the next 30 years.

you summed it all up,

Thanks for that Schwabby. Top effort and I'm now better informed than I would have been.

Great to see a CEO posting on a supporter site. I look forward to reading more of your comments.

PS. I hope our MFC staff have strong stomachs! Some of the debate here and on 'Ology can get pretty willing.

Regards,

MB.

I thought I would touch base.......

Great to see a CEO posting on a supporter site. I look forward to reading more of your comments.

I completely agree.......

And I think we all appreciate seeing Cameron in here and explaining what can be confusing to us.

I hope that we will see our CEO plenty more in the times to come.

I thought I would touch base in relation to what has become a somewhat confusing communication in relation to our club’s facilities, an issue which has challenged many generations of MFC administrators.

I am a regular reader of Demonland and Demonology and enjoy the discussions. I have encouraged our staff to read the sites as we can learn a lot from what our supporters are saying about our club.

Schwabby.

Thanks Cam, Glad you read this Forum.

When you get the chance can you tell us the clubs position of the Round 15 relocation issue with st.kilda/geelong game.

The MCG Stadiun deal with the Football club-where do we stand?

As an MCC/MFC member i would hope we would get a strong deal in order to grow.

Thanks.

As you would also be aware, we are a long way down the track in relation to finalising the establishment of an elite training centre at Olympic Park, within the new rectangular stadium, training at Gosch’s Paddock.

Our Olympic Park Campus will be a shared facility, with Melbourne Storm and Melbourne Victory, and will house our football operations as well as the flexibility to co-locate some of our MCG based staff. Whilst still separated over two venues, we are only a few minutes walk across the footbridge and the facilities promise to be excellent. If all goes to plan, we will be in a position to move into the facilities in the first half of next year. In the meantime, we will operate between the Junction Oval and Casey as we did (quite successfully) this year.

The Docklands’ opportunity is interesting, but it is only at a very early concept stage. We will explore the opportunity, as it could present a Hawthorn/Waverley Park option where it puts the entire organisation in one facility immediately adjacent to a training ground in the traditional AFL club model, rather than a shared facility within a soccer/rugby stadium with a non-exclusive training ground down the road. It would complement our Casey arrangement whilst not compromising our MCG heritage, where we would seek to maintain a strong presence. Given that it is a ‘green-field’ site, it presents many opportunities to integrate with local community and business in the heart of the ‘new’ Melbourne. It is an interesting concept, but that is as far as it has developed thus far.

Hope this clears up a few things, and I look forward to seeing you all at the footy tomorrow.

Schwabby.

Thanks for update Cameron, its much appreciated.

What is the timeframe on the Docklands project?

As you say, we are almost ready to move into the new Olympic Park facility, yet it would seem on a few points this setup is less than ideal. What is the nature of the MFC's commitment to the OP facility? Although the Docklands is only at a conceptual stage at the moment, will the club be in a position, contractually speaking, to take such an opportunity if it is deemed preferable?

It seems one way or the other, it will be a while before we are truely settled.

Enjoy the game - I'll have to make do with following it online.

Some of the debate here and on 'Ology can get pretty willing.

Let's not confuse sniping for willing debate Bob

I thought I would touch base in relation to what has become a somewhat confusing communication in relation to our club’s facilities, an issue which has challenged many generations of MFC administrators.

I am a regular reader of Demonland and Demonology and enjoy the discussions. I have encouraged our staff to read the sites as we can learn a lot from what our supporters are saying about our club.

Hope this clears up a few things, and I look forward to seeing you all at the footy tomorrow.

Schwabby.

What better man to discuss these plans? It's great to have you back on board, Cameron. I'm not just excited about the future of our playing group, but also the future of our club, off the field and you're such an important and valued part of that.

Would it be possible for the title of this thread to include a mention that Cameron contributed?

cheers

Edit: thanks

What a great effort.

Thanks Cameron for getting us all up to date with what you agree has been a confusing issue.

I think we can all agree on that fact that this is a very exciting time for the Melbourne Football Club.

We are very lucky to have the people we have at the club at the current time.

Thanks also to Cameron from the BVI Demons Supporter Group.

I love what I am seeing at Melbourne at the moment. Progress. On the field and off the field.

I called someone back in Australia earlier this week who told me Melbourne were "no good" again on the weekend. I can ensure you I climbed in and gave them a lecture on progress. Sorry mum.

Dear Cam,

great to read your input - a quick post here and there will do wonders to clear up the odd confusing issue.

Rapt to see the changes re: Casey continue to be nurtured by the current admin. Must say I was a bit tense about the whole sponsorship issue thing - I'm sure you were confident that whole time!

Again, thanks for the post.

The MCG is our home....

The MCC have been tremendous, we could not have asked for more.

Unfortunately, the MCG cannot be our training venue.

Come on Schwabby I thought you were the man, how can you not have negotiated with the MCC to level out an area of the car park around the G and for them to build us a training base with a training ground attached to the G itself...

I called someone back in Australia earlier this week who told me Melbourne were "no good" again on the weekend. I can ensure you I climbed in and gave them a lecture on progress. Sorry mum.

.......... hahahaha she'll know better next time.

I thought I would touch base in relation to what has become a somewhat confusing communication in relation to our club’s facilities, an issue which has challenged many generations of MFC administrators.

I am a regular reader of Demonland and Demonology and enjoy the discussions. I have encouraged our staff to read the sites as we can learn a lot from what our supporters are saying about our club.

...

The MCG is our home. A key component of our realignment with the MCC is to give the club a stronger presence at the ground (visually and spiritually) and a number of concepts are being discussed, with enthusiasm and understanding. We cannot underestimate the importance of the realignment, but at the most fundamental level it relates to the Melbourne Football Club and its ‘sense of place’. As I like to say, “if the MCG is the paddock that grew, it is the Melbourne Football Club who cultivated it”. Simply, we are no longer a tenant, we are home.

The MCC have been tremendous, we could not have asked for more.

...

Hope this clears up a few things, and I look forward to seeing you all at the footy tomorrow.

Schwabby.

Cam, it says you're a 'rookie Demon'... ha ha ha!!

Great to read your post, thanks millions. What a great egalitarian club, MFC.

I'm an MCC member, love the cricket club and its facilities, love seeing Jimmy sitting just along from me & my family and watching his same enthusiasm as us all. But first & foremost my passion is for the MFC. The rejoining of the MFC with the MCC fold is excellent, the 'sense of place' you understand and value so obviously is also very important to the Cricket Club. Without MFC closely aligned with the MCC, my support & interest in the MCC would be much, much less.

And I guarantee you later today as we go through all the emotions and waving of scarves on level 2 with Jimmy, there are thousands of other MCC supporters who feel exactly the same as me & my family.

Thanks Cam & GO DEES!!

That is class.

Pure class.

I'm blown away, I really am.

Mr. Cameron Schwab, you may consider me a minion.

....

Fantastic to read, thanks for coming on here. Great to hear the deal with Casey is moving along, best of luck with council approval.

It's a pleasure having you back at the club.