Melbourne to have new home in Docklands

[Mousey 47]

LOVE the idea and concept !

Casey Fields- Our summer base, this is where the whole offseason slug and preseason will occur. It is also in the 30 year agreement that we will train there once a week which is fine. Also our VFL partner in the Scorpians are based there.

Docklands project- Melbourne FC HQ: Where we train, recover and plan for the upcoming games. A MCG size oval to train so close to the city, our admin and meeting rooms set up there, also places like Doctors/Phisio will be put around the oval to accommodate our players. Also scope to build a somewhat meeting place for US! The dee supporters may have a meeting place and area where we can meet before games and celebrate after games!

MCG- OUR HOME GROUND for premiership footy! We play a majority of our home games there!

Darwin- We play 2 games a year at against the low crowd pulling sides in Port and Freo,

4 Campuses all with our footprint on! Reaching out to more people and giving the players and supporters more facilities to use!

Sounds fantastic to me!

[beelzebub 23,383]

Now that the whole thing has been put out there and seems to have some qualified support at manylevels Im sure the club will have aleady made some phone calls and organised meetings with the respective powers that be.

Note..to any a littel unsure/confused. Its mooted to be a training ground. An all in one headquarters for the MFC. It would include profesional suites and one would imagine some of those to be medical. . It would be in teh mould of the new Arden St with bits of Doggieland to boot. It could be bloody brilliant. This in no way affects Casey. it would replace the ramshackle arrangements we currently have. We would cease beinng nomads and I can only imagine the exposure and presence this would afford is just this side of immeasurable.

Funny ..I always thought the Bolte bridge looked like goal posts... maybe we could put a bit of red and blue on them !! :D

[Matt Demon 1,491]

What a load of Crap.

We have just organised a deal with Casey. How much will it cost us to get out of that ??

Part of a plot to isolate the MCG for use by Eddiewood, The Cheats(Carlton), Richmond & Essendon.

Cannot tell me equity is part of the considerationplanning of AFL.

Collingwood played 14/22 games on MCG this year, St Kilda 1/22

Read that Channel 9 is bidding (contemplating) on the basis of buying certain clubs games (guess who would be missing out!!)

Thank god I have Austar

Why would we be getting out of the deal at Casey? Did you not listen?

[titan_uranus 25,046]

What a load of Crap.

We have just organised a deal with Casey. How much will it cost us to get out of that ??

Part of a plot to isolate the MCG for use by Eddiewood, The Cheats(Carlton), Richmond & Essendon.

Cannot tell me equity is part of the considerationplanning of AFL.

Collingwood played 14/22 games on MCG this year, St Kilda 1/22

Read that Channel 9 is bidding (contemplating) on the basis of buying certain clubs games (guess who would be missing out!!)

Thank god I have Austar

Read the whole thread before you comment. It is a training ground and full set of facilities. Not a home ground. And we keep Casey as a summer base. It's all good.

[beelzebub 23,383]

Of course...we might have to do some redecorating of nearby structures ..

:D :D :D

[Demonic_Inferno 17]

I went to the article and this is a direct quote from it:

'Cr Doyle revealed he had spoken to the Melbourne Football Club about shifting to the proposed oval, which would be the same size as MCG, for its training rather than continuing at Casey Fields.'

Interesting!

[hells bells 2,023]

Of course...we might have to do some redecorating of nearby structures ..

:D :D :D

Does anyone know where the actual land they are talking about is? Where in Docklands?

[beelzebub 23,383]

Does anyone know where the actual land they are talking about is? Where in Docklands?

The New Quay Project Precint... in the shadows of that bridge;)

[Yencks 8]

I think that this would be great...

I think the clubs preferred option would be having everything based in the Southern Stand proposed development and then to train at Gosch's but having everything all in the one place at Docklands would be fantastic.

[beelzebub 23,383]

From the club.......

Docklands Opportunity..from MFC site

[gOLLy 401]

Didn't we just jump in bed with the MCC?

[beelzebub 23,383]

Didn't we just jump in bed with the MCC?

yes... but thats on a different level..

We cant train at the G.. there is insufficient space to accomodate all that we need for administration. Bubble dome was ill conceived as a maraige I concede

We are now one with the MCC but its as as an autonomous arm.

I can see this is going to confuse many...and it really oughtn't.

[True Believer 1]

yes... but thats on a different level..

We cant train at the G.. there is insufficient space to accomodate all that we need for administration. Bubble dome was ill conceived as a maraige I concede

We are now one with the MCC but its as as an autonomous arm.

I can see this is going to confuse many...and it really oughtn't.

sounds like exciting times ahead

[rusty_corner 0]

Is it just me, or are things actually coming together.

Everyone now want a piece of the Melbourne Football Club.

Compared to the joke we were 2 years ago, where it was like we had the plague, Now everyone is jumping aboard.

WE ARE GOING PLACES!!!

[dimmy 1,308]

Point taken on whether we are obligated to Casey etc.

It's just that I have become sensitive to :

* Anything that Robert Doyle comes up with (hit & miss)

* Always wary of AFL involvement because once you are in the Exec of AFL ,you are automatically on the Collingwood,Essendon, Carlton Boards

* Costs involved . We are just getting back on song in relation to this matter.

* Admit expanding supporter base etc willl-> + $ revenue

[beelzebub 23,383]

Point taken on whether we are obligated to Casey etc.

It's just that I have become sensitive to :

* Anything that Robert Doyle comes up with (hit & miss)

Well... lets hope this is a hit !!!!

* Always wary of AFL involvement because once you are in the Exec of AFL ,you are automatically on the Collingwood,Essendon, Carlton Boards

I think the AFLwould welcome this with open arms. Its good for them on many fronts. Re affirms AFL in the heartland of AFL. The AFL would be heartened by the growth of our brand..after all they were the ones to callit weak.lol Aids our club which might lessen the dependency in some ways to the AFL.

* Costs involved . We are just getting back on song in relation to this matter.

I dont think it would cost us much at all. The Vic Gov and MCC( city council ) would inject a lot of funds.So would the AFL. Melbourne would kick ina bit like Nth are with Arden.. Its a bargain. Some costs are always there regardless of where.. might as well be for us.

* Admit expanding supporter base etc willl-> + $ revenue

The opportunity for expanding and displaying the brand ( sorry for this labelling but its appropriate ) is enormous. Just think ..we would actually belong somewhere. Yes our spiritual home is always the G..but you still need to live somewhere. We'd be Melbourne from.....Melbourne..and we holiday in Casey

[beelzebub 23,383]

Im not sure if this would hod any sway but I suspect even the MCG might help us along here. As any ground associated with this project would be a carbon copy of the shape and surface of the G the there would exist a venue for interstate and finals teams to use for training without actually aeffecting the hallowed turf. The G dont really like anyone on it other than games and they might help such a facility into existence, whether that be financially or lobbying etc.

[beelzebub 23,383]

Of all the various schemes and dreams to provide us with a complete , everything in one place home this is the most appealing and logically sound. it would dovetail beautifully with our efforts in Casey. A Melbourne team in Melbourne called Melbourne...just let them try to move us then

[titan_uranus 25,046]

From the club.......

Docklands Opportunity..from MFC site

Important quotes from this article:

"The Club is committed to moving to the new MOPT stadium, and the 30 year deal that has been struck with the City of Casey stands regardless of any other moves."

"The Club’s home is, and always will be, the MCG. The potential Docklands facility is planned as an elite training facility only, not a stadium."

"The Club is committed to moving to the new MOPT stadium"

[beelzebub 23,383]

Important quotes from this article:

"The Club is committed to moving to the new MOPT stadium, and the 30 year deal that has been struck with the City of Casey stands regardless of any other moves."

Yes...so ??

Scwabby :"This opportunity would be a solution in the long term, as the project has a five to ten year time frame attached to it. This ground would provide a major community facility to residents of the Dockland’s area and would therefore further compliment the Club’s focus on integrating facilities and the communities in which they exist, such as the Club’s programs in the City of Casey."

Of course we are still going to use Bubbledome ..but we arent committed there for ever. We still need somewhere in the interim should something like Docklands take off.. You have to look at the overall picture and the variosu timelines. Schwabby is on record as saying that MOPT doesnt preclude Melbourne exploring Docklands.

"The Club's home is, and always will be, the MCG. The potential Docklands facility is planned as an elite training facility only, not a stadium."

Yes....and again thats what we need. ..isnt it ??? Its not meant as a stadium.. So your point would be ?

"The Club is committed to moving to the new MOPT stadium"

double dipping ?? already covered this

from :Demons looking into Docklands

"Melbourne has been fragmented for years and years and (that) will improve significantly when our football operations move into the rectangular stadium," said Demons chief executive Cameron Schwab.

"But we'll still have the rest of the office based out of the MCG, so we're still separated.

"While we're really looking forward to it and we think it will be terrific, this is a unique opportunity to have a fully-integrated facility in the (Docklands) precinct.

"It's the old Melbourne within the new Melbourne and it's something we're keen to explore."

Melbourne have been in discussions for several months about the Docklands plans, but are mindful that it is a new venture.

This is not some overnight whim or flight of fancy. Nothing about being at Bubbledome for say 5 or so years prevents us from doing Docklands.. Nothing about a secondary and primarily VFL focused facilty at Casey prevents us from doing Docklands.

Yes out heart belongs to the G ..but where do you put the body ??

[rpfc 28,816]

We spent a $1m on MOPT to be there for 5 years?

If this happens, and I say if because this is extremely preliminary, we will have paid 200k a year in rent in effect.

Love the exploring, but just wish we could get this facilities rubbish sorted quickly.

The excitement on this thread is not warranted, nothing has happened other than talk from a person who loves to hear himself talk.

And you all know who I am talking about...

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Would be nice to have somewhere pleasant to watch the boys train. Somewhere you could have a coffee, read the paper, go down and watch... (for those of us with daytimes free.)

The only thing...

Is Docklands still a s&%#hole? If so, they'd want to make it a good price.

[titan_uranus 25,046]

Yes....and again thats what we need. ..isnt it ??? Its not meant as a stadium.. So your point would be ?

I just pulled out some quotes from the statement that answered some of the questions people had (like what about Casey and the bubbledome).

I did happen to quote the same thing twice, though. Good on me.

This is not some overnight whim or flight of fancy. Nothing about being at Bubbledome for say 5 or so years prevents us from doing Docklands.. Nothing about a secondary and primarily VFL focused facilty at Casey prevents us from doing Docklands.

Well this is what is going to happen if the Docklands project does go ahead, isn't it? I mean, since there is nothing there atm, we'd obviously be moving into the bubbledome in the interim.

Is Docklands still a s&%#hole?

Yes.

[beelzebub 23,383]

Yes we will be at Bubbledome until something better is sorted out, thats very much a marraige of convenience in my mind.

Whilst arguably speculative at present it could grow legs. Given a few high profilers ( or wannabes ) are behind it together with genuine interst fromteh club it might just dovetail into that other project that the State Gov had in mind.

Maybe given our age we could get a Heritage grant..

Been trying tolocate an artists impression..know one of the news had somethng last night that actually showed the ground in situ. anyone ?

[H_T 3,049]

I recall this 'opportunity' mooted late last year.

The Club’s home is, and always will be, the MCG. The potential Docklands facility is planned as an elite training facility only, not a stadium.

It does sound interesting.

"But it would also be open space that could be used by the people of Docklands when Melbourne are not using it," Mr Doyle said.

<_<

Few questions here......will there be a cricket pitch involved? I hope not.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle is proposing that Melbourne set up their training and administrative headquarters as part of the park.

It's only a proposal at this stage. As Brumby stated, who's going to pay for it?: - "Big idea that somebody else would pay for - sounds good (sarcastically)"

"Like most of these things, there's a lot that goes into it - the funding being one of the critical issues," Schwab said.

And that's the bottom line....

Edited September 4, 2009 by High Tower