It should not be impossible to play our VFL team in Yarra Park!

[CBDees 3,167]

When we started life in 1859 as the Melbourne Cricket Club Football Club, all was good and we had exclusive use of our "home" ground at the MCG for over a Century. Then we started sharing, letting in Richmond fifty years ago (1965), Essendon in 1992, Collingwood in 1993, Hawthorn in 2000 and (worst of all), Carlton last year! All these Clubs have prospered at our expense and our severing our original status as a sporting division of the MCC, has not helped us have any input into these tenancy arrangements.

Now all these Clubs are the "Power Clubs" and continue to profit at our expense by having their 'home games' scheduled in prime time while we get relegated to Sunday twilight matches or shunted off to Etihad. At the same time, each of these Clubs have developed stand-alone VFL teams and (sometimes with Goverment assistance) have all done major refurbs of their inner-suburban original grounds whilst we are consigned to Casey.

As Peter Jackson highlighted last night, our major impediment in having a stand-alone VFL team is the difficulty of first identifying an inner-urban site and then having the funds to develop a stadium to AFL/VFL standards. My question is:

Since Richmond FC have been sharing the MCG with us for half a Century, why can't we ask the MCC (who we were a division of at the time of Richmond's move) to call in the favour and put pressure on Richmond to allow us to share the Punt Road oval? We could build our own 'Social Club' there and it might even emerge as a Win-Win outcome for both Clubs and their supporters!

[CBDees 3,167]

I have changed the topic title to move it higher on the page with the hope of eliciting some feedback on this as an idea! Any comments?

[Gorgoroth 13,017]

No way in the world would Richmond let us add a social club room at Punt Road. They may let us play some VFL there (even that I doubt!)

[Dee Dee 1,117]

When we started life in 1859 as the Melbourne Cricket Club Football Club, all was good and we had exclusive use of our "home" ground at the MCG for over a Century. Then we started sharing, letting in Richmond fifty years ago (1965), Essendon in 1992, Collingwood in 1993, Hawthorn in 2000 and (worst of all), Carlton last year! All these Clubs have prospered at our expense and our severing our original status as a sporting division of the MCC, has not helped us have any input into these tenancy arrangements.

Now all these Clubs are the "Power Clubs" and continue to profit at our expense by having their 'home games' scheduled in prime time while we get relegated to Sunday twilight matches or shunted off to Etihad. At the same time, each of these Clubs have developed stand-alone VFL teams and (sometimes with Goverment assistance) have all done major refurbs of their inner-suburban original grounds whilst we are consigned to Casey.

As Peter Jackson highlighted last night, our major impediment in having a stand-alone VFL team is the difficulty of first identifying an inner-urban site and then having the funds to develop a stadium to AFL/VFL standards. My question is:

Since Richmond FC have been sharing the MCG with us for half a Century, why can't we ask the MCC (who we were a division of at the time of Richmond's move) to call in the favour and put pressure on Richmond to allow us to share the Punt Road oval? We could build our own 'Social Club' there and it might even emerge as a Win-Win outcome for both Clubs and their supporters!

The Melbourne Football Club is still/again a sporting section of the MCC.

And most of the committee are Dee's supporters.

Steve Smith may well be the next MCC president after (the Geelong supporting) Paul Sheahan.

[T-34 409]

Peter Jackson has now explained the reasons why we will be staying at Casey for the short term future at least.

We as supporters need to get our heads around this and learn to live with it.

Our reserves will be at Casey until 2018, perhaps we could revisit this at a later date and attempt to support what we have until then.

Edited February 8, 2015 by T-34

[old dee 23,872]

Peter Jackson has now explained the reasons why we will be staying at Casey for the short term future at least.

We as supporters need to get our heads around this and learn to live with it.

Our reserves will be at Casey until 2018, perhaps we could revisit this at a later date and attempt to support what we have until then.

Spot on T-34

He also said there are currently no viable options to use that do not involve the expenditure of tens of millions of dollars.

We just need to stop dreaming and get on with what we have.

All the rest is pie in the sky till at least 2019

[Redleg 41,428]

Punt Road has also been narrowed and shortened and is not fit for VFL games.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,246]

Plenty of room at Romsey Park

[Whispering_Jack 30,652]

Punt Road has also been narrowed and shortened and is not fit for VFL games.

Richmond's VFL team plays there. Casey played them there during 2014 and it didn't seem to be a problem.

[CBDees 3,167]

Spot on T-34

He also said there are currently no viable options to use that do not involve the expenditure of tens of millions of dollars.

We just need to stop dreaming and get on with what we have.

All the rest is pie in the sky till at least 2019

The point I was trying to make with this topic was the fact that, when our alignment with the MCC was much closer, we didn't leverage it to the extent we may have and, in the interim, all the rich and powerful Victorian Clubs (viz. Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, Richmond & Hawthorn) have all waltzed in to our 'home ground' and taken the prime times whilst the AFL has consigned us to Sunday twilight matches. I would suspect that both the MCG and the Punt Road ground would both ultimately have to answer to the Yarra Park Trust and my point is that over the years, had we been a lot closely enmeshed with the MCC then we may have well have been able to negotiate a scenario more favourable to our supporters.

[Mad_Melbourne 877]

The point I was trying to make with this topic was the fact that, when our alignment with the MCC was much closer, we didn't leverage it to the extent we may have and, in the interim, all the rich and powerful Victorian Clubs (viz. Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, Richmond & Hawthorn) have all waltzed in to our 'home ground' and taken the prime times whilst the AFL has consigned us to Sunday twilight matches. I would suspect that both the MCG and the Punt Road ground would both ultimately have to answer to the Yarra Park Trust and my point is that over the years, had we been a lot closely enmeshed with the MCC then we may have well have been able to negotiate a scenario more favourable to our supporters.

Casey is not a bad situation considering we need to extend our membership base.

If we could regularly get 60,000 to games we would get the good slots, but we can't and until then the teams that can will have the prime time slots. After all football is a business

Edit: love the self bump of the thread btw

Edited February 8, 2015 by Mad_Melbourne

[CBDees 3,167]

Casey is not a bad situation considering we need to extend our membership base.

If we could regularly get 60,000 to games we would get the good slots, but we can't and until then the teams that can will have the prime time slots. After all football is a business

Edit: love the self bump of the thread btw

Of course the really ideal scenario would be for our VFL team to play at the MCG as a Curtin-raiser. In that way, the diehards would be able to get their early and watch our whole list in action (plus it would enable the coaching staff to make a more informed call on who to promote/relegate each week)!

[daisycutter 29,738]

Plenty of room at Romsey Park

would that be the polo ground, bbo?

[Moonshadow 17,677]

would that be the polo ground, bbo?

Or the paddock behind the pub which is overrun by rabbits?

[biggestred 5,138]

There's bars in aami park. Surely we could just use one there for post match functions assuming there was nothing on there?

[Red and Bluebeard 2,090]

Or the paddock behind the pub which is overrun by rabbits?

There is a pub in Romsey overrun by rabbits? That sounds like it might be worth a visit ...

[DeeSpencer 26,081]

1. Who owns Punt road oval? And if not RFC who controls the lease?

2. Do we have any leverage over them?

Richmond might consider leasing our VFL team the rights to play there but I expect it would come at a high price. Tiger fans would be very angry so Richmond would have to placate them by showing it's a great result for them. I would think it might cost up to 1 million a season to rent for our 10-12 VFL home games. Anything less would not be a significant result for Richmond. Whilst in reality 500k or even 200k would be a fairer price it's not a price that would pay off the significant member backlash that Richmond would face.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So according to Wikipedia the ground is owned by the Melbourne City Council and operated by Richmond.

I presume they have a valuable long term lease and it's probably not one that can be pressured. If anyone thinks of a way for us to get support from the City of Melbourne then I'd like to hear it.

[CBDees 3,167]

In answer to Georgiou R. R. Martin (above):

Both the MCG and Punt Road oval are in Yarra Park, which is legislated by the "Yarra Park and MCG Amendment Act 2009". This amended the "Melboune (Yarra Park) Land Act 1980". This amended Act transferred management from the Melbourne City Council to the MCG Trust, however the pre-existing lease of the Punt Road oval to the Richmond FC and the AFL was recognised (section 22). Effectively, as overall manager, the MCG has considerable clout, and, after all, both the Richmond FC and the AFL are their tenants at the MCG!

Edited February 8, 2015 by CBDees

[Mad_Melbourne 877]

Of course the really ideal scenario would be for our VFL team to play at the MCG as a Curtin-raiser. In that way, the diehards would be able to get their early and watch our whole list in action (plus it would enable the coaching staff to make a more informed call on who to promote/relegate each week)!

whilst i like the idea, i dont think that it would increase our match day attendance but it is an entirely unrealistic thought as the AFL would not enjoy having an extra 15 games a year on the G, especially if the matches were in wet weather.

Also this last comment is quite a silly statement, i guarantee you that the coaching staff (development coaches) attend these games but also there will be video footage allowing the coaches to make a perfectly informed call on who is playing up or down week by week

Edited February 8, 2015 by Mad_Melbourne

[old dee 23,872]

Story on the MFC site today from PJ saying they have just signed a new five year deal to stay at AAMI.

Also stated again they would need $35million to move to another location.

IMO we are AAMI and Casey for the foreseeable future.

Lets get on with making the best of what we have which is way better than what we had ten years ago.

[ManDee 7,222]

Personally I dislike double negatives.

Thread title should read. It should be possible to play our VFL team at Yarra Park.

Double negatives are clumsy and are easily misinterpreted.

PS:- I am a pedant and proud of it.

Edit: - I am not saying I don't dislike being against the idea of not knowing but I won't confirm my inability to disagree with the concept. If you know what I mean.

Edited February 9, 2015 by ManDee

[dpositive 1,684]

Personally I dislike double negatives.

Thread title should read. It should be possible to play our VFL team at Yarra Park.

Double negatives are clumsy and are easily misinterpreted.

PS:- I am a pedant and proud of it.

Edit: - I am not saying I don't dislike being against the idea of not knowing but I won't confirm my inability to disagree with the concept. If you know what I mean.

If you are "not saying you dont dislike" and you are " not against the idea of not knowing", your "inability to disagree" may mean something.

So easy to misinterpret double negatives.

All in jest

[DeeSpencer 26,081]

In answer to Georgiou R. R. Martin (above):

Both the MCG and Punt Road oval are in Yarra Park, which is legislated by the "Yarra Park and MCG Amendment Act 2009". This amended the "Melboune (Yarra Park) Land Act 1980". This amended Act transferred management from the Melbourne City Council to the MCG Trust, however the pre-existing lease of the Punt Road oval to the Richmond FC and the AFL was recognised (section 22). Effectively, as overall manager, the MCG has considerable clout, and, after all, both the Richmond FC and the AFL are their tenants at the MCG!

So we'd need to infiltrate the state government appointed MCG trust (see link below) and then get them to examine the lease which they now hold and see if there was a way to get a Melbourne VFL team access to the ground.

http://www.mcg.org.au/About%20the%20G/MCG%20Trust.aspx

Sounds a bit unlikely to me.

[DeeSpencer 26,081]

I believe we should be looking at another MCC controlled facility for a potential reserves team. The Albert Cricket Ground

Close to the city

Fenced off

MCC controlled

Melbourne have played there before

Not currently utilised by a footy club in winter but instead a lacross club that surely could work around or find a new home

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Cricket_Ground

It's too small and too important for cricket and tennis to be our permanent base, but with a little work would make the perfect VFL home for 12 games a season.

Thoughts?

[ManDee 7,222]

We should train on the MCG. Stop paying rent elsewhere and put the savings towards an extra re turf when required.