Demons Grand Plan for Yarra Park Training HQ

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,909]

10 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

well i was only tossing up the idea

Surrey park is actually right on the border of Box hill, Box Hill South, Surrey Hills and Mont Albert - hardly a wasteland https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.8273064,145.1134505,16z

MCC already have a lease there and it is close to freeway and train stations and is a very pleasant sporting and recreation precinct

I don't think a social club is necessarily required, but for the sake of completeness, is this land in the 'Dry' area of the State? Would it be able to get a liquor licence?

[old dee 23,872]

18 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

The MCC (not a typo) has funded two 'competition grade' ovals in the grounds of the new Beaumaris Secondary College:

"The MCC has reached agreement with the Victorian Government to provide world-class sporting facilities at a new school in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs... This partnership provides a unique opportunity for students and the local community to access world-class sporting facilities, which will be used by students during school hours and by the MCC’s sporting teams and local sporting groups outside of school hours. https://www.mcc.org.au/newsletters/november-2016-edition/beaumaris-secondary-college

MFC is a MCC sporting team is it not?  But project does not include us. It now has its own football club formed last year with a women's team:

While the MCC has had a long-standing football section in the form of Melbourne Football Club, the MCC Football Club was formed in 2018 to facilitate a women’s team making its debut in the club's colours. The MCC Football Club is based at the club's sports facilities at Beaumaris Secondary College .  https://www.mcc.org.au/club-sport/club-sport/football

In the meantime our women's team trains at Gosch and plays at Casey.

Too late for MFC to get involved now.  Begs the question why MFC and MCC didn't work together to develop our base there!  I get the impression MCC didn't do much to help our cause at Yarra Park either. 

It looks like we have been cast adrift by the MCC.

LH we were case adrift 50 years ago, it is nothing new.

Perhaps we should murf into the MCC football club, it is an option I have never thought of till now.

May be the only way out.

[Lucifers Hero 40,365]

1 minute ago, old dee said:

LH we were case adrift 50 years ago, it is nothing new.

Perhaps we should murf into the MCC football club, it is an option I have never thought of till now.

May be the only way out.

If the MCC was remotely entertaining that, they wouldn't have created their own MCC Football Club (just last year) and included MFC in the Beaumaris project.  That suggests to me that they have plans of their own which do not include us.

[old dee 23,872]

34 minutes ago, praha said:

Location of your base has an influence. Good luck attracting free agents who will be forced to live out Casey way. What presence if at all will branding in Casey have on the growth of the club? We've been there for a decade and battle to see minuscule incremental growth.

Centralise the base. It's not even so much about the logistical challenges. Casey is almost a "out of sight out of mind" location. Can we really afford to fall off the radar and base ourselves that far away from the city? Think of the bigger picture. Casey is a cesspool.

The problem is praha that there are no credible other options.

Happy to stay in central Melbourne but where?

 

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

We left the control of the MCC because we were an afterthought in their eyes. Whether it would have made a difference to our power base if we had left earlier is hard to say.

The MCC isn't the way forward unless we want to be a big second in the relationship

[Lucifers Hero 40,365]

Government looks for the community benefits which can include: multicultural sporting activities, women's sports, indigenous sporting facilities, other sporting codes etc.

We are in a catch-22:

-imv, as long as we are aligned to Casey which fosters those communities, MFC will find it difficult to get funding for them in inner Melbourne.  My thinking is:1) The government may see it as a duplication of what we have at Casey and prefer to put funding there 2) Other AFL clubs are heavily servicing these activities in inner Melb and again the government would see it as a duplication of existing services.

-without community benefits we won't get funding.

Catch-22!!

Also, folks can forget Kevin Bartlett oval.  Home to a variety of other sports under the banner of Richmond and Collingwood (not necessarily connected to the AFL clubs).  And some $millions went in last year to upgrade the grandstand.

What I find frustrating is that neither the AFL, MCC or any political party is lifting a finger to help us.  All stay very quietly in the background.  

[old dee 23,872]

6 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

If the MCC was remotely entertaining that, they wouldn't have created their own MCC Football Club (just last year) and included MFC in the Beaumaris project.  That suggests to me that they have plans of their own which do not include us.

The big problem with everything MCC is our numbers in that organisation do not and hove not for some time constituted a majority. There are probably more Collingwood, Hawthorn and Essendon members now than  MFC members. Don't think they give two hoots what happens to the MFC.

Edited June 24, 2019 by old dee

[old dee 23,872]

1 minute ago, Diamond_Jim said:

We left the control of the MCC because we were an afterthought in their eyes. Whether it would have made a difference to our power base if we had left earlier is hard to say.

The MCC isn't the way forward unless we want to be a big second in the relationship

That would be better than the current tenth DJ.

[Sorry kids 635]

To attract Council support and Government funding among other things you must push opportunities for girls and women to participate in sport and broader relaxation. You must provide non footy community facilities such as creches and other family friendly facilities. This thing requires imagination and co operation from a lot of stakeholders. Get it right and you set the Club up for decades of on and off field success. Forget world class medical facilities, its community, community every time.

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

The Docklands has two big issues...

First is the cost of land.. sure we get it as a gift but the tendency for training facilities these days is exclusive other than invitees (Essendon and their disabled athletes alignment for example). If the land is gifted it is very hard for an argument that it be exclusive and not public parkland.

Second is the community benefit argument. Hard to get much sympathy for the Docklands community if there is one. (They are mainly wealthy retirees, airbnbs, overseas landlords or cheap student lets if the stories are to be believed.)

[Lucifers Hero 40,365]

The Bentleigh Club is on 11,000 sq mt of land.  Is that big enough for an oval, offices and parking?  We could buy up the neighbouring houses for about $15m to add 400 sq mts and add a gym, pool, recovery centre etc.

But our Board is so wedded to the cbd/inner melb sporting precinct, I doubt it is open to looking at anything in the suburbs.

Some broader vision is required, both geographically and of mind.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Lucifer's Hero

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

Time for the MFC to develop a twenty to fifty year plan that sees it relocate to Casey with a intermediate (ten year) CBD option.

Uber sky transport will take the latte sipping players out there in a few minutes in not that many years.

[old dee 23,872]

1 minute ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

The Bentleigh Club is on 11,000 sq mt of land.  Is that big enough for an oval, offices and parking?  We could buy up the neighbouring houses for about $15m to add 400 sq mts.

But our Board is so wedded to the cbd/inner melb sporting precinct, I doubt it is open to looking at anything in the suburbs.

Your last sentence covers it LH and from the comments on here 80% of the members.

As a result the only option is Goschs paddock and shared facilities up he road. 

I just don't want to see anyone from that  group complain about Goschs holding us back.

[Sorry kids 635]

2 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

The Bentleigh Club is on 11,000 sq mt of land.  Is that big enough for an oval, offices and parking?  We could buy up the neighbouring houses for about $15m to add 400 sq mts and add a gym, pool, recovery centre etc.

But our Board is so wedded to the cbd/inner melb sporting precinct, I doubt it is open to looking at anything in the suburbs.

The Bentleigh Club is nowhere near big enough. It is a Club we had an arrangement with. We do not own it. As a matter of fact it was a hopeless relationship. They showed the match on an old grainy projector  in a second rate room. I have been there when less than a dozen supporters watched interstate games.

[Moonshadow 17,677]

43 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

well i was only tossing up the idea

Surrey park is actually right on the border of Box hill, Box Hill South, Surrey Hills and Mont Albert - hardly a wasteland https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.8273064,145.1134505,16z

MCC already have a lease there and it is close to freeway and train stations and is a very pleasant sporting and recreation precinct

I played my junior footy at Surrey Park dc. Wore Demons jumpers back then. Pretty rough club iirc. We'd go and have a beer or 10 at the social club after our U17 game

I trust the MCC have cleaned it up. Jolly good and three cheers!!

[Dr. Gonzo 24,305]

13 hours ago, ding said:

What land is available in Docklands?

I was having a snoop around on Google Earth for another attempt at Photoshopping a new home base for us, but cant find any significant unused areas to use.

Anyone else with knowledge of what might be available in that area of town?

E Gate?

[Lucifers Hero 40,365]

7 minutes ago, Sorry kids said:

The Bentleigh Club is nowhere near big enough. It is a Club we had an arrangement with. We do not own it. As a matter of fact it was a hopeless relationship. They showed the match on an old grainy projector  in a second rate room. I have been there when less than a dozen supporters watched interstate games.

Might be wrong but I believe MFC owns the club and the land.

Over the last 8-10 years TBC has gradually eroded the 'match-day' experience for supporters.  Each time they downgraded it fewer people came: chicken/egg. 

Now there is no separate 'match-day' area.  Just a pokey corner in the pokies room with a small 40cm screen!  From 30-40 fans who bought drinks, food etc and now lucky if they get 10. 

My friends and I go to one of the RSL's to watch games we can't get to or we watch foxtel.  We wouldn't have foxtel if Bentleigh club was even half decent and half welcoming.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Lucifer's Hero

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

51 minutes ago, praha said:

Centralise the base. It's not even so much about the logistical challenges. Casey is almost a "out of sight out of mind" location. Can we really afford to fall off the radar and base ourselves that far away from the city? Think of the bigger picture. Casey is a cesspool

Praha... when was the last time you were in this area.

If you spent some time there you would see that along with the western suburbs it's the fastest growing area of Melbourne.

No AFL club has claimed the Dandenong/Frankston arc. The smart money says it's ours for the building over the next twenty years.

More memberships in a week to be had than in the NT over five years plus a load of increasingly marginal seats.

[Sorry kids 635]

3 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

I played my junior footy at Surrey Park dc. Wore Demons jumpers back then. Pretty rough club iirc. We'd go and have a beer or 10 at the social club after our U17 game

I trust the MCC have cleaned it up. Jolly good and three cheers!!

I remember Surrey. Yeah that social club made money from somewhere.. My brother played there for what was very big dollars in the late 70s. 

[Moonshadow 17,677]

1 minute ago, Sorry kids said:

I remember Surrey. Yeah that social club made money from somewhere.. My brother played there for what was very big dollars in the late 70s. 

"I am your brother, Luke..."

[daisycutter 29,743]

48 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

The MCC (not a typo) has funded two 'competition grade' ovals in the grounds of the new Beaumaris Secondary College:

"The MCC has reached agreement with the Victorian Government to provide world-class sporting facilities at a new school in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs... This partnership provides a unique opportunity for students and the local community to access world-class sporting facilities, which will be used by students during school hours and by the MCC’s sporting teams and local sporting groups outside of school hours. https://www.mcc.org.au/newsletters/november-2016-edition/beaumaris-secondary-college

MFC is a MCC sporting team is it not?  But project does not include us. It now has its own football club formed last year with a women's team:

While the MCC has had a long-standing football section in the form of Melbourne Football Club, the MCC Football Club was formed in 2018 to facilitate a women’s team making its debut in the club's colours. The MCC Football Club is based at the club's sports facilities at Beaumaris Secondary College .  https://www.mcc.org.au/club-sport/club-sport/football

In the meantime our women's team trains at Gosch and plays at Casey.

Too late for MFC to get involved now.  Begs the question why MFC and MCC didn't work together to develop our base there!  I get the impression MCC didn't do much to help our cause at Yarra Park either. 

It looks like we have been cast adrift by the MCC.

again......

[Lucifers Hero 40,365]

12 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Praha... when was the last time you were in this area.

If you spent some time there you would see that along with the western suburbs it's the fastest growing area of Melbourne.

No AFL club has claimed the Dandenong/Frankston arc. The smart money says it's ours for the building over the next twenty years.

More memberships in a week to be had than in the NT over five years plus a load of increasingly marginal seats.

Hawthorn is building at Dingley right near arterial roads to Dandenong and Frankston.  Guaranteed to provide a catchment area in the SE corridor for new members.

I do think our Board's 'narrow vision' which could be an obsession with inner Melb is holding us back.

Gosch is our only real chance in inner Melb as we are already there so less likely to get anyone screaming about giving up facilities.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Lucifer's Hero

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

4 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Hawthorn is building at Dingley right near arterial roads to Dandenong and Frankston.

I do think our Board's 'narrow vision' which could be an obsession with inner Melb is holding us back.

Gosch is our only real chance in inner Melb as we are already there so less likely to get anyone screaming about giving up facilities.

True but I was thinking more of the outer arc ... Berwick to Frankston for example.

Gosch's will be out of date within ten years by comparison to what other clubs will possess. There is no doubt Collingwood are already positioning for a mega move. And watch out for Carlton whose plans will spark an all out battle with the local moneyed NIMBY's.

[Lucifers Hero 40,365]

3 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

True but I was thinking more of the outer arc ... Berwick to Frankston for example.

Gosch's will be out of date within ten years by comparison to what other clubs will possess. There is no doubt Collingwood are already positioning for a mega move. And watch out for Carlton whose plans will spark an all out battle with the local moneyed NIMBY's.

Casey Fields is roughly in the middle of them. 

[Sorry kids 635]

20 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Might be wrong but I believe MFC owns the club and the land.

Over the last 8-10 years TBC has gradually eroded the 'match-day' experience for supporters.  Each time they downgraded it fewer people came: chicken/egg. 

Now there is no separate 'match-day' area.  Just a pokey corner in the pokies room with a small 40cm screen!  From 30-40 fans who bought drinks, food etc and now lucky if they get 10. 

My friends and I go to one of the RSL's to watch games we can't get to or we watch foxtel.  We wouldn't have foxtel if Bentleigh club was even half decent and half welcoming.

Yes, we entered a merger with the Bentleigh Club. So it is an asset although a very inflexible one as it would take the Members who are not MFC supporters based on how many people watch interstate games there to support any changes. It is very much a local community club. To make matters worse from a financial investment we will be taking out the pokies which hold the club up from 2022. On another note the venue is crying out for a smart young person to create a game day experience there on interstate match days.