Melbourne Demons’ Caulfield deal closer to dead than done

Betsy

@betsy_com_au

·

3h

Melbourne Football Club’s public stance they are moving closer to a deal to train at Caulfield has been described as ‘’fanciful’’.

Betsy recently wrote about how a deal between the Melbourne Football Club,

the Melbourne Racing Club and the Caulfield Trust who manages the racecourse precinct is in trouble.

The football club wants a $100m training complex built on the site.

There are many issues that threaten to scupper the deal – the main being the football club’s insistence a tunnel is built underneath the racetrack [which would shut racing down for at least a year], not to mention an unwillingness to share an administration facility.

Running the football club’s process is Racing Victoria board member Paul Guerra, who is also the Melbourne Football Cub CEO.

There are serious fractures emerging on the racing side of the deal – many at the MRC have dwindling interest in sharing the site with the football club.

Which is why comments from Guerra on SEN on Tuesday caught the interest of many within racing.

“We are close to what we ever have been before (with Caulfield) but still not close enough to announce. But when we can, that will become the new home for Melbourne Football Club,’’ he told SEN.

“We always look at alternates. Once we’ve announced Caulfield – the negotiations are at a delicate stage – we can then start to look at how long is it going to take us to move into Caulfield by the time we get approvals and then build. Then what might be available in the interim.”

Close? Closer to dead than happening, is how one insider described the situation. The definitive nature of Guerra’s remarks caught a few by surprise. While a few in the footy world may see it as a given, many in government and racing do not.

Those who we spoke to yesterday described the comments as ‘’desperate’’, another described the remarks as ‘’fanciful’’. Racing powerbrokers remain unconvinced football should come to Caulfield.

There haven’t been any discussions since

Betsy revealed how far apart the parties are.

But while the football club’s feasibility study may be close to release, the reality is that there is little chance of any Sherrin’s being kicked at Caulfield in the medium term.

2 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

This thread https://demonland.com/forums/topic/66964-exclusive-interview-with-paul-guerra-steven-king-steven-smith/#comment-2756682 makes a strong case for the whole club being in one location.

Management and the Board would have been closer to what was happening in the FD and the locker room rather than having it filtered by the coach, GMFD, CEO.

Been the nemesis of this club for 60yrs.. sitting in their ivory tower at G they wouldn’t have a feel of what’s going on at AAMi let alone at Casey, the messaging by Guerra on Trac & Oliver then backflip reinforces the disconnection