I think the current arrangement at Gosch's is painfully underestimated by most here. A training ground in the heart of this city's sports precinct which is just a short walk from modern gym facilities is respectable, to say the least! Access to training for supporters is sensational! I hope to never set foot on the Waverley complex for the rest of my living days! I want us to continue the Gosch's arrangement until a perfect replacement is identified, funded and built! Vive la Paddock!

3 hours ago, poita said:

My understanding that lack of parking is one of the major reasons that Hawthorn were desperate to leave Waverley. The public gym, the cafes and other businesses, and of course the residents are all fighting for a very limited number of car parks.

Hawthorn were saying that they had outgrown Waverley when they started planning Dingley a decade ago, so not sure how we would fit everyone under one roof if Hawthorn couldn't.

They also had no ability to run closed training sessions there, although we already have that problem with Gosch's.

Clearly there would be a financial benefit to being there, but that would be all.

And of course we would become the best wet weather team in the AFL.

Wettest area in Melbourne and one of the coldest.

Players would absolutely love it.

1 hour ago, waynewussell said:

I think the current arrangement at Gosch's is painfully underestimated by most here. A training ground in the heart of this city's sports precinct which is just a short walk from modern gym facilities is respectable, to say the least! Access to training for supporters is sensational! I hope to never set foot on the Waverley complex for the rest of my living days! I want us to continue the Gosch's arrangement until a perfect replacement is identified, funded and built! Vive la Paddock!

Supporter access to training is such an imbecilic reason to justify any decision on where our training ground should be.

I’m a bloody broken record on this but I have seen a few more think like me lately.

I do not want them to care about ‘the social aspect’ for supporters.

I don’t think ‘co-location’ matters.

Casey is a great facility even if it’s a drive for some. Boo hoo.

And, as an aside, they suits need a lesson from a PR person on when and how to communicate to stakeholders, lest they continue to make a fool of themselves.

23 hours ago, Demons11 said:

It saves players moving to various locations. If training, weights, meetings etc can be done in 1 spot then I think it’s a positive.

This can all be done at either Casey or AMMI

2 hours ago, waynewussell said:

I think the current arrangement at Gosch's is painfully underestimated by most here. A training ground in the heart of this city's sports precinct which is just a short walk from modern gym facilities is respectable, to say the least! Access to training for supporters is sensational! I hope to never set foot on the Waverley complex for the rest of my living days! I want us to continue the Gosch's arrangement until a perfect replacement is identified, funded and built! Vive la Paddock!

This is the exact reason we don't currently have a home base. The push to be within the MCG's shadow has cost Melbourne numerous opportunity for venue's which have now dried up.

1 hour ago, rpfc said:

Supporter access to training is such an imbecilic reason to justify any decision on where our training ground should be.

I am sure most on here and the Club agree with you.

That is not why we are looking at Caulfield.

7 hours ago, poita said:

They also had no ability to run closed training sessions there, although we already have that problem with Gosch's.

Same problem with Casey?

On 07/02/2026 at 20:12, Adam The God said:

Why are we talking about Deakin when the site is right next to Monash Uni? Surely their sports science people can use our buildings from time to time and whack a Monash logo on somewhere, it can be sold as an educational site and help MRC with their debt issues.

I believe that Monash does not have a sports science program….

8 hours ago, rpfc said:

Supporter access to training is such an imbecilic reason to justify any decision on where our training ground should be.

I’m a bloody broken record on this but I have seen a few more think like me lately.

I do not want them to care about ‘the social aspect’ for supporters.

I don’t think ‘co-location’ matters.

Casey is a great facility even if it’s a drive for some. Boo hoo.

And, as an aside, they suits need a lesson from a PR person on when and how to communicate to stakeholders, lest they continue to make a fool of themselves.

How ignorant are some who miss a perfectly obvious point and then rage about some other point that was not present in the initial observation. Sort it out for yourself!

7 hours ago, BangBnagBang said:

This can all be done at either Casey or AMMI

This is the exact reason we don't currently have a home base. The push to be within the MCG's shadow has cost Melbourne numerous opportunity for venue's which have now dried up.

For you I will clarify... I'm talking about using Gosch's rather than Waverley in the interim!!!!!!!!!

18 minutes ago, waynewussell said:

For you I will clarify... I'm talking about using Gosch's rather than Waverley in the interim!!!!!!!!!

Even with Gosch, admin are still completely separated from the football department.

They're all based out at the G.

One big factor of Waverly is being able to have both admin and footy department all under the same roof.

With that as well, we wont need to share gyn facilities anymore with Storm and Melbourne Victory.

I like the Waverley move and thinks it makes a lot of sense.

This isnt about what's best for supporters but more so being somewhere where we're able to finally fit somewhere as a footy club as a whole.

I'm shocked by the number of posters who mistook my support for Gosch's Paddock as an example of clinging on to the forlorn hope of having a homebase near the MCG! My comments about Gosch's Paddock were in relation to a proposed move to Waverley, which I abhor. I clearly stated that my preference is to remain at Gosch's "until a perfect replacement is identified, funded and built!". I hope that turns out to be Caulfield. Remember those old High School exercises called Comprehension? Well, ....

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by waynewussell

3 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

being somewhere where we're able to finally fit somewhere as a footy club as a whole.

It's doubtful we will be able to fit...that's why Hawthorn left.

4 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

we wont need to share gyn facilities anymore

Not sure on this but someone mentioned gym facilities are shared with the community.

If that's the case it's probably better to share with other professional organisations.

7 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

able to have both admin and footy department all under the same roof.

Is this really that important??? if only for a few more years then surely not...and it's not as though they are a great distance away. A quick walk over the bridge.

The big issue I have with Waverley is I would only accept it as an interim with Caulfield signed off, and even the can't really see the point.

It looks like smoke and mirrors to me.

2 minutes ago, rjay said:

The big issue I have with Waverley is I would only accept it as an interim with Caulfield signed off, and even the can't really see the point.

It looks like smoke and mirrors to me.

rjay, this is similar to the point I was making... except I prefer Gosch's in the interim.

1 minute ago, waynewussell said:

rjay, this is similar to the point I was making... except I prefer Gosch's in the interim.

Same, 'wayne'...I can't see the point in moving from Gosch's if it's only an interim move.

21 minutes ago, rjay said:

Same, 'wayne'...I can't see the point in moving from Gosch's if it's only an interim move.

Particularly after the club were happy to take supporter $$ to get Gosch’s extended to MCG sized. If I recall correctly, Peter Lawrence put up ~$100k.

Really, an administrative head quarters.

This is 2026, folk work from home utilising computer networks.

No need for rows of desks, and the massive overheads.

This is just madness, living in the seventies.

It’s clear to me that Smith and Guerra are not living in the modern digital world.

Will they still hold board meetings on site with canapés and the liquor cabinet.

Ever hear of Zoom.

Has anybody heard from these people, not likely, not likely.

2 hours ago, Grr-owl said:

I believe that Monash does not have a sports science program….

They definitely do.

EDF3093 - Advanced sport and exercise science - Monash University

11 hours ago, waynewussell said:

I think the current arrangement at Gosch's is painfully underestimated by most here. A training ground in the heart of this city's sports precinct which is just a short walk from modern gym facilities is respectable, to say the least! Access to training for supporters is sensational! I hope to never set foot on the Waverley complex for the rest of my living days! I want us to continue the Gosch's arrangement until a perfect replacement is identified, funded and built! Vive la Paddock!

Gosch paddock .. paddock says it all its sub par as AAMI facilities are shared with soccer & league, we got kicked off when the womens soccer tournament…