Win for Melbourne, as club secures training venue near heart of city

[casey scorp 2]

nothing from council as yet..

has there been anything official re Melbourne?

No, nothing official from the Council to date, and Chris Connolly on SEN just said that the Casey arrangement is not "cemented".

Sounds a bit more reserved than Chris' earlier comments about Casey.

[The Emblem 1]

It depends what you mean by "completely". Might it significantly relocate (ie footy activities to Casey, admin & corporate in Melb)?

Come on! There might be state of the art fitness/recovery equipment inside the rectangular stadium, but MFC won't get on the turf and it's the wrong shape anyway. Players will have to run up Swan Street to Gosch's Paddock, now that Eddie has claimed the new oval right to be built right next to the rectangular stadium. What more substance do you need about the shape of it, the fact that an AFL club will be like a fish out of water in THEIR stadium and the distance to an oval to train on?

Its about a 75 meter walk / trot to Gosch's Paddock...hardly onerous.

[casey scorp 2]

Its about a 75 meter walk / trot to Gosch's Paddock...hardly onerous.

Too onerous for the Magpies it seems (albeit slightly longer).

[Pates 9,556]

What the hell was PG doing announcing the Olympic park upgrade as a win for MFC, he even said this is one of the most important days for us. I've been defending him, but he really just seems to be losing the plot.

Still Gosch's paddock (i suggest a re-name!) all to ourselves is still a win on some level.

[The Emblem 1]

What the hell was PG doing announcing the Olympic park upgrade as a win for MFC, he even said this is one of the most important days for us. I've been defending him, but he really just seems to be losing the plot.

Still Gosch's paddock (i suggest a re-name!) all to ourselves is still a win on some level.

I think it is a win for the MFC...its a bigger win for Collingwood, but still a win for us.

We get state of the art facilities to train at that are close to our home ground.

What I'd like to know [and hope to see] if that the filth have to pay full rent / lease on their facilities...whilst we split ours evenly with the Storm & Victory...makes its a much for cost effective exercise.

[w00dy 146]

It depends what you mean by "completely". Might it significantly relocate (ie footy activities to Casey, admin & corporate in Melb)?

One of the main reasons for this move into the new stadium is to have the entire club in one location. Currently our administration facilites are in the MCG, while our football department is at the Junction Oval, an arrangement which I'm sure costs us money. Having the football department at the new stadium and the football department at Casey would just create one of the problems we're trying to solve. So... no the club wouldn't do that.

Come on! There might be state of the art fitness/recovery equipment inside the rectangular stadium, but MFC won't get on the turf and it's the wrong shape anyway. Players will have to run up Swan Street to Gosch's Paddock, now that Eddie has claimed the new oval right to be built right next to the rectangular stadium. What more substance do you need about the shape of it, the fact that an AFL club will be like a fish out of water in THEIR stadium and the distance to an oval to train on?

The players won't have to run up Swan street as you say. They have a 200 metre walk and don't even go near Swan Street. Collingwood currently walk 600-700 metres to train on Gosch's Paddock, obviously the reason why they are so keen on Olympic Park. If they can manage to do that, I'm sure we would be able to handle a 200 metre walk through the car park and park area. I'm sure if you asked the players they'd prefer a 200 metre walk than trek out in their cars three times a week to Cranbourne.

CLICK HERE for a map that will show you the precinct and the distances we're talking about.

It won't be THEIR stadium as you say, it will be OUR stadium, belonging to the Storm, the Demons and the Victory. Fish out of water? I think not. What difference does it make of the shape? We won't use the surface of the rectangular stadium, but we will belong there as much as the Storm or Victory. We will have state of the art gym and fitness facilities to use inside, our administration right next door, a recently upgraded training oval of our own just 200 metres down the road. It will be OUR home.

As for Eddie and Collingwood getting Olympic Park, that's life. That's an option we can't afford, just like we couldn't afford the Lexus Centre and they could. Ideally we would get that oval, but because we can't doesn't change the fact that this setup is still a fantastic setup, and will be one of the best in the competition.

As I said in my previous post, I don't mind you being positive about what Casey has to offer, and trying to promote it to us, but don't make baseless claims about our club's future home.

[demon3165 2,326]

Heard B Waldren say on SEN on Friday that we will have better facilities than the Pies when when this thing is built, so lets not get all beat up about what the pies want or get, all we have ever wanted was a home and now we will get one.

[casey scorp 2]

I'm sure if you asked the players they'd prefer a 200 metre walk than trek out in their cars three times a week to Cranbourne.

I think they'd want that in the summer as well as the winter. Why would MFC even want a summer training base at Casey Fields when they've got year round access to state of the art facilities at Olympic Park?

[w00dy 146]

I think they'd want that in the summer as well as the winter. Why would MFC even want a summer training base at Casey Fields when they've got year round access to state of the art facilities at Olympic Park?

very good question... I think I know why. What do you think?

If they shared the concerns you do, then why would they want to train at the Olympic Park precinct at all?

[casey scorp 2]

very good question... I think I know why. What do you think?

If they shared the concerns you do, then why would they want to train at the Olympic Park precinct at all?

Now that MFC is apparently committed to MOPT, and will have all the state of the art training equipment and environment as well as having an oval with a “multi-million dollar upgrade” (not sure what that could be) there would seem to be no reason to go to Casey.

Perhaps it was just MFC playing a card to get the State Government to give it a better deal on MOPT (now it must have that because everyone on here is very excited with announcements over the last week or so)?

Perhaps it is the short-term problem of what to do over summer until MOPT opens, given the issues involved in pre-season availability of training venues?

Perhaps the need to get a rejuvenated membership base, because the older one is simply dying out and a growth corridor location offers the prospect of many young families?

Given MFC don’t share my views (not my concerns, because I don’t have an emotional involvement in the matter), then I can understand why they’d be keen to embrace MOPT. But why not all year round?

You said you think you know. Why?

[w00dy 146]

Now that MFC is apparently committed to MOPT, and will have all the state of the art training equipment and environment as well as having an oval with a "multi-million dollar upgrade" (not sure what that could be) there would seem to be no reason to go to Casey.

Perhaps it was just MFC playing a card to get the State Government to give it a better deal on MOPT (now it must have that because everyone on here is very excited with announcements over the last week or so)?

Perhaps it is the short-term problem of what to do over summer until MOPT opens, given the issues involved in pre-season availability of training venues?

Perhaps the need to get a rejuvenated membership base, because the older one is simply dying out and a growth corridor location offers the prospect of many young families?

Given MFC don't share my views (not my concerns, because I don't have an emotional involvement in the matter), then I can understand why they'd be keen to embrace MOPT. But why not all year round?

You said you think you know. Why?

Well it's pure speculation on my behalf, but you've identified the two reasons why I think we are interested in Casey above. Points 2 and 3.

A lack of venue for training over summer in the short term (next two summers) and looking for a way of expanding our membership and supporter base. These are our incentives for moving to Casey.

The only reason we wouldn't be based in the precinct all year round once the stadium is finished is for the second reason above, an effort to create revenue streams from having some presence in the Casey area.

Again this is just speculation on my behalf, but it all makes sense.