casey scorp

http://cranbourne.yourguide.com.au/news/lo...nd/1228312.aspx

Demons may win Casey land

BY SANDRA BULL

28/07/2008 11:06:00 AM

CASEY Council must hand over a $500,000 parcel of land in a decade - by which time its current value is likely to have soared - under a proposal to lure the Melbourne Football Club to Casey Fields.

The draft agreement was outlined to Casey councillors at a confidential briefing last Tuesday.

The 30-minute presentation, headed by chief executive Mike Tyler, was shown even as councillors' requests for copies to study at home were refused.

Cr Kevin Bradford said he could not disclose the actual content of the meeting as it was confidential.

"But I can say the briefing was nothing more than smoke and mirrors with fancy figures in a well-rehearsed sales pitch by the CEO to back up his push for Melbourne to come out to Casey, which definitely will be at the expense of local clubs,'' Cr Bradford said. "The culture of cover-up and concealment is alive and strong in this council as evidenced in the fact that councillors were not handed a hard copy of this sales pitch on which we have to base a decision which will affect this city for 10-plus years and cost potentially millions of dollars.''

The Journal understands the draft provides for:

• The title to land, or land and an existing building, worth up to $500,000 at current market rates to be transferred to the MFC in a decade. In the meantime, the club would lease the land and hold full development rights. The handover would be contingent on the MFC performing its community obligations, eg. visiting local schools. Under this plan, the land could be worth much more than $500,000 by the handover if land prices continue to spiral up. The location of the land is not yet finalised.

• MFC players' summer training to be held at Casey for only 12 months rather than the two year period which was originally envisaged.

• Casey Council to be entitled to a table of 10 seats at the MFC's president's lunch for five home games.

• In a bid to encourage patronage, MFC players to have free access to the Cranbourne Aquatic and Leisure Centre when the state-of-the-art facility opens.

• The AFL club to have priority to temporarily use other grounds, possibly at the expense of local clubs, if Casey Field's No.1 oval is overused.

• MFC's general manager of football Chris Connolly to be named as an ambassador for the City of Casey.

Councillors are due to vote on the final proposal on August 5, with the deal widely expected to be passed despite opposition by some councillors.

I hate the MCC. I mean honestly why the [censored] would i have to wear a collar to the football?

I rock up to the MCC as a guest, relunctantly wearing the collar, and my jeans had a TINY rip in them that i didn't even notice was there.

The old guy wouldn't even let me in. Then i just went around the old guy and the other guy let me in. I'm never going back anyway.

Yeah i'm an AFL member too and the lack of Melbourne support there pisses me off a little bit.

You don't have to wear a collar to the football if you don't want to.

You don't have to sit in the members reserve either.

But, if you want to sit in the members reserve, you have to wear a collar.

It's really pretty simple.

And it's not unreasonable for the MCC to have some rules for its members (and guests).

After all it is a club, like lots of others in Melbourne. It's just that this one has a sports basis.

If you don't like it, don't go there.

Here is the letter from p27 of Thursday's HS:

A demon of an offer

Casey Council wants the Melbourne Football Club to come to the City of Casey.

Not only will ratepayers fund the move, but the Council is offering a $600,000 parcel of land. Some Councillors are now asking for the final vote on the issue to be held after the next election.

Casey residents, like anywhere else in Australia, are struggling to hang on in this unrelenting time of doom and gloom.

If the Council has a spare $1 million or so, it should give it to agencies that assist the homeless, families who are being evicted so that landlords can raise rents, people asking for food parcels or for assistance with mortgage or utility payments.

People who have never used these agencies before are now flooding them daily.

I bet they will sleep better knowing the MFC will have a home in Casey.

Don McIntyre

Hallam

The answer to the question in the topic can't be too hard to answer.

Someone with access to the last 5 years annual reports should be able to tell us how it happened.

If Vlad is serious about helping us get a better deal with the MCC he should immediately employ the AFL's substantial leverage against them to do just that.

If Vlad is serious about helping us get a better deal with the MCC he should immediately employ the AFL's substantial influence in partnership with them to do just that.

Just a slightly different choice of words.

Casey!!!

Even if it started with relatively little infrastructure and was early in the season (when the weather was more likely to be favourable), this would be the go.

We'd be able to revert to suburban football (although MFC members have never experienced the feeling of a suburban home ground unless, with trepidation, it was the opposition's!).

While a boutique stadium would cost $30-$50 million, a couple of million might see the facility upgraded to a standard where AFL football could be played.

I stood for years at the footy......now MFC members could get that opportunity too for one match a season!

It would also reinforce even more a relationship between the Casey community and MFC.

Has he been on yet?

I was given to understand this is Connolly's little pet project..and is very much up on agenda listings !!

Chris Connolly.... a raft of stability in a turbulent sea.

It was pleasing to note that Jim Stynes thanked Paul McNamee for his work on the club's plans for Casey - this suggests that the club is still committed to a Casey connection.

I guess we will await further pronouncements with interest.

Even his final comment “Neither Stynes nor McNamee could be reached last night.” had me cringing.

Maybe they were just on a plane coming back from Freo on Monday afternoon Perth time/evening Melbourne time.

From this week's Cranbourne Journal:

http://cranbourne.yourguide.com.au/news/lo...nt/1061141.aspx

Casey called to account

THE Auditor-General will be asked to look into the controversial $1.2 million ratepayer-funded plan to get the Melbourne Football Club to Casey Fields.

Casey councillor Kevin Bradford is preparing a report for the Auditor-General's office to review the council's proposal, which he says lacks transparency, accountability and planning.

Cr Bradford said he hoped the report would lead to the Minister for Local Government "calling in'' the plan.

"I'm going to personally deliver it [the report] to the Auditor-General's office to have this proposal reviewed. I'm hoping the Auditor-General will report to the State Government about the serious issues about what this council is doing with ratepayers' money.

"The Minister for Local Government may decide to look at[the Auditor-General's] decision and decide to call [the council's proposal] in.

"There's growing anger in the community about ratepayers funding facilities that Melbourne will only use for two years before the club's training and administrative base at the Olympic Park precinct is completed, while sporting clubs in Casey are in desperate need of council funding.''

Cr Bradford said concerns about the proposal were also raised after new Melbourne chairman Jim Stynes revealed the club was $4.5 million in debt and ordered a total review of the club's operations.

"We don't even know whether moving to Casey is part of the new chairman's agenda and is part of his review.

There's also concerns about whether the Demons can afford the $500,000 which is their part of the deal.

"We need to hear from Jim Stynes where he stands on the issue.''

A report on the Melbourne Football Club proposal will be tabled at Casey Council on August 5, when a decision is expected.

The Journal contacted the Melbourne Football Club to get comment from Mr Stynes, and chief executive officer Paul McNamee, without success.

6.30 pm at Narre Warren according to their website.

It's the big joint out the front of Fountain Gate shopping centre, can't miss it.

Mel Ref 110 D4 (corner of Magid Drive and Patrick Northeast Drive)

I thought the Casey councillors were in favour of the MFC setting up at Casey Fields? It was only 2 (one a so-called Demons supporter! <_< ) who were against this happening?

Hopefully Jim Stynes and the MFC board can make a few phone calls and get things back on track?

It would be very, very disappointing if the plan to move the Demons Summer training base into Casey Fields fell through.

As the August 5th meeting is an "open" one to the general public I encourage all Demons supporters to get down their and make as much noise as possible to make sure the Demons DO move into Casey Fields.

Noise in these sorts of places should be responsibly kept to the conclusion of each Councillor's debate - it's not like it's at the footy and you urge the players on during play.

Displaying views at the conclusion of a debate is ok.

Keep respect for the Mayor's ruling - the Mayor will call for silence at times if the crowd gets too loud or unruly (like the Wimbledon umpire when the crowd goes from loud to quiet in an instant).

The last thing that should happen is to get Councillors, who are supportive, offside because of poor behaviour in the public gallery.

So, where is it at now?

According to 849dennisj earlier, it's going to the Council on 5 August:

latest from one of the eleven councillors. there will be another meeting on Aug 5 to make a final decision on the Casey venture

regarding monies to be spent. As of now it can still be rejected, the vote last time was 7 for 3 against and 1 didnt vote. The vote has changed[proberly] to 6 for 5 against.

It seems public pressure got to one of the councillors.[its an election year]

when asked about the posspbility of Casey scorpions going it alone if the proposal falls through I was told that they hadnt thought of that possibility at all.

If I was on the MFC board I would be sounding out Port for a VFA team next year.

What's wrong with these people, we should look elsewhere (is there anywhere else?) and tell them to shove their fields up there arse

That's a bit rough on the majority of Councillors who strongly support the Dees venture to Casey.

Seems Melbourne Football Club got a runs at this week's Council meeting also. The local Berwick News has published an article saying Cr Rob Wilson tried to get Council to defer a decision on the club until after the November elections. His motion was defeated.

Turf wicket in the middle of the oval.

Seems a little strange for an AFL club to be established at a ground where it will be competing for pre-season access with a cricket club.

Even VFL teams need cricket-free grounds for pre-season training that runs concurrently with the cricket season.

Hmmmm...if thats the case why bother? Bubble Dome will be ready before Casey Fields and will be far less of a hassle when petrol hits $8.00 per litre.

The rectangular stadium will take another 21 months or so. Casey Fields is a far simpler project and would take about 4 months from when the button is pushed.

latest from one of the eleven councillors.

Was your informant a "for" or an "against"?

I was coming until a mate I haven't seen for a few years rocked up at my door half an hour before I was gonna leave. Good to see him but disappointed I missed the bash :angry:

You should have taken him too!

is the facility ready to use as is, or does it have to be built?

There is an existing facility there, but it needs to be extended to accomodate MFC footy dept currently based at Junction Oval for the 2009 season. It's only 3 months till pre-season training starts, and clearly it can't be ready by then, even if all buttons were pushed tomorrow.

It clearly needs to get cracking asap.

ahh dear...patience is not a universal commodity it seems !!

Sometimes it may not be a virtue either.

March to July = 4 months gone.

How much longer will it take to get an agreement?

How long will it take to build a facility?

How long will MFC get in that new facility before bubbledome is completed?

At some stage, a line will be drawn and someone will say there's no point continuing with this project because there simply isn't enough time available to make it's occupation worthwhile.

Seems like this is on a slow boat to nowhere. By the time anything is resolved the rectangular stadium will be finished.

Three more weeks gone by.....

First Year!

And only because of the possible relationship with the Casey community (including possible alignment with the Scorps). If all that falls over, it will stay 1 year!!

There is a heap of land behind the northern goals (outside the fence) which is undeveloped. There is a planning permit already issued for a full blown training and admin facility just waiting to be utilised.

The VFL Oval is the No 1 Oval.

There are heaps of ovals and pavilions at Casey Fields, but this is the one where the MFC v Kangaroos NAB Challenge match was played earlier this year.