THE FIRST time I visited the Melbourne Football Club facility at Junction Oval, it provided a clear insight into one of the club’s key strategic challenges.
It was a warm day and I made the mistake of turning on one of the air conditioners in the ‘vault’ (the demountable meeting room - the only meeting room - we had on site).
It was a warm day and I made the mistake of turning on one of the air conditioners in the ‘vault’ (the demountable meeting room - the only meeting room - we had on site).
As soon as I hit the ‘on’ switch, one of the fuses tripped, sending its ceramic casing flying across the room, which hit the wall on the other side.
This was, unfortunately, just one example of the sub-standard facility we had been living with since 1984.
Other issues at the Junction Oval have made for great stories including: vermin, waste and sewage issues, limited ground access and space, plus many dead possums in the roof “the size of goats” according to one contractor visiting the site.
Upon finding some dead bugs recently, Chris Connolly sent an email to the rest of the staff stating “cockroaches can survive a nuclear holocaust, but they can’t survive the Junction”.
So it was with great excitement that the football department and the players moved into our new facility at AAMI Park on June 21. The new facility over the road from the MCG represents a very significant improvement for the players and staff.
The following key elements include:
- A full MCG sized training oval
- A 1000m² gym (the gym at Junction Oval was approx 110m²)
- A four lane 25-metre swimming pool
- Ice baths and a heated spa for recovery sessions
- A video review laboratory
- Players lounge
- Property and storage rooms
- Players locker room
- Physiotherapy and massage rooms
- Football administration space
- Meeting rooms
Some of these spaces are shared with Melbourne Storm and Melbourne Victory.
These sharing arrangements will provide a couple of key benefits: firstly the sharing of costs and resources have allowed us to invest significantly more in equipment and improve the fit out and secondly we hope that by working more closely with elite athletes, coaches and staff from other codes, we can learn new practices or techniques and develop our athletes in the optimal way.
While we have moved in to AAMI Park, the finishing touches to the fit out are still a few weeks away.
Once these have been finalised, we will be running tours for our supporters, so the new facilities can be seen firsthand. These tours will commence in August.
We hope, as you tour the facility, that in our exclusive spaces you feel immersed in the Melbourne Football Club and continue the theme of bringing our proud heritage to life.
We will send more pictures around in the coming weeks for those who can’t make a tour.
On behalf of the club I would like to pass on a huge thank you to all those generous supporters who have donated to allow MFC to have these new facilities. I would also like to acknowledge the support of the State Government and the AFL who have also contributed.
The stories about Junction Oval have become funnier since we’ve move in to AAMI Park - because it now becomes part of our history, not a reflection of the present.
Some of these spaces are shared with Melbourne Storm and Melbourne Victory.
These sharing arrangements will provide a couple of key benefits: firstly the sharing of costs and resources have allowed us to invest significantly more in equipment and improve the fit out and secondly we hope that by working more closely with elite athletes, coaches and staff from other codes, we can learn new practices or techniques and develop our athletes in the optimal way.
While we have moved in to AAMI Park, the finishing touches to the fit out are still a few weeks away.
Once these have been finalised, we will be running tours for our supporters, so the new facilities can be seen firsthand. These tours will commence in August.
We hope, as you tour the facility, that in our exclusive spaces you feel immersed in the Melbourne Football Club and continue the theme of bringing our proud heritage to life.
We will send more pictures around in the coming weeks for those who can’t make a tour.
On behalf of the club I would like to pass on a huge thank you to all those generous supporters who have donated to allow MFC to have these new facilities. I would also like to acknowledge the support of the State Government and the AFL who have also contributed.
The stories about Junction Oval have become funnier since we’ve move in to AAMI Park - because it now becomes part of our history, not a reflection of the present.
The club has achieved one of its key strategic imperatives - to provide our players with facilities that allow them to prepare at the elite level.
No longer will we run out onto the ground on match day having already started behind our opposition, due to poor facilities providing sub-standard preparation.
We hope you are all proud of this significant step forward.
No longer will we run out onto the ground on match day having already started behind our opposition, due to poor facilities providing sub-standard preparation.
We hope you are all proud of this significant step forward.
