Under the proposal, the Melbourne Football Club would be a principal tenant with Netball Victoria, bringing together the highest female and male participation sports in Australia.
This project is deliberately ambitious and broad in its scope. It potentially offers a unique combination of elite training facilities, including an AFL training ground, indoor netball courts, pool and gym with integrated public access as part of the growing Docklands community, all in the shadows of the CBD.
The project is being conducted with support from the AFL, Netball Victoria and the Melbourne Football Club. The City of Melbourne is also providing assistance in the development of the proposal. All parties are thanked for their support.
The club has received assistance from relevant Victorian Government departments in the conceptual planning as one of three scenarios (sports park) for Western Park as part of the Second Decade of Docklands and intends to continue this productive working partnership as part of the consultation process in the coming months.
Over the next two to three months, the feasibility study including community consultations will be concluded, with a formal submission to follow. The estimated “best case” timeframe for the development would be three to five years.
Melbourne Football Club President, Jim Stynes, has expressed his enthusiasm for the potential Docklands project.
“This facility would provide a fully integrated new home for the “Old”
Melbourne moving into the “New” Melbourne, providing facilities for all levels of the two sports - netball and football - from community, grass roots levels to elite.”
“Initially, our aim was to establish a new home for the Melbourne Football Club with a strong sense of identity which would unify our Club. For the first time in over forty years, all the Club’s activities from administration, training to community would be together, and most significantly, in our heartland - the City of Melbourne.
“We are encouraged by the recent release of the draft plan for the Second Decade of Docklands which provides further impetus to the type of multi-purpose sporting development we are exploring.”
“But we now know the project offers far greater scope.”
“Melbourne is committed to building a community base for the residents, workers and visitors to the Docklands. It is our aim for the facility to become a landmark, a unique destination in its own right within the precinct. To that end, it is our intention to embark on a community consultation process as we further develop the proposal.
“It must be noted that the announcement of this feasibility study does not decrease our excitement in relation to our recent move into AAMI Park from the Junction Oval. This move has been a very important step for our club.
It is also important to understand the development at Docklands does not in any way change our commitment to the City of Casey and Casey Fields. We have locked-in a thirty-year agreement with Casey and we are seeking to build our community presence in the quickest growing growth corridor in Victoria.”
Like the Melbourne Football Club, Netball Victoria is thrilled to be part of a potential facility development project that has the capacity to not only deliver great participation outcomes at the community level, but also provide a world class facility for the elite end of the sport.
“Our reason for being at Netball Victoria is to provide a community for women and girls, a place for them to belong and achieve - a community they can be part of for life” Netball Victoria Chief Executive Leigh Russell said.
“A new facility, a dedicated home for netball, will provide Victorians with a unique place to not only work within, but to play, watch and experience netball”.
Many have played a part in the evolution of the project to this stage and the Melbourne Football Club thanks MAB - the owner of the adjoining land and a key developer with its NewQuay project at Docklands - for their support and assistance with the early stages of the planning.
The Club also acknowledges VicUrban as the other owner of the land that we are seeking to utilise for this development, and feels that it can align with their stated objectives for the site.
The costs of the project, and the stages of the development, including prospective timing, will be estimated as part of the next stage of the project.
