With their hopes of a return to the Junction Oval fading, St Kilda have thrown their hat into the ring to move their training and administration base to Elsternwick Park in Brighton.
However, the Saints will need to fight off the Melbourne Football Club, and work with golf, amateur football and a local cricket club, for the right to use the oval.
The Bayside City Council is understood to be considering expressions of interest from both AFL clubs to share the venue with the Victorian Amateur Football Association, as well as existing local football and cricket clubs and a new junior football club. As council land, any project would need to be ticked off by Bayside, which must also consider community interests.
Golf was promised $10 million by Labor before the election for a new base the sport's peak bodies housed together. Under the proposed "Home of Golf" project, Golf Australia, Golf Victoria and the PGA would be based together, with a hall of fame and museum also mooted.
While Labor has not mandated a particular site for the golf precinct, it is understood that golf's preference is to move to Elsternwick Park, which was identified as a possible home well over a year ago.
The 36-hectare precinct, has been home to the Victorian Amateur Football Association since 1967. It also serves as a home ground for Elsternwick Amateur Football Club, Elsternwick Cricket Club and an Auskick group.
VAFA chief Michael Sholly confirmed that two Melbourne-based AFL clubs were investigating the possibility of a move to the precinct.
"Two clubs have shown interest, that's a fact, and one of them is Melbourne," Sholly said.
Fairfax Media believes that St Kilda is the other club.
The Saints moved to Seaford in late 2010 after they were unable to come to terms with Kingston City Council to extend their stint at Moorabbin Oval, which had been the club's home for 46 seasons.
St Kilda plan to field a stand-alone VFL team playing out of Moorabbin from 2017 as part of an $11 million upgrade to the venue, which will also be the base for the TAC Cup's Sandringham Dragons, the Southern Football League and the South Metro Junior Football League. In recent years, the club has tried to brand itself as representing the entire bayside area.
The Saints had hoped to move back to the Junction Oval - their home ground until 1964 - with the Napthine Liberal government pledging to fund a joint home for the club and Cricket Victoria at the ground. Those plans were dashed when the government lost power on November 29.
Labor Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Christmas Eve that the government would fast-track funding for the project, ensuring Victoria can play Sheffield Shield matches at the venue from 2017 to 2018, which would in turn free up the MCG for football earlier in the year.
A St Kilda spokeswoman confirmed after that announcement that the Saints were still hopeful of working with cricket, but Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide has come out strongly in recent weeks indicating that he does not wish to share the Junction with football.
The Saints have twice before entertained a move to Elsternwick Park - in 1933 and 1959.
The Demons' administration has been based at the rectangular AAMI Park since 2010, with players training at nearby Gosch's Paddock, having previously been at the Junction Oval. A Melbourne move to Elsternwick Park could have significant ramifications, opening the door for rugby's Melbourne Rebels to move to AAMI Park, and leaving Visy Park free for football commitments.
Elsternwick AFC president Mike Convery was concerned that the interests of the community would be forgotten if an AFL club moved into the precinct.
"All I want to see is our club get decent facilities out of the whole project," he said on Wednesday.
Elsternwick, which now sits in the fifth tier of the VAFA, has been based at the park for nearly a century. It now plays out of the secondary oval, with the main ground used for VAFA finals and feature matches.
"As far as Melbourne and St Kilda taking it over - they've got the money and they've got the power, but don't just run us out. I'm going to kick up a fuss about this if it happens, just to make sure we get our just desert," Convery said.
"I want a 99-year lease, because as soon as these bastards get in there they'll say: 'Oh sorry, we want it for ourselves.' "
Then opposition leader Andrews said that the golf proposal would be a significant boon for the sport when he made the pledge in November.
"Having all the different bodies under one roof [and] giving them the best facilities, that's how we will create the best players and the best prospects for the future," Andrews said.
However, the Saints will need to fight off the Melbourne Football Club, and work with golf, amateur football and a local cricket club, for the right to use the oval.
The Bayside City Council is understood to be considering expressions of interest from both AFL clubs to share the venue with the Victorian Amateur Football Association, as well as existing local football and cricket clubs and a new junior football club. As council land, any project would need to be ticked off by Bayside, which must also consider community interests.
Golf was promised $10 million by Labor before the election for a new base the sport's peak bodies housed together. Under the proposed "Home of Golf" project, Golf Australia, Golf Victoria and the PGA would be based together, with a hall of fame and museum also mooted.
While Labor has not mandated a particular site for the golf precinct, it is understood that golf's preference is to move to Elsternwick Park, which was identified as a possible home well over a year ago.
The 36-hectare precinct, has been home to the Victorian Amateur Football Association since 1967. It also serves as a home ground for Elsternwick Amateur Football Club, Elsternwick Cricket Club and an Auskick group.
VAFA chief Michael Sholly confirmed that two Melbourne-based AFL clubs were investigating the possibility of a move to the precinct.
"Two clubs have shown interest, that's a fact, and one of them is Melbourne," Sholly said.
Fairfax Media believes that St Kilda is the other club.
The Saints moved to Seaford in late 2010 after they were unable to come to terms with Kingston City Council to extend their stint at Moorabbin Oval, which had been the club's home for 46 seasons.
St Kilda plan to field a stand-alone VFL team playing out of Moorabbin from 2017 as part of an $11 million upgrade to the venue, which will also be the base for the TAC Cup's Sandringham Dragons, the Southern Football League and the South Metro Junior Football League. In recent years, the club has tried to brand itself as representing the entire bayside area.
The Saints had hoped to move back to the Junction Oval - their home ground until 1964 - with the Napthine Liberal government pledging to fund a joint home for the club and Cricket Victoria at the ground. Those plans were dashed when the government lost power on November 29.
Labor Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Christmas Eve that the government would fast-track funding for the project, ensuring Victoria can play Sheffield Shield matches at the venue from 2017 to 2018, which would in turn free up the MCG for football earlier in the year.
A St Kilda spokeswoman confirmed after that announcement that the Saints were still hopeful of working with cricket, but Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide has come out strongly in recent weeks indicating that he does not wish to share the Junction with football.
The Saints have twice before entertained a move to Elsternwick Park - in 1933 and 1959.
The Demons' administration has been based at the rectangular AAMI Park since 2010, with players training at nearby Gosch's Paddock, having previously been at the Junction Oval. A Melbourne move to Elsternwick Park could have significant ramifications, opening the door for rugby's Melbourne Rebels to move to AAMI Park, and leaving Visy Park free for football commitments.
Elsternwick AFC president Mike Convery was concerned that the interests of the community would be forgotten if an AFL club moved into the precinct.
"All I want to see is our club get decent facilities out of the whole project," he said on Wednesday.
Elsternwick, which now sits in the fifth tier of the VAFA, has been based at the park for nearly a century. It now plays out of the secondary oval, with the main ground used for VAFA finals and feature matches.
"As far as Melbourne and St Kilda taking it over - they've got the money and they've got the power, but don't just run us out. I'm going to kick up a fuss about this if it happens, just to make sure we get our just desert," Convery said.
"I want a 99-year lease, because as soon as these bastards get in there they'll say: 'Oh sorry, we want it for ourselves.' "
Then opposition leader Andrews said that the golf proposal would be a significant boon for the sport when he made the pledge in November.
"Having all the different bodies under one roof [and] giving them the best facilities, that's how we will create the best players and the best prospects for the future," Andrews said.
