Discussion Junction Oval / Moorabbin redevelopments

[Barrels]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...ing-home-to-junction-oval-20140409-zqsqx.html

The romantic notion of the St Kilda Football Club returning home to the Junction Oval has moved one step closer to reality following top-level talks between the AFL and the Victorian government.

Premier Denis Napthine and Minister for Sport Damian Drum last week gave the AFL the green light to explore the potential establishment of a co-tenancy arrangement at the historic St Kilda ground between the Saints and Cricket Victoria.

The move would make the MCG available for AFL games throughout March, fast-track the establishment of a state-of-the-art facility for cricket, and wrest St Kilda from its problematic new Seaford home.

Drum said a partnership with another sport ''would seem a logical direction for cricket to go in''.

''Multi-purpose facilities are what we encourage at all levels of sport to facilitate greater usage and the best outcomes for the public,'' he said.

The joint venture would also open up more avenues for funding.

''If cricket and another sport want to present a joint proposal that pools resources for Junction Oval facilities, we’d welcome it,'' he said. ''We’d encourage cricket and AFL to work together, just like we encourage all sports to work co-operatively on facilities planning.''

While the government has agreed to broker the arrangement, the proposal has been largely driven by AFL executive Gillon McLachlan, who last week joined league boss Andrew Demetriou in talks with the Premier and his Sports Minister.

So the 2s would play at Moorabbin and everyone would train at the Junction? Outstanding

 

[sauce_head]

Was just about to post this! I reckon it would be excellent to get the saints back to StKilda. A real identity would help and we have rights to the whole bayside area. Go saints!

 

[Barrels]

And another article.... Dare we to dream?

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...s-return-to-junction-oval-20140409-zqsm1.html

Craig Reardon has worked feverishly to gather a group of St Kilda members and supporters agitating for change under the slogan, ‘‘Bring `em home’’.

He believes the club would benefit enormously from at least, initially, having its stand-alone VFL team, set to take the field in 2016, based at St Kilda's original home ground.

‘‘To me, the notion of the debt-ridden club investing in Moorabbin is madness when the city whose name it bears houses what will be an excellent boutique stadium more than capable of staging VFL games,’’ Reardon said.

Maybe its ALL going to happen at the Junction...

 

[Highlander35]

$ into Seaford
$ into Moorabbin
$ into Junction Oval

Thank * we don't have to put $ into Wellington.

 

[Barrels]

From

to;

MAKE IT HAPPEN SAINTS!!!

 

[Winners Only]

Wow that would be a complete turn about for the Saints...I dont how correct the last statement in the article is claiming the Saints failing to engage there local community. I thought they had done a good job in that regard?

 

[Kildonan]

The first AFL match that I attended was as a 4 yo kiddie - it was Saints v Richmond at the Junction oval

 

[Plugger35]

Sounds great but what would happen to the Seaford facility if the club moved to the Junction Oval?

Seems like a terrible waste of money to build a new facility there and then move out after less than 10 years.

 

[sauce_head]

Sounds great but what would happen to the Seaford facility if the club moved to the Junction Oval?

Seems like a terrible waste of money to build a new facility there and then move out after less than 10 years.

Article said that help would be provided to find local tenants. I think it's time to let go of Seaford as a mistake.

 

[goodie23]

We didn't get Seaford right, we outgrew it within a couple of years. We can always keep in touch with the Seaford community, grow our base up and down the south-east while serving out the last 15-odd years of the lease. I'm not opposed to the Saints coming home under the right circumstances.

 

[Barrels]

We didn't get Seaford right, we outgrew it within a couple of years. We can always keep in touch with the Seaford community, grow our base up and down the south-east while serving out the last 15-odd years of the lease. I'm not opposed to the Saints coming home under the right circumstances.

I think it would be very short-sighted to completely abandon Seaford; we could stay onside with the locals by training down there a couple of times a year for instance.

Always forward, never backward; it takes guts to recognise a mistake.

 

[Verdun66]

I first saw the Saints play at the Junction in '63 and '64. Have great memories of Moorabbin too, but the Junction was where I first saw them.

 

[Sunshine Saint]

Wow there's one out of left field with the plans for Junction Oval. Of note is that this is being driven by the AFL and the State Government who are both trying to get cricket off the MCG in March.

A number of things struck me, principally that the AFL desperately want this to happen:

"While the government has agreed to broker the arrangement, the proposal has been largely driven by AFL executive Gillon McLachlan, who last week joined league boss Andrew Demetriou in talks with the Premier and his Sports Minister."

"The AFL’s determination to start the home-and-away season early in 2014, coupled with the unavailability of the MCG, led to a low-key opening dulled by poor attendances."

That the State Government also has a strong motivation to make this happen to better use the MCG and to encourage further economic and tourist / entertainment activities in Melbourne:

"The government has also indicated some enthusiasm for a vacant MCG over the summer months following the completion of its Test cricket and international one-day commitments, which would open up the world-renowned facility for concerts and other major events."

And also notably that the State Government would find tenants for the current centre at Seaford.

"Not only did Napthine signal his determination to resolve Cricket Victoria’s contractual stranglehold over the MCG and its inability to find funding for a new home, but the government was also prepared to entertain the prospect of housing St Kilda’s Linen House Centre at Seaford with new tenants."

Leaving aside the whole romantic notion of returning to the Junction Oval there are lots of questions that need to be answered:

• How will this affect our whole Bayside strategy only just recently announced, by effectively leaving the area and moving close to the city?
• Cricket Victoria will get the main oval and we the other oval. Is this suitable in size, dimensions etc?
• Could this whole exercise be engineered where we end up with even larger admin and training facilities (albeit pool, gym etc to be shared with Cricket Victoria) at next to no cost to the Saints?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages to the players, coaches and staff by a different location. On balance what is the best location for them?
• Will the Moorabbin redevelopment be cancelled with the Junction Oval hosting both our VFL stand alone team and our senior list?
• If Moorabbin is to still go ahead are the AFL still prepared to fund the redevelopment of the ground, as previously announced?

 

[Verdun66]

Lots of questions. Might be our chance for a slice of luck. Hawthorn got Waverley for nothing, so do we get a peppercorn rent? Probably not. But Seaford could be taken off our hands, Moorabbin developed, and the Junction...lots of possibilities.

 

[hayes]

This just makes too much sense to not do it. Make it happen!

 

[pebblesofsand]

Showing my age now

Great we could sing our old song - I loved it

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Oh I do like to be beside the sea
Down at the junction there's a football ground
and that's where the Saints all hang around

So lets give three cheers for old St Kilda
For next year Premiers we might be
Though its not yet in the bag
we've got hopes of winning the flag
beside the seaside beside the sea

Did we win WE (politically incorrect) it in

 

[Curious George]

Don't know how we are going to afford it? Already in debt as it is!
Great to head back but can see the area being very disappointed due to Frankston council putting 4million in and then after 4 years they want out, a bit unprofessional just the way it's all come out IMO.

 

[stkildathunda]

If this happens we need to lobby for this to become our theme song!

 

[Sir Skid]

MAKE IT HAPPEN SAINTS!!!

Sure but lets stop the boys peeing on the fence in public. Please!

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

This has been a pipe dream of mine for a number of years. I looked at how many of the other original VFL clubs have managed to stay & re-develop their traditional grounds & became frustrated that we had missed the boat. When it became apparent that we would have to move from Moorabbin, the return to the Junction seemed to me to be an option that should be furiously pursued. At the time I was working closely with Cricket Victoria & knew that they were desperate to re-develop the Junction as a centre of excellence for Vic cricket. When Brumby lost the election in early 2010, the promised funding for that re-development went out the window. CV have been constantly trying to find a way to fund this project ever since.... I had hoped that St Kilda would see the possibilities of a joint development & the huge benefits of having St. Kilda back in St. Kilda.

A few responses to earlier questions;

• How will this affect our whole Bayside strategy only just recently announced, by effectively leaving the area and moving close to the city?

I would think that we will continue to promote being the Bayside/peninsula club through the same promotions that run over the past few months. The club has regularly talked about being the 'Port Melbourne to Portsea' club so being back inner suburbs would make little difference IMO.

• Cricket Victoria will get the main oval and we the other oval. Is this suitable in size, dimensions etc?

Harry Trott Oval is a pretty big ground (I don't know the exact dimensions) but I would imagine it would only require re-surfacing & maybe some drainage work. The tunnel back to the Junction under the road would be brilliant.

• Could this whole exercise be engineered where we end up with even larger admin and training facilities (albeit pool, gym etc to be shared with Cricket Victoria) at next to no cost to the Saints?

This is the biggest issue IMO. The grandstands are heritage listed & it would take some serious government manoevering to do any work on them at all. Their is an existing building at the city end that could be demolished & re-built & there is plenty of room at the Fitzroy St end as well.

• What are the advantages and disadvantages to the players, coaches and staff by a different location. On balance what is the best location for them?

The players want to live in Elwood, Albert Park & Port Melbourne. I'm not sure where the coaches/ staff are located & that part of Melbourne is a bugger to get to in traffic if you're travelling peak hour from the eastern or north eastern suburbs. When we go shopping for FA's in years to come (or even trying to convince players that we are trading for) the attraction for a young player to live inner suburbs cannot be underestimated.

• Will the Moorabbin redevelopment be cancelled with the Junction Oval hosting both our VFL stand alone team and our senior list?

Moorabbin will still be re-developed as a community footy & home of the VFL team from 2016. Cricket Vic would be based at the Junction (which is a brilliant place to watch cricket BTW) & Saints training across the road at Harry Trott (which actually has 2 ovals come to think of it)

• If Moorabbin is to still go ahead are the AFL still prepared to fund the redevelopment of the ground, as previously announced?

CV have $$$, the AFL are desperate to get access to the G during March so they will come up with $$$ & the Lib Govt are keen to make a popular decision by giving the AFL access to the G so they'll stump up a fair bit of cash (plus will get us out of the Seaford deal, sort out planning issues, etc) so I'd imagine that St Kilda's contribution would be minimal.

RE: Frankston council's $4m investment... well now the actual constituents of the City of Frankston will be able to use the facility that their rates paid for!

While there's still a hell of a lot of water to go under the bridge before this is confirmed, I am absolutely convinced that this move would be a huge step forward in making St Kilda a power.

Awesome... just bloody awesome!

 

[mjchammer]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...ing-home-to-junction-oval-20140409-zqsqx.html

So the 2s would play at Moorabbin and everyone would train at the Junction? Outstanding

after training, this is where the boys have to stay on their long trip home from seaford.

 

[sauce_head]

Showing my age now

Great we could sing our old song - I loved it

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Oh I do like to be beside the sea
Down at the junction there's a football ground
and that's where the Saints all hang around

So lets give three cheers for old St Kilda
For next year Premiers we might be
Though its not yet in the bag
we've got hopes of winning the flag
beside the seaside beside the sea

Did we win WE (politically incorrect) it in

Oh yeah! Then roll onto the chorus, I when the Saints....

 

[sauce_head]

View attachment 50839 after training, this is where the boys have to stay on their long trip home from seaford.

Seen that a few times - wtf is it?

 

[Saint_Dos]

Seen that a few times - wtf is it?

I think they refer to it as art.

 

[Saint_Dos]

Havent been to Junction Oval. Has it got more potential to develop than moorabin?

AFL article below as hasnt been posted yet.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-04-10/saints-may-march-home