Stadium and Training Facility funding and announcements

dave10

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Apr 26, 2004
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Wookie, have we had any updates about the Marvel Stadium upgrade? I think I may have said previously, for such a big investment there’s surprisingly very little regarding details and timings. A couple of artistic drawings of the outside areas and that’s about it. No detail. I’m told capacity will be reduced slightly. It’s all very subdued.
 
Jul 2, 2010
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Wookie, have we had any updates about the Marvel Stadium upgrade? I think I may have said previously, for such a big investment there’s surprisingly very little regarding details and timings. A couple of artistic drawings of the outside areas and that’s about it. No detail. I’m told capacity will be reduced slightly. It’s all very subdued.

Nothing official since the announcement that John Holland would do the construction

there are some pics of the scaffolding going up at Marvel already in the stadiums thread for Docklands
 
There has been some talk that the AIS will move many of its programs out of Canberra and into Queensland for the lead up to Brisbane Olympics over many years, not just one or two before the Olympics.

If that happens, it would make sense to base some of them up north away from SE Qld, so that some sports can train 12 months a year outdoor. Looks like Cairns is setting itself up for that, and if not, they get a great new facility.
 
Feb 9, 2009
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No doubt this will lead to a whose got what discussion.

I've been keeping a Mega Facilities file since about 2014 to track all these facilities development, as they became the new arms race once the AFL put caps on football department spend around that time.

This graphic below was in the Advertiser and posted on the Port board in February when Port made the announcement of the Alberton Oval precinct redevelopment and that they were chasing $15m federal funding like most clubs had received in cash or had been promised by the feds.

Some of these $15m amounts were pledges before the May 2019 election and haven't been dished out yet, eg Adelaide didn't get approval to build their facility in the Adelaide Parklands, then Covid hit and they pulled out of that option and are now looking at other locations.

Sydney got $20m from NSW govt Oct 2018 in lead up to March 2019 state election and $15m from the feds for a shared $65m facility, with NSW Swifts Netball team,and the building will house the Sydney Swans Academy, and the future Sydney Swans AFL Women’s Team. A cafe, museum, event and recreation space will be for public use. The Clontarf Foundation and GO Foundation, for Indigenous education, and an Australian Red Cross Blood Service donation centre.

That was pulled when Covid hit but put back on the agenda just before they lodged their bid for an AFLW team in August. Its changed, but its not clear how much it has.

In April 2020, with works weeks from commencing, the Swans and its partners were forced to surrender the lease, owing to the unprecedented uncertainty related to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over recent months, the Sydney Swans and its partners have worked closely with the NSW Government and Greater Sydney Parklands to re-enliven the project.


The Geelong one is wrong and relates to Kardinia Park stadium development. The $100m was from the state government pledged in 2019 not the federal government, and they then said in the November 2020 state budget they would fully fund the $142mil stage 5 development which would have a lot of facilities for Geelong to use. The first 3 stages cost just over $100m. Stage 4 had facilities for Geelong to use and cost $89mil and $75mil come from the state government and $6mil from the council and the AFL and Geelong split the balance.

The Western Bulldogs looks like the land granted at Whitten oval $16mil + grants, plus stadium upgrade at Ballarat of $15mil+ and might also include the original $3mil+ from the Bracks government in the '00's.

The list in the link below, above the table from the Advertiser, from a Footy Almanac author isn't 100% accurate, but its pretty close and comes from April 2019 in the lead up to the last federal election. I added some stuff I knew was missing in a thread on the Port board about the Alberton Oval precinct redevelopment.

Its written by Greg Blood a Sport librarian for over 30 years with an interest in Australian sport history and policy. Member of the Australian Society for Sports History, after the April 2019 Budget and he has written 2 more articles re sports funding, in May 2019 after the election and in February 2020 about the sports rorts.

The post 2019 federal election article is HERE and the Sports Rorts article HERE

This first article has a list of government funding for AFL and NRL clubs' high performance centres.
https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/should-governments-fund-afl-and-nrl-high-performance-centres/


Graphic from The Advertiser on 22nd February 2021.

View attachment 1289922
What a surprise, geelong getting kissed on the dick on multiple levels.

None of the clubs should be getting government money. The afl is a billion dollar private business with execs paid in the millions. The 100 million given to geelong alone could build a decent sized hospital wing.
 

Mr north man

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Mar 12, 2016
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If Racing Victoria decide to sell Sandown Racecourse it would be perfect 60,000 AFL ground with a roof on it with surrounding areas turned into parkland and entertainment areas with a Hotel with some parking areas.
Then build a Mono Rail from Monash University thru to Dandenong and also have Eastlink less then 5 minutes away that goes North and south Directions of Melbourne.
It would be no hassles getting people out of the ground not like old Waverley Park days.
Then convince Hawthorn and St.Kilda to move there then you have AFL in the South East suburbs plus takes pressure off the MCG and Marvel.
Then offer the following clubs Richmond,Collingwood and Essendon $1 Million for 1 game at the new ground for the first 5 years to get the stadium going with big crowds.
 
Jul 2, 2010
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If Racing Victoria decide to sell Sandown Racecourse it would be perfect 60,000 AFL ground with a roof on it with surrounding areas turned into parkland and entertainment areas with a Hotel with some parking areas.
Then build a Mono Rail from Monash University thru to Dandenong and also have Eastlink less then 5 minutes away that goes North and south Directions of Melbourne.
It would be no hassles getting people out of the ground not like old Waverley Park days.
Then convince Hawthorn and St.Kilda to move there then you have AFL in the South East suburbs plus takes pressure off the MCG and Marvel.
Then offer the following clubs Richmond,Collingwood and Essendon $1 Million for 1 game at the new ground for the first 5 years to get the stadium going with big crowds.

Ill take things that are never going to happen for $500 Alex
 

Seedsfan

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Oct 10, 2013
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If Racing Victoria decide to sell Sandown Racecourse it would be perfect 60,000 AFL ground with a roof on it with surrounding areas turned into parkland and entertainment areas with a Hotel with some parking areas.
Then build a Mono Rail from Monash University thru to Dandenong and also have Eastlink less then 5 minutes away that goes North and south Directions of Melbourne.
It would be no hassles getting people out of the ground not like old Waverley Park days.
Then convince Hawthorn and St.Kilda to move there then you have AFL in the South East suburbs plus takes pressure off the MCG and Marvel.
Then offer the following clubs Richmond,Collingwood and Essendon $1 Million for 1 game at the new ground for the first 5 years to get the stadium going with big crowds.
Absolutely no way known I would drive all the way across the city to Sandown or get two trains and a mono rail. Terrible idea
 

Bjo187

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Apr 30, 2020
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I think the stadiums in Melbourne are perfectly placed, one friendly for people from the east/ south east and the other more friendly for people from the west/north.
 

The Victorian

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Oct 23, 2018
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I think the stadiums in Melbourne are perfectly placed, one friendly for people from the east/ south east and the other more friendly for people from the west/north.
Agreed. Marvels design isn’t the best but location wise it’s perfect. For most, it’s one train into the city.
 

Mr north man

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Mar 12, 2016
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Absolutely no way known I would drive all the way across the city to Sandown or get two trains and a mono rail. Terrible idea
Oh really then what about the the people in the south east ,Gippsland and peninsula that would find it hard to travel to Marvel and the MCG a ground at Sandown would more perfect then going into the MCG or Marvel.
As people know we are losing supporters to the game who live in these areas so if you don’t want to go then fine watch it on TV but think of others pal.
 
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