Essendon $30m facilities

[Event Horizon]

Essendon new facilities to be built near Melbourne Airport have apparently been approved. They are to include, among other things, two training grounds, one the size of MCG and one the size of Etihad.

The interesting bit, is that state and federal governments are apparently going to fund half of the money, with Essendon to come up with the other half. Now, I am all for a small government contribution here, but why the hell should tax payer money be used to fund what seems to be an excessive amount of money, just because Essendon has decided to go BIG?

If Collingwood decides to built a facility with 4 ovals, (Subiaco and ANZ stadium sizes to be included), would we expect the government to contribute $20m to that?

I reckon the government would be well advised to allocate the same amount of funding for all sporting clubs who require it, and if some clubs choose to go over the top in their wish list, they should fund the difference on their own.

 

[GarnerSmash]

How much did we get from Govt?

 

[jclei]

If they can fund 2 ovals for Essendon maybe they should fund 2 ovals for us. Ballarat please

 

[Event Horizon]

How much did we get from Govt?

I don't have the exact figures, but given the entire facility cost $16mil, I guess it would have to have been less than that.

 

[GarnerSmash]

We got $8mil from govt.

Who cares what Essendon received? Seriously. If we could've got the full $16mil I'm sure we would have done everything inour power to do so.

 

[Event Horizon]

We got $8mil from govt.

Who cares what Essendon received? Seriously. If we could've got the full $16mil I'm sure we would have done everything inour power to do so.

Perhaps, but these are the "big" clubs that ask to stop the "handouts".
And I think that building a facility with 2 ovals using $15mil of government money is about the same as asking Centrelink to fund your new 40k home theatre system.

 

[Joey7]

The facility could cost 60 million for all i care. Its never been about the facility, its about the quality people & players you invest into your club, and luckily at North we have a plethora of these.

F*** the rest, they can build bigger facilities, more grounds, have 300,000 members, it doesn't mean sh..t. The bigger you get the more likely you are to lose site of what's important. Your culture, your people and ensuring you always have a level of humility is crucial, because without that you lose all respect.

 

[numchuks]

Don't worry EH. This monstrosity is getting built just around the corner from me. Can confirm will be putting a few bricks through the windows once this thing starts getting up

 

[fishguts]

The main reason behind the government funding is because the facilities will also house the Australian Paralympic Committee Victorian headquarters & training facility, and will also be open to the public.

So it's not us 'asking for a handout', rather, taking what's available to us.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

The main reason behind the government funding is because the facilities will also house the Australian Paralympic Committee Victorian headquarters & training facility, and will also be open to the public.

So it's not us 'asking for a handout', rather, taking what's available to us.

Oh so you're going to be co-tenants rolleyes: remembering the shit flung at us when it was announced our facilities would cater for a number of melbourne sports teams and the Vic Fencing association and how apparently theyre not 'our' facilities.)

 

[Tas]

I have no issue with the Bombers getting assistance, clubs generate a lot of money for the state, a lot of business activity, the government should put some of that back into the clubs.

 

[Teffy]

Which poor pack of bastards have these blood sucking vampires destroyed this time?

Surely there was a Boy Scout Hall or Sheltered Workshop already existing on this Tullamarine property?

After all, the scum have an historical image to uphold.

 

[tazaa]

Teffy its a dump near the tullamarine freeway.

 

[Dan]

Do they get a runway?

 

[Twinkletoes]

Do they get a runway?

Yep, and we get a full map of Tassie. :stern look

 

[Miaroo]

The facility could cost 60 million for all i care. Its never been about the facility, its about the quality people & players you invest into your club, and luckily at North we have a plethora of these.

F*** the rest, they can build bigger facilities, more grounds, have 300,000 members, it doesn't mean sh..t. The bigger you get the more likely you are to lose site of what's important. Your culture, your people and ensuring you always have a level of humility is crucial, because without that you lose all respect.

Not too sure I could have said that better myself! Bravo! I totally agree!!!

 

[Teffy]

Teffy its a dump near the tullamarine freeway.

So basically, this is just an exchange of rubbish?

 

[THRILLHO]

The two seperate grounds sounds like indulgence for the sake of indulgence.

Why not just one ground with two sets of lines and moveable goalposts?

 

[GarnerSmash]

The two seperate grounds sounds like indulgence for the sake of indulgence.

Why not just one ground with two sets of lines and moveable goalposts?

Cos they can say "Yeah, but we have two ovals".

Or cos there is value in real estate. Perhaps they could sell one off later. Or move in a bowls club.

 

[Slattery_20]

Joey has a point... to a degree. Facilities have become an arms race. As much about showing off - namely to uncontracted players and sponsors - as actual, measurable results IMHO. Still, we are behind, so the thinking is let's get well in front and do something no-one else (in Vic) really can and flog that for all it's worth.

In terms of the actual ovals, they would be the cheap bit - the land's already secured (BTron - AFAIK long term lease, not bought). It's just flattening off, marking lines, whacking in turf & sprinklers and away we go. The cost is in the indoor facilities.

Very clever move to have the donations purely for a facility, and thus tax-deductable.
Club does expect to go into some small amount of debt. Already have the ~6M from fed govt and aiming for 6 from the State, too.

 

[tazaa]

So basically, this is just an exchange of rubbish?

Well when you think about it, it suits them quite well

 

[GarnerSmash]

Joey has a point... to a degree. Facilities have become an arms race. As much about showing off - namely to uncontracted players and sponsors - as actual, measurable results IMHO. Still, we are behind, so the thinking is let's get well in front and do something no-one else (in Vic) really can and flog that for all it's worth.

In terms of the actual ovals, they would be the cheap bit - the land's already secured (BTron - AFAIK long term lease, not bought). It's just flattening off, marking lines, whacking in turf & sprinklers and away we go. The cost is in the indoor facilities.

Ah, ok. Would've been a handy little earner. $30mil on the facility is big bikkies. Should be a beauty. Any indication on the extent of the sharing with the other groups?

Very clever move to have the donations purely for a facility, and thus tax-deductable.

We did a similar thing if I'm not mistaken. Very good way of doing it indeed.

 

[Slattery_20]

Ah, ok. Would've been a handy little earner. $30mil on the facility is big bikkies. Should be a beauty. Any indication on the extent of the sharing with the other groups?

No. I'm pretty sure we will have had to make it kosher tho, to get the Gov't funding.
Maybe check the website.

We did a similar thing if I'm not mistaken. Very good way of doing it indeed.

Yep. Especially for getting the big coterie types involved.