The Melbourne Football Club has moved a step closer to bringing its entire club under one roof at the Caulfield Racecourse, with the Demons securing funding to conduct a feasibility study.
Melbourne announced on Tuesday that it had been given the financial green light by the Caulfield Racecourse Trust to make move the project forward, with News Corp reporting the Redlegs could be in their new home by 2028.
At present, the Demons' administrative headquarters and training bases are spread between the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Olympic Park precinct and Casey Fields, meaning players and staff have routinely been left shuttling between venues.
Previously, the Redlegs had commenced planning on projects that would see bases in either Yarra or Olympic Parks, yet hit impasses on every occasion.
The next stage of development is likely to include producing artists' impressions of the new venue, however, with Caulfield to remain an active racecourse, any construction in the centre of the track would need not hinder the view of racegoers.
As has become de rigueur for most clubs in the competition,ย the Dees are likely to construct a pair of playing ovals in the atrium of the Group One venue.
However, should the club wish to secure State Government funding for the venture, community sporting facilities would almost certainly need to be factored into any future construction plans.
Speaking within a club-released statement, Melbourne CEO Gary Pert confirmed as much.
โIt's important that we deliver the best facilities and opportunities for everyone including our members and supporters,โ Pert told Melbourne Media.
โThe feasibility funding is an important step forward in achieving this.
โAs a club, our vision is to create facilities that will all our players and coaches to compete in the toughest professional sporting competition in Australia, but at the same time provide the broader community with facilities and benefits, as a result of accessing our high-performance centre when it's not utilised by the club.โ
The oldest football club in the land has long been bouncing between training bases, with Melbourne having used the Junction Oval, Gosch's Paddock and Sandringham's Trevor Barker Beach Oval since the Melbourne Cricket Club banned the Demons from training on the 'G in 1985.
