One of Melbourne's biggest wins for the season has come off the field, with the Victorian Government today announcing a $3 million going toward the revamp of Gosch's Paddock.
The funding will go towards extending the dimensions of the oval, consisting of MCG length and Marvel Stadium width.
The upgrades to Gosch's Paddock will in total increase the size of the ground by 20%, allowing for both Melbourne's AFL and AFLW sides to better train and prepare for match day.
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Work is scheduled to begin during August this year, with the target completion coming prior to the start of the 2022 home and away season.
The Victorian Government's Sport Minister Martin Pakula was at Gosch's Paddock today to announce the news.
"We are collectively putting in $3 million dollars to upgrade Gosch's Paddock to AFL dimensions," the Minister said.
"That funding support is coming from the Melbourne Olympic Park's trust at $2 million dollars, and half a million each from the AFL and Melbourne themselves."
โThe remade oval will be a win for the many members of the community who use the area year-round to run, walk, throw a frisbee and have a kick... It means Melbourneโs womenโs and menโs teams will have an oval on par with other Victorian AFLW/AFL teams โ and thatโs good for football.โ
Demons CEO Gary Pert was extremely excited by the news, stating how vital the upgrades were for both sides.
"As we look to establish our new long-term training base, the number one priority in speaking to coaches and players was access to a training oval that reflects the dimensions of the MCG as closely as possible," Pert said.
"Gosch's paddock is the main training base for both our AFL and AFLW programs and to have the upgrade complete will significantly increase our ability to train at the highest possible standard... this upgrade will be critical to allow our coaches to run drills that replicate match-day conditions."
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Pert went on to thank the Victorian Government for their commitment toward the long overdue upgrade to the iconic ground.
"On behalf of the Melbourne Football Club I would like to thank the Victorian State Government, Department of Sport and Recreation, Melbourne and Olympics Park Trust and the AFL who have all helped in this complex planning process and assisted with funding to ensure the projects commencement.โ
