Doubt over Melbourne FC’s ambitious $100m Caulfield plan

Questions have been raised about Melbourne Football Club’s plans to move to Caulfield racecourse, with the racing club looking to protect the “interests of racing”.

Melbourne Football Club’s plans to move to Caulfield racecourse have hit a hurdle, with the racing club looking to protect the “interests of racing”.

The ambitious plan to move the football club from its Casey fields training base has been hailed as a signature of CEO Gary Pert’s tenure at the Demons.

The new training and administration buildings, two football ovals and a multi-use sporting field were expected to cost up to $100 million.

But there are now questions being raised about the plans, with the Melbourne Racing Club in turmoil in recent weeks following the departure of chief executive Josh Blanksby and chair Matt Cain.

It’s understood that Melbourne’s plans to use the inside of Caulfield racecourse, including a pavilion, have not been signed off by the new MRC board, which was taken over by rebel challenger John Kanga.

An artist’s impression of the Melbourne Football Club plans for new headquarters at Caulfield racecourse. Picture: Supplied

What the headquarters could look like. Picture: Supplied

The MRC has a 65-year lease on the racecourse but owns a significant amount of land on the outside of the track, including parts that will sit on the edge of the Melbourne Football Club training buildings.

The final say on the use of the land inside the course sits with the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust, which is chaired by Sam Almaliki.

The Melbourne Racing Club said in a statement that it “will work to ensure the interests of racing are safeguarded, as racing is one of the primary purposes of the Reserve.”

“The MRC was pleased to be involved in the Feasibility Study and is committed to working closely with the Melbourne Football Club and the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust during the Business Case phase,” the MRC added.

The questions about Melbourne’s training ground plans come amid a horror off-season, with controversy about whether star players Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver would walk away from the Demons.

Petracca has decided to stay, while the club has insisted it would keep Oliver despite floating him as trade bait to rival clubs.

The ambitious plan to move the football club from its Casey fields training base has been hailed as a signature of CEO Gary Pert’s tenure at the Demons. Picture: Michael Klein

Pert said on Tuesday that the Caulfield project was expected to finalise a business case by the middle of next year.

“The Melbourne Football Club and the Melbourne Racing Club are part of a government working party,” he said.

“There have been meetings where all parties have agreed to progress the plans from the feasibility stage to the business planning stage.

“We’ve had amazing feedback from stakeholders including sporting clubs, schools and community groups in the Glen Eira region.”

But the MRC will be a major stakeholder and any opposition to the plans would be a major stumbling block.

The cost of the project was also expected to be a headache for Melbourne, which plans to save $15 million from its “future fund” to contribute to the project.

There has been little detail about how the remaining $85 million would be found, but it would rely on a significant amount of cash from the Victorian Government.

However, Treasurer Tim Pallas has been staring down a warning on spending from ratings agency Moody’s with net debt projected to hit $188 billion in 2028.

The Victorian State Government has already spent $5 million setting up Melbourne at Casey Fields, along with another $2 million investment at Gosch’s Paddock, next to AAMI Park.

Originally published as Doubt over Melbourne FC’s ambitious $100m Caulfield plan