Hawthorn Football Club lodges planning permit for new base at Dingley

THE HAWKS have taken the next step in their grand plan to leave Waverley Park, lodging a planning permit for a new base at Dingley.

An artist's impression of how Hawthorn FC's new training base at Dingley will look. Picture: Supplied

THE HAWKS have taken the next step in their grand plan to fly south to Dingley.

The reigning premiers have lodged a planning permit for a super headquarters for players, administration and supporters at the Old Dandenong Road site.

The documents — lodged with Kingston City Council — show three ovals on the 28ha site.

Hawthorn CEO Stuart Fox said the club will now decide if the site could house world-class facility for the best players, coaches and staff. The plans are not yet available to the public.

However Monash Council seemed to accept Hawthorn’s move was beyond doubt, with the mayor telling Monash Leader the council was disappointed but accepted the club’s decision.

An aerial view of how Hawthorn FC's new training base at Dingley will look. Picture: Supplied

“It’s been great having them as part of Monash and they’ve bought a real buzz to the area, especially around finals given their success over the past few years,” Cr Stefanie Perri said.

“But we understand they’re wanting newer, larger facilities and we accept their decision to move to a site in Dingley.”

Cr Perri said the focus was now on ensuring the Waverley Park oval — which the club owns, along with 85 per cent of the grandstand — remained public open space.

“We met with the Hawthorn Football Club recently to discuss this issue and they understood our viewpoint,” she said. “When a permit was granted for the Waverley Park estate in 2002, the oval formed part of the open space network that needed to be provided for future residents.”

The Victorian Heritage Register lists Waverley Park as being of “historical, social and architectural significance”.

Hawthorn began playing home games at Waverley Park (formerly VFL Park) in 1991 and moved its headquarters there in 2006.

Hawks fans on Facebook had a mixed response to the club’s announcement of the planning application.

Some joked there would be room at the new site for a larger trophy cabinet, another thanked estate developer Mirvac for “cramming four-storey townhouses around every inch of Waverley Park” — and one witty fan asked “Where the heck is Dingley?”.