MCG, Etihad Stadium could open doors to boost public health

TAKING a mark on the same ground as your footy idols shouldn’t be a dream, with experts arguing elite facilities such as the MCG and Etihad Stadium should be open to grassroots athletes.

AFL clubs, universities and elite sports grounds such as the MCG and Etihad Stadium should be opened to the public to enhance community health, experts say.

As sports grounds and open space is squeezed in Melbourne, professional clubs and schools could play a key role in keeping us healthy by sharing access to existing infrastructure.

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AFL clubs such as North Melbourne, Essendon, Collingwood and Western Bulldogs have already dipped their toes in the water by opening parts of their facilities to the community.

But PwC economics and policy partner Jeremy Thorpe said elite clubs needed to provide even greater access in the future to ensure communities could exercise and unwind.

North Melbourne footballer Ed Vickers-Willis with Hanan Mahamed who is part of The Huddle. Picture: Tony Gough

“There are ways they could be better used by the public,’’ he said.

“They can be opened for concerts, so why not the community?

“Many of these facilities have largely been paid for by the public purse — surely they could be used more intensively at a small cost to the public.’’

Mr Thorpe said the likes of Margaret Court Arena, AAMI Park, Richmond’s Punt Rd Oval and Melbourne Park could be better shared between professional and grassroots athletes.

“Many of these inner city grounds have great parking, public transport ... it’s got to be a win-win for everyone,’’ he said.

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And he predicted tertiary facilities would follow the leads of Victoria University in Footscray and La Trobe University which have begun sharing their spaces with the public.

“We’re not saying open every school tomorrow but there is a boom coming and we need to be ready,’’ he said.

“We’re asking government — as the fundamental owner of most of these assets — to do everything possible to make these facilities available to more people.’’

North Melbourne already shares its Arden St headquarters with the Victorian Fencing Academy and a City of Melbourne public gym and basketball court.

AFL fans fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Picture: Jason Edwards

It also runs classrooms for community youth outreach program The Huddle from its home base.

But North Melbourne chief executive Carl Dilena said the Kangaroos had big short and long-term plans to throw the doors open wider for the community.

“I think gone are the days you just build something for yourself,’’ he said.

In the next year, North Melbourne will make its home AFLW-ready with female changerooms, lighting and facility upgrades.

Yet that expansion will be small fry compared to a broader precinct expansion Mr Dilena labelled "a once in a generation opportunity’’.

With a new North Melbourne train station to be build opposite Arden St Oval, bringing about 30,000 office workers and about 20,000 new residents to the area, he said significant additional open space was required.

With yet another 20,000 residents expected to call North Melbourne home in the future thanks to rezoning, the Kangaroos want to transform their headquarters into a world-class community sports and recreation hub.

Shaun Higgins with fans at the Kangaroos’ family day. Picture: David Crosling

“The whole face of this area is going to change over the next 10 to 20 years with a massive increase in population,’’ he said.

“So ... we would like to have North Melbourne as a football club that is the heart of this new suburb, as a central attraction.’’

Its submission to the state government includes plans for an indoor aquatic centre, expanded recreation reserve and fields suitable for community AFL, soccer, basketball, netball and hockey.

Mr Dilena said North Melbourne’s training ground would already be at capacity with AFL, VFL, AFLW and VFLW teams this year.

“It’s not really suitable for extensive community use, so we saw the need to take pressure off that as the only green space by creating additional community open space ... as a sporting precinct,’’ he said. “It’s not something we would own and have exclusive access to, it’s really a community asset, possibly run by council.”

Mr Thorpe said it was up to government to let actions speak louder than words.

“Access to sporting facilities is a major driver to community health and fitness and if they’re available people will use them,’’ he said.

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