Soccer giants, US sports and golf will be targeted as Melbourne ramps up status as events capital

Melbourne will chase European soccer giants, US sports, golf and iconic Aussie teams as it ramps up efforts to retain our major events crown.

European soccer giants, golf tournaments and Australia’s elite sports teams will be targeted as Melbourne ramps up efforts to retain its status as the nation’s major- events and cultural capital.And the MCG should be the natural home for the final game of global blockbusters like the 2027 Rugby Union World Cup that Australia is likely to host, and any future FIFA men’s World Cup bid.

Major Events Minister Martin Pakula flagged the prospect of luring star-studded international soccer and basketball matches to Melbourne, as well as the return of the Wallabies, Socceroos, Matildas and the NRL State of Origin.

“If it’s an iconic sporting event, whether its club based or national team based – then we’ve got an interest,’’ he said.

As other states and countries circle, Mr Pakula said restoring Melbourne’s sporting reputation and locking away key events such as the Formula One Grand Prix would be the priority post-pandemic.

But packed crowds at Victorian stadiums, theatres and galleries would play a big role in Victoria’s future and further drawcards would be added to the calendar.

“Events of all sorts will be really important in not just regenerating the lifeblood of the city but also in terms of Melbourne’s brand and reintroducing the city to the world,’’ he said.

Getting the Wallabies back in Melbourne is a priority for 2022. Picture: Getty Images

The success of the President’s Cup in Melbourne in 2019, when Tiger Woods prowled the fairways for the world to see, showed “enormous promise and possibilities’’ for future golf events.

An Australia-first NBA game, Major-league Baseball, English Premier League matches and UFC blockbusters are on the wish list of sports starved Victorians.

And while he would not be drawn on the exact events the state government would bid for, Mr Pakula confirmed it was setting its hopes high.

“The big international sporting events that are either one off or come around very rarely whether it is American sport, the Ruby World Cup, there is a very competitive market for all of it,’’ he said.

“And we are very keen to get our share.’’

Mr Pakula said major events such as the Australian Open generated “a massive amount of economic activity’’ and are “an incredibly powerful branding tool’’.

“These are events with global reach and they portray Melbourne and Victoria in the best possible light,’’ he said.

“And beyond that right now, given what we’ve been through, they are just really important to the psyche of the city and the state.

“They send a signal to the community as much as to the world that we are open, that we are back, that we are buzzing, that this is a fun, exciting place to be.’’

With the Grand Prix contract ending in 2025 and Phillip Island MotoGP deal up for renewal the following year, it was likely other cities would try and steal them.

“I’ve always worked on the assumption that the great things we have are things that other jurisdictions want,’’ he said.

“It’s an ongoing working assumption so we are always going to work really hard to retain them and to extend them.’’

But former Premier Jeff Kennett called for an independent review of the state’s major events to see if they still stacked up.

“Someone has got to make sure we do an evaluation of all of these events to really assess whether we require them for the future,’’ he said.

“In other words, do we as Victoria want to maintain the suite of activities we’ve had in the past or do we want to change them?’’

Mr Kennett – who hijacked the Grand Prix from Adelaide in 1996 and introduced the International Airshow at Avalon — said Melbourne risked losing the Grand Prix to Sydney.

“Everything at times benefits from a rejuvenation,’’ he said.

“For instance, regardless of what the government says at the moment, whether the Grand Prix Prix might move to Sydney and utilise the Harbour Bridge as a selling point, I don’t know.

“I hope not but we need to make sure we secure the events that we think are worth retaining.’’

Rather than “one offs’’, Mr Kennett said the focus should be on packing the calendar with new events that could be built up annually.

Golf events are also on the radar after the success of the President’s Cup. Picture: Dan Peled

International soccer teams would also be a coup for the major events capital of Australia. Picture: AFP

“The most important way to advance our future, economically and socially, is if we rebuild confidence and there is a lot of work to be done there,’’ he said.

“That’s why this thing has got to be evaluated, it’s got to be looked at.’’

He said Premier Daniel Andrews should play a greater role securing and promoting the city’s sporting and cultural events.

“For these things to work you need to have Pied Piper, an enthusiast among your ranks,’’ he said.

“He is the one with the public profile, he is the one that can pull the strings, that gives the nod as to whether we spend here or there’’.

The gaping role in our current calendar is lack of a regular significant golf tournament.

The Australian Open will be played at the Victoria Golf Club next year, the first time in Melbourne since 2005.

But, after a failed bid by the Andrews Government to hijack it previously, it will return to Sydney in 2023 before another likely Victorian approach.

South Australia’s rights to the Women’s Australian Open will expire in 2022, leaving that event up for grabs too.

Golf Australia operations and events general manager Therese Magdulski said Victoria’s iconic courses and success hosting events such as 2018 World Cup of Golf and President’s Cup should make it a hole in one.

“There could be more opportunities beyond 2023,’’ she said.

“But there’s a process to go through before that can by crystallised.”

Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust chief executive and 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2012 Cricket World Cup boss John Harnden said there was “massive pent up demand” for Victorian events.

“We’ve got these great events, they haven’t gone anywhere and people are really wanting to be part if it,’’ he said.

And he said his good friend Ron Walker, the major events guru who died in 2018, would have a clear message.

“He would say ‘we’re the events capital for a reason and now is the time to stand up tall, put our best foot forward and show everyone what we are capable of’.’’