Sydney Swans and NSW Swifts to share redeveloped $65m training facility

THE Sydney Swans have leapt from the bottom of the AFL facility pile to the top of the ladder with the announcement of a $65 million redevelopment of the historic Royal Hall of Industries building.

NSW Minister for Sports Stuart Ayres and State Premier Gladys Berejiklian with NSW Swifts netballer Sophie Garbin and Sydney Swans captain Josh Kennedy at the announcement of a $65 million facility at Moore Park.

THE Sydney Swans will leapt from the bottom of the AFL facility pile to the top of the ladder with the announcement of a $65 million redevelopment to turn the historic Royal Hall of Industries building at Moore Park into a state-of-the-art centre of excellence.

Sydney have outgrown their current office space and training base in the walls of the SCG with players having to use their outdated gym in three shifts.

The Swans will share the 5,540sqm Royal Hall of Industries space with the NSW Swifts netball team.

It will also be the home of the Swans NEAFL team, their boys and girls Academies and provide the infrastructure for a future Sydney AFLW team.

Outgoing Swans chief executive Andrew Ireland believes their new centre of excellence will give the club a competitive edge.

An artist’s impression of how the new Swans training facility will look.

“It will be a world-class facility,” Swans CEO Andrew Ireland said. “There won’t be anything like it in terms of the combination of heritage building and modern sporting facilities.”

While the Swans have stayed competitive on the field over recent years they have fallen well off the pace away from it with Collingwood’s Holden Centre, Essendon’s Tullamarine facility and the Giants WestConnex Centre all leaving them for dead when it comes to training and administration resources.

Their new centre will include high performance training facilities for the Swans and the Swifts, an international standard indoor netball court, a multipurpose indoor function and recreations space for community events and a museum to tell the history of the 105-year-old building and the Swans.

An artists impression of how the new Swans gym will look.

The multimillion-dollar redevelopment will also become home to the GO Foundation and Clontarf Foundation both of which both assistance in the education and employment of young indigenous Australians.

An Australian Red Cross Blood Service Donor Centre, the only dedicated blood donation facility in the Eastern Suburbs will also move into the Hall of Industries.

The development which also includes the Hordern Pavilion was announced jointly by NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres yesterday.

The NSW government will contribute $20 million to the venture.

“The Royal Hall of Industries and Hordern Pavilion have a special place in the hearts of Sydneysiders,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“It has always been a location for the people and it is great to see that history embraced and respected. This exciting new project will create a vibrant community place that respects the great cultural, architectural and heritage significance of these iconic venues.”

The Swans’ plan for a museum and retail store.

Ayres added the $65m project will have long term benefits across many areas.

“It is ultimately very fitting that these institutions that are deeply rooted in Sydney’s history have come together to create a new heartland for sport and community events,” Ayres said.

“Junior players, women’s sport and indigenous education are all set to benefit. This project ensures long-term public access to the precinct, and balances the needs of the community, live entertainment and sport.”

The AFL will also contribute $5 million to the project, however, along with their project partner Playbill they will pay $65 million in rent over the 27 years of the proposed agreement.

“People might look at the $20 million the government are spending but they are getting a huge payback from what we are doing,” Ireland said.

Ireland is retiring this year and will leave the Swans in great shape with more than 60,000 and a 30 year tenancy agreement with the SCG to go with the proposed facility.

“There has been a lot of hard work by a lot of people,” Ireland said.

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Originally published as Sydney Swans and NSW Swifts to share redeveloped $65m training facility