North Melbourne launches $2.5 million ‘Arden: Forever Home of the Shinboners’ fundraiser
NORTH Melbourne has launched a multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign it hopes will lock it into the Arden St precinct for generations and help convince guns like Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey to become a Roo.
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NORTH Melbourne has launched a $2.5 million fundraising campaign it hopes will lock it into the Arden St precinct for generations and help convince guns such as Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey to become a Roo.
Members of the club’s coteries, supporters’ groups and high-end benefactors attended the night at Docklands, with the aim of raising money to redevelop club facilities to help accommodate new AFLW, VFLW and VFL teams.
Club officials and football staff insist providing the best facilities will likely lure players such as De Goey to Arden St.
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“We are a growing club and we are expanding,” coach Brad Scott said.
“The facilities are a key component of that, not just for our current players … but for prospective free agents from other clubs who are looking at North Melbourne.
“If they see a great facility, they think that translates into on-field performances, and it is hard to argue with that.
“It is no small sum, so clearly we need a lot of help with that. It is going to take a collective effort from the North Melbourne family to get it done.”
Kangaroos chief executive Carl Dilena said the club’s capacity to stay ahead of the pack with its facilities could be the difference in attracting and retaining star players.
“If we don’t do it, you are not going to be able to retain your players and you are not going to be able to expand as a club,” Dilena said.
The overall cost of the upgrade will be $10 million, with the club having to find $2.5 million in its Arden: Forever Home of the Shinboners campaign.
They will hold a public 24-hour challenge on August 23.
Stage one of the redevelopment will include new change rooms for the AFLW and VFL teams, locker rooms, sports science areas, heat rooms, player dining and warm-up areas.
The plan is also to provide Arden St with a new scoreboard, lights, coaches’ boxes and interchange benches to host AFLW and VFL matches.
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