A-League expansion: City of Casey ready to build $20m training facility if new team gets green light

THE City of Casey says it is ready to go with plans to build a $20 million training facility if Melbourne’s booming southeast is granted an A-League licence.

THE City of Casey says it is ready to go with plans to build a $20 million training facility if Melbourne’s booming southeast is granted an A-League licence.

And as the race for spots in an expanded A-League heats up, Casey Mayor Sam Aziz told the Herald Sun the “soccer-mad southeast of Melbourne” is the only realistic option for a third Victorian team.

The proposed elite training centre would be based at Casey Fields, which already partners Melbourne’s AFL team and is home to VFL club Casey Scorpians.

Consisting of eight change rooms, a multipurpose grass turf pitch and grandstand, Aziz said the Casey Soccer Centre of Excellence would be the ideal training and administration base for the proposed A-League and W-League club in the area.

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The Casey Soccer Centre could be used for training as well as W-League matches.

But with a community facility also boasting three synthetic pitches and one grass turf pitch, Aziz said the proposed development would also service an estimated 140,000 local soccer participants.

Casey does not intend to build a stadium suitable to host A-League matches.

While the training facility’s main pitch could host W-League games, Aziz insisted he was fully supportive of Dandenong Mayor Jim Memeti’s push to build a boutique stadium near Dandenong train station.

The current combined population of Casey, neighbouring Cardinia and Greater Dandenong is 535,000. That population is predicted to reach 714,000 in 10 years.

Following the successful Western Sydney Wanderers template, Aziz said a united push from the three councils, local clubs and private investors was something Football Federation Australia should not ignore.

An artist’s impression of how the site could look.

“By joining forces the three municipalities can turn the southeast into an A-League heartland,” Aziz told the Herald Sun.

“By any measure the southeast has a ready-made supporter base for an A-League and W-League team. And with thousands playing organised soccer across the region, there is an undisputed love for the game here.

“The Casey Soccer Centre of Excellence would provide the ideal base for a third Melbourne team and ensure there was a real and enduring connection to the local football community.

“Young players would also be able to access a real pathway to elite level soccer through a soccer academy without having to travel far from home.

“In addition, the facility would also make an excellent home for some W-League matches which could be televised.”