Essendon turf war: football and cricket face off over iconic Windy Hill

AFLW games and Victorian Premier Cricket matches have been set down for Essendon’s Windy Hill as football and cricket hit heads over the iconic suburban sports ground.

Essendon CC president Simon Tobin.

Another shot has been fired in the war between football and cricket over Essendon’s iconic Windy Hill.

A few weeks after Essendon Football Club scheduled AFLW matches for the ground in October, Essendon Cricket Club has done the same for Premier Cricket fixtures as the stand-off between them continues.

An Essendon Second XI match is set down for Saturday, October 4.

October 11, 18 and 25 are also on the cricket draw, clashing with Essendon AFLW games listed for October 19 and 25.

Officials in both sports believe the issue will go to the highest levels of their administrations, if not court.

Cricket Victoria wrote to the AFL this afternoon setting out the October dates and cricket’s claim on the ground.

The cricketing Bombers were financially compensated when they agreed to the Essendon women’s team playing at the ground in 2023 and 2024.

But cricket club president Simon Tobin said that in the absence of any deal for 2025, “it’s business as usual as far as Cricket Victoria and Premier Cricket goes’’.

Essendon players run on to Windy Hill for an AFLW match last year. Pic: Michael Klein

Asked if his club was digging in, he said: “It’s not just a case of digging in. We have nowhere else to go. It’s our home ground and has been for many years.

“It’s not just four men’s team this impacts. We’ve got 10 junior teams at Essendon. On any given Friday night during October you’ll have three Under 10s matches being played. So it’s not a question of digging in. It’s about playing cricket in cricket season, as we have done for 150 years.’’

He said the issue boiled down to the football club wanting to play four hours of football at Windy Hill at the expense of eight weeks of cricket.

The football club has scheduled six AFLW games at Windy Hill, two in October, and believes the women’s team’s standing in a national competition overrides the traditional “division of seasons’’ agreement between football and cricket.

Victorian player Sam Harper hits out in the Victorian Premier Cricket grand final at Windy Hill in 2023. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The football Bombers are adamant they’re not seeking to kick cricket off Windy Hill, insisting the clubs can compromise on the sharing of the ground.

“Playing more games, especially in front of our passionate supporters at Windy Hill, is a huge moment for our Club and the AFLW competition,’’ Dons chief executive Craig Vozzo said after the club allocated six fixtures at Windy Hill this year.

“Windy Hill is more than just a ground for Essendon. It is an important part of the very soul of our club and our community, steeped in generations of Essendon history and tradition. To be able to host a record number of AFLW matches there this season is incredibly significant.”

Essendon Football Club is the lessee of the ground and says the cricket club has no formal lease.

The cricket club says it is indeed a subtenant and has been for many years.

Tobin said the football club was simply ignoring long-term occupancy agreements.

“They’re saying we have no playing rights there, which is ridiculous.

“We are nominated subtenants under the head lease and we were nominated specifically by the Moonee Valley City Council to ensure our training and playing rights were enshrined.

“The gap in the documentation is that it doesn’t detail the dates of cricket season and football season. That current head lease was completed in 2010 – and at that stage of course there was no contemplation of anything but cricket being played in cricket season.

“So by the football club’s interpretation, if they’re entitled to play football matches in cricket season at Windy Hill, we’re entitled to play cricket matches during football season.’’

He said the AFL had offered Essendon other venues for the two October matches, including Arden St and Whitten Oval.

The stands in the background as the Bombers and Kangaroos meet in an AFLW match on October 29 last year. Pic: Michael Klein

Tobin said the cricket club had asked for mediation, formally and informally, but through their lawyers the AFL Bombers had refused.

“We couldn’t be more disappointed,’’ he said.

“It’s evidence of their bullying and arrogant attitude. For all the espousing they do about their great community work, when it really counts they do what suits them best.

“They talk about all parties having to compromise and making sacrifices, but their interpretation of compromise is as long as they’re not inconvenienced and someone else is paying the price, that’s all the matters.’’

Tobin said the cricketers wanted to thrash out not only the October dates, but their future at Windy Hill when Essendon’s lease expires in 2031.

Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins, speaking from the US, said October belonged to cricket and the ground to Essendon.

“It’s when the cricket season starts and it’s Essendon’s home ground,’’ he said.

“As per our standing agreement, it’s when the cricket club takes possession of the ground. And that’s when we’re expecting to play.’’

Originally published as Essendon turf war: football and cricket face off over iconic Windy Hill