Western United make new base at the Hangar with Essendon Bombers

Clubs from the A-League and the AFL have joined forces, with Western United signing a tenancy partnership with Essendon at the Hangar.

Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell has welcomed Western United to Tullamarine. Picture: AAP Image/Erik Anderson

A-League nomads Western United will tap in the expanding amount of AFL resources in Melbourne and train out of Essendon‘s multi-million dollar base.

The two clubs have entered a cross-code tenancy partnership with United’s men’s A-League team and the club’s administration staff is moving to the Essendon Hangar at Tullamarine.

The A-League club’s academy and future women’s football programs will continue to operate at George Cross Football Club in Fraser Rise, which was the training base for the senior men’s team until this week.

United’s “permanent home” will eventually be a yet-to-be built facility in Tarneit.

For now, the men’s A-League team will play home matches at AAMI Park as well as in Geelong, Ballarat and Launceston after a plan to use Lakeside Stadium was blocked by Victorian Premier League powerhouse South Melbourne, who use the Albert Park venue.

.@wufcofficial 🤝 @essendonfc

Western United has partnered with Essendon Football Club in a landmark deal for the two elite sporting codes.

— Western United FC (@wufcofficial) October 18, 2021

“To be able to utilise the world class facilities at the Hangar and bring our team together was a really attractive solution for us while we build our permanent home in Tarneit,” United chief executive Chris Pehlivanis said.

“Our core values at Western United are togetherness, effort and growth and this partnership speaks to those values in every way.

“Our club has grown enormously over a short period of time, and as a result, we needed to explore all options to accommodate both our staff and our players and their increasing high-performance needs.”

United will use the community oval at the Hangar as well as some of the new performance and expanded office areas.

Welcome, @wufcofficial 🤝

— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) October 18, 2021

Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell welcomed Western United to the Hangar.

“We look forward to a strong partnership between the cross-code organisations over the years to come,” Campbell said.

“While this partnership will deliver important outcomes for the Essendon Football Club, providing an important step forward in our aspirations for developing a truly world-class, multifaceted sports and community precinct, it’s also important to note that the partnership and particularly the use of training facilities will have no direct impact on the operations of our football programs.

“That said, we expect the partnership over time to provide a range of opportunities for growth as our staff and players develop relationships and identify and leverage opportunities for mutual benefit.”

Originally published as Western United make new base at the Hangar with Essendon Bombers