Essendon, AFL sign deal to redevelop Windy Hill precinct

It’s long been Essendon Football Club’s spiritual heartland. Now, a deal between Essendon and the AFL will see Windy Hill redeveloped with a female first focus.

Essendon’s AFLW squad walks off the Windy Hill oval before a record crowd on Sunday. Pic: Michael Klein

Essendon Football Club has revealed new plans to breath life into its spiritual Windy Hill home.

The Bombers and AFL have signed a multimillion dollar funding agreement that will see the club’s historic home base undergo its first major renovation in more than 25 years.

In a move to lock in Windy Hill’s long-term future as an AFLW, VFL, VFLW and community facility, the club and AFL signed a one-off deal last week that will see redevelopment works completed over the next two years.

It will see change rooms, spectator facilities, new player bench and umpire areas undergo a much needed revamp.

Essendon chief executive Craig Vozzo ruled out the AFL team returning to Windy Hill, recommitting the club’s men’s future to the high performance “Hangar” it has built near Melbourne Airport.

But, in an exclusive interview with the Herald Sun, he revealed up to $4 million would be spent as soon as possible making Windy Hill a premium destination for AFLW and a better precinct for community use.

“We’re really keen now to take the next steps in terms of the future of Windy Hill,’’ he said.

“It’s obviously been a critically important facility to the Essendon footy club in terms of all the great moments and history down there but also the wider Essendon community.’’

The Herald Sun in 2021 revealed $50 million plans by the previous Essendon administration to transform Windy Hill.

That masterplan would have seen a grandstand demolished, new community centre, synthetic running track, children’s playgrounds, light towers, new digital scoreboards and parklands built.

Those plans have been scrapped with Mr Vozzo declaring the club would continue upgrading Windy Hill but wanted to take realistic steps in the “short to medium term”.

“We need to be realistic on what we can deliver, remembering that our training and admin facility and base is at Tullamarine so from our point of view it’s the next iteration of what Windy Hill can be,’’ he said.

“And hopefully, once we finish this aspect, we will start planning the right way what the next iteration looks like.’’

Home and away team change rooms and wet areas, a new community change room, grandstand improvements and shade will be added in the first stage of works, to begin in the next four months.

Mr Vozzo said Essendon would “work with the various levels of government to take the next steps in the growth of Windy Hill as an AFLW and community facility’’ once the first stage of the revamp was done.

“This is the first step I think in probably 25 plus years of being able to deliver some substantial capital improvement to the facility,’’ he said.

“What we’ve been able to secure is a partnership now with the AFL which we’ve agreed upon last week, which will see us spend a significant amount of money down there improving various things.’’

Essendon attracted the biggest AFLW crowds in Victoria to Windy Hill this season, with 3373 fans on average.

More than 4300 fans packed Windy Hill for Essendon’s loss to North Melbourne on Sunday, an AFLW crowd record for the venue and the biggest Bombers crowd there since 1991.

“It means a lot to people and it’s got great scope to continue grow as an AFLW venue and also an industry venue,’’ he said.

“Hopefully we’re seeing more tier two and three football there apart from EDFL, perhaps Coates League might be another thing that can take place there as well for boys and girls.’’

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Originally published as Essendon, AFL sign deal to redevelop Windy Hill precinct