Rumour AFL to buy / take control of regional AFL venue.

[The 747]

Buying an existing stadium would be a very big step and not something they've been involved in before. They built Waverley and were the major partners in Marvel.

I can't see how buying Kardinia Park would be beneficial, Geelong have a great deal there and always will have because they're the only tenants on earth who could ever fill the joint, and they are incredibly powerful in the area in a political sense.

Ballarat? Maybe, but it's already being upgraded and not sure what more they would get out of it - I don't know that any club is that interested in relocating there full time.

Perhaps this is a new strategy to invest their surplus cash but I'm with you I don't see any logic in buying Kardina Park other than it would be a nice asset to have in the future. I don't really see what else can be done with it to generate more return.

Ballarat makes a bit more sense in that they could send some games there (no full time clubs), but I still don't totally get the strategy.

 

[Sphynx]

Not sure how you can say that.

Broadcasting rights now deliver almost $400 million cash to the AFL every single year.

They got a good deal on Marvel as part of the Docklands development (it was wasteland at the time) and it's been great security, but it's not been worth anything like $400m per year.

The AFL has paid quite a bit of money for Marvel over the past 25 years, incl a shitload of additional distributions to the likes of North and St Kilda due to their matchday tenancy deals being horrific.

Buying an existing stadium would be a very big step and not something they've been involved in before. They built Waverley and were the major partners in Marvel.

I can't see how buying Kardinia Park would be beneficial, Geelong have a great deal there and always will have because they're the only tenants on earth who could ever fill the joint, and they are incredibly powerful in the area in a political sense.

Ballarat? Maybe, but it's already being upgraded and not sure what more they would get out of it - I don't know that any club is that interested in relocating there full time.

They have the running costs of the entire competition including the total player payments to provide the product for that revenue.


The capital injections from tax payer funds are pure profit on the balance sheets.

 

[Freomaniac]

I know its not a regional ground But Saints fans would love 50 million spent on Moorabbin oval to become a 30-35,000 seat stadium.

How much would it cost to Buy out IKON park or Princes Park? Carlton would love to play 2 or 3 games there each year. I am sure it could be a solid small venue.

 

[branedotorg]

I know its not a regional ground But Saints fans would love 50 million spent on Moorabbin oval to become a 30-35,000 seat stadium.

How much would it cost to Buy out IKON park or Princes Park? Carlton would love to play 2 or 3 games there each year. I am sure it could be a solid small venue.

PT options aren't there for Princes Park, just the one tram line. Local area is busy for AFLW games, would be a mess for the men.

 

[Roogal]

I reckon that Ballarat possibly makes the most sense from Saint Kilda and North Melbourne's point of view. After the next round of State Government funded upgrades from mid this year the ground will be able to hold 16,000 by 2026. Beyond that, with the relatively modest investment of a train platform over the road from Mars Stadium and perhaps the re-development of the Sports Club and Eastern Stands which currently contain only eight rows of seating, it would easily be possible to expand Mars Stadium to 20,000.

Of course who would fund that further upgrade would be anybody's guess. The City of Ballarat is keen to see the stadium used to its maximum potential and they know that further expansion of capacity, improvement to its lighting and a train station are the key components to it being utilised even more. There is certainly plenty of room and scope in the precinct to build a third major oval (at the old MB John Valves site) and a new sports club pavilion for the North Ballarat Sports Clubs would be built between the existing Number 2 Oval and the new oval if they were forced to vacate their existing facilities. Such a proposal (Below) was put forward a few years ago when the Ballarat Council was compulsorily acquiring the Sports Club back in January 2019.

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If the AFL were to purchase or lease the stadium then the existing Sports Club would become an AFL asset that would still be used by the NAB League for GWV Rebels games and utilised as a corporate and AFL Club members facility on any AFL Senior game days. The sports club could be maintained as an AFL facility accessible for ALL AFL Club members with its bar, bistro, bingo and gaming areas.

 

[The 747]

I know its not a regional ground But Saints fans would love 50 million spent on Moorabbin oval to become a 30-35,000 seat stadium.

How much would it cost to Buy out IKON park or Princes Park? Carlton would love to play 2 or 3 games there each year. I am sure it could be a solid small venue.

Not viable, the local community won't have it. If they would, Carlton would already play some games there.

 

[kurt_kb]

PT options aren't there for Princes Park, just the one tram line. Local area is busy for AFLW games, would be a mess for the men.

Rail alignment still exists on the old inner circle line

 

[Coconut_twirl]

Speculating of course, but I don't think a team based on Ballarat would be viable in terms of support. Geelong's catchment covers a huge and growing population area, and an area that provides significant amount of football talent and has more than 100 years of history behind it.

I reckon, like the poster above noted, that the game is buying the stadium asset itself. The AFL is not for profit so it has to do something with excess funds and buying assets is a decent idea*

*Better than the usual plan of giving that money to business that have a connection to the AFL commission.

It’s a good idea to buy assets like major property. NRL has purchased a couple of hotels in Brisbane for the same reason. Adding property and a business that earns money to the balance sheet.

 

[nut]

People listen to 3aw?

 

[Obzerva]

People listen to 3aw?

Maybe Carlton supporters listening to their great president's son.

 

[Pistol Night]

Catching a train up there, enjoying a pub lunch and then strolling through the lovely streets of Rat City to Mars Stadium would be quite lovely.

Absolutely spifflicating myself on schooners during the match, followed by a stumble to the train station and sleeping the whole way back to Melbourne also quite lovely.

 

[Brezsa]

I know its not a regional ground But Saints fans would love 50 million spent on Moorabbin oval to become a 30-35,000 seat stadium.

How much would it cost to Buy out IKON park or Princes Park? Carlton would love to play 2 or 3 games there each year. I am sure it could be a solid small venue.

Princes Park with all its development for train facilities only has a capacity of 20k max & the way the facilities are built means it’s impossible to add grandstands to it. In no world does Carlton with almost 100k in members play games their again, only AFLW & VFL matches

Im surprised that no one has mentioned womans footy & AFLW. Princes (Ikon) has become the unofficial home of woman’s footy in Victoria with multiple teams playing home games at the venue. A regional such as mars with 10-15k capacity seems ideal for the AFLW. The teams in Victoria can gradual move away from the traditional homes as demand grows. The men currently use GHMBA, Docklands & MCG in Vic, they can for the woman go for GHMBA, Princes & Mars

Also the AFL has made big deal about investing $1b into grass root footy, watch them claim the purchase of Mars Stadium is for grass roots footy & use that budget

 

[JohnZ]

AFL needs a ~30k stadium in Melbourne for AFLW, VFL and smaller drawings AFL games. Gosch's Paddock is the perfect spot. No point playing regional or outer suburbs unless the team is located there (like Geelong) rather than FIFO.

 

[3207]

It’s a good idea to buy assets like major property. NRL has purchased a couple of hotels in Brisbane for the same reason. Adding property and a business that earns money to the balance sheet.

The same way the Giants go about running child care centres. Good for the bottom line

 

[parano1a]

AFL needs a ~30k stadium in Melbourne for AFLW

Does it though? Are games selling out Ikon Park (Grand Final aside). Besides they already own a 30k stadium- Marvel with Level 3 closed

 

[olds]

AFL buy GMHBA.

Due to scheduling GMHBA sits idle every second week or so.

AFL change fixture.

AFL make $$$$$$.

Easy.

 

[The 747]

AFL buy GMHBA.

Due to scheduling GMHBA sits idle every second week or so.

AFL change fixture.

AFL make $$$$$$.

Easy.

And who are they going to fixture at GMHBA that will make $$$$$?

 

[WillHayward]

One thing is that Kardinia Park is just 400m walk from Sth Geelong train station while MARS is 3km from Ballarat train station. Big difference.

Makes MARS a bit shit to be honest..

If I could jump on a train from Southern Cross and walk into the stadium in Ballarat after an hour train ride id absolutely happily do that .

Could see North and Doggies fans going to Ballarat if it was a decent stadium and easy to get to.

 

[olds]

And who are they going to fixture at GMHBA that will make $$$$$?

The same teams that would play in Ballarat with a larger audience and better facilities.

 

[The 747]

The same teams that would play in Ballarat with a larger audience and better facilities.

They won't draw in Geelong. No chance, they would lose money by doing it. The only clubs that could possibly break even would be clubs that wouldn't ie the Pies.

 

[Pistol Night]

They won't draw in Geelong. No chance, they would lose money by doing it. The only clubs that could possibly break even would be clubs that wouldn't ie the Pies.

If we played down there can we does it get removed from our mammoth interstate schedule rather than our 18 MCG games?

 

[The 747]

If we played down there can we does it get removed from our mammoth interstate schedule rather than our 18 MCG games?

I think if you played down there, you should also get another MCG game to compensate - that would be fair.

 

[Pistol Night]

I think if you played down there, you should also get another MCG game to compensate - that would be fair.

Might as well just stay in Melbourne all year and be the first net zero emissions footy club. What a progressive set up

 

[olds]

They won't draw in Geelong. No chance, they would lose money by doing it. The only clubs that could possibly break even would be clubs that wouldn't ie the Pies.

There a lot of football fans in Geelong and western districts that are not Geelong supporters.

Western bulldogs would be an ideal co tenant.

On the very rare occasion other events are held at GMHBA those events draw excellent crowds.

 

[The 747]

There a lot of football fans in Geelong and western districts that are not Geelong supporters.

Western bulldogs would be an ideal co tenant.

On the very rare occasion other events are held at GMHBA those events draw excellent crowds.

The stadium is in Geelong. Western Bulldogs are a Melbourne team.