Will Melbourne City eventually move all of their games to the south east?

Melbourne City were the benchmark in the A-League last season, lifting the Premiers Plate in May and eventually the Championship in late June.

It was their first taste of A-League success after years of hard work on and off the pitch.

The club has invested heavily since City Football Group (CFG) took over the Melbourne Heart in 2014, initially building a $15 million City Football Academy in Bundoora, in the city’s north, which has housed the club for the past few years.

In what seems like a strategic investment however, the club revealed late last year that they will move from their Bundoora headquarters and relocate to Casey Fields in Melbourne’s south east.

Earlier this month, the club announced construction had begun on the new elite City Football Academy facility within the 84-hectare Casey Fields Sporting Precinct.

“The first stage of construction includes the central elite training pitch, with its 115m x 115m hybrid grass surface, and is due for completion by the end of 2021. The new pitch is adjacent to the site’s existing four full-sized pitches – one grass and three synthetic – which will be primarily used by the Club’s Academy teams and for City in the Community programs, as well as for City of Casey school and club programs.

“The next stage of construction will see the development of Melbourne City’s new two-storey administration and high-performance building at Casey Fields, currently in detailed design phase. Construction on that phase of the facility is due to commence in the coming months, with completion estimated for mid-2022,” a Melbourne City FC statement read.

Stage three of construction will look to implement a 4000-capacity mini stadium in a significant space in the precinct.

With the club’s A-League players to officially begin training in the facility in August, recent developments in regards to the possibility of a 15,000-capacity stadium in Dandenong may see the end of the team playing all of their games at AAMI Park, in the years to come.

The Victorian Government has already pledged $100,000 in funding for a feasibility review and development of a business case to build the 15,000-seat boutique stadium, with the City of Greater Dandenong also set to match that contribution.

According to Cranbourne Star News, The Greater Dandenong Council is lobbying for $110 million to build the stadium, which will also host festivals, concerts, rugby matches, alongside hosting future Melbourne City games.

While of course at this stage there is no guarantee the stadium will be built, Melbourne City head honchos may have to grapple with the idea of permanently leaving AAMI Park behind, the stadium they have hosted games at since their inception.

With Victory ditching their deal with Marvel Stadium to move all their games back to AAMI Park next season and Western United set to play the majority of their games at AAMI for at least the next two seasons, the 30,000-capacity rectangular stadium is not short of regular football content.

If the proposed stadium does get the go-ahead, City may look to move all of their home matches to Dandenong, and alongside their new academy location, this can prove to be beneficial in establishing a clear geographic identity.

They will have a stronger presence in the local areas and will have the chance to better connect with the local football community and grow their membership base.

City should also still have a reasonable chunk of members who live in the south and south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, with a report from 2018 stating 28% of their members came from those areas.

Adversely, a move away from AAMI Park has the possibility to alienate members and fans who may not want to travel to the proposed stadium for reasons such as proximity.

Sharing the home games between the stadiums could be a viable option, but also brings on the challenge of not having a singular home ground, as well as match scheduling conflicts.

A big call from City administrators may need to be made in the end and not all members and fans will be pleased.

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Philip Panas is a sports journalist with Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy and industry matters, drawing on his knowledge and passion of the game.

National Second Tier process reaches final phase

National Second Tier Completion Phase

Football Australia has confirmed the successful conclusion of Phase 3 in the National Second Tier (NST) process, paving the way for a final outcome of clubs to be involved.

Phase 3, the Assessment and Review Phase, was dedicated to selecting the most viable and progressive proposals to carry into the future of Australian football.

Now into Phase 4, the Completion Phase, Football Australia will work with selected clubs to finalise the essential participation documentation and other necessary requirements for their NST inclusion.

As such, Football Australia’s Completion Phase has resulted in a change to the NST’s start date, now slated for March/April 2025.

The updated schedule has been made to finalise the competition structure and also grants all stakeholders sufficient time to finalise all logistical, regulatory, and operational aspects to guarantee a successful inauguration of the competition. Member Federations will also have more visibility about competition structures in 2024.

Football Australia will reveal the clubs that have been selected to participate in the NST on Monday, November 20 – once the Completion Phase is finished.

For more detailed information and ongoing updates on the NST Application Process, the public and media are encouraged to visit HERE

Australian Professional Leagues confirm official collaboration with eToro

eToro and A-Leagues deal

Ahead of the upcoming weekend of A-League Men and Women, the Australian Professional Leagues have announced a three-year sponsorship with trading and investing platform eToro.

eToro is now the Official Trading and Investing Platform of the A-Leagues, where their branding will appear on the back of all mens’ playing jerseys for the 2023/24 season, as well as on all the substitution boards across both the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Liberty A-League Women competitions. In an example of the digital presence they will have, eToro will take ownership of the ‘eToro Assist of the Month’ and all transfers or trade editorial throughout the season.

Founded in 2007 is committed to help you invest, share and learn. Boasting over 33 million users from more than 100 countries, eToro allows everyone to invest in a simple and transparent way.

eToro has already built a significant global sponsorship portfolio – including English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish Liga ACB and UK Premiership Rugby.

With the A-Leagues welcoming great crowds across the opening rounds, this deal promises to promote further fan engagement.

“We are delighted to announce eToro as our new Official Trading and Investing Platform partner for the next three years,” APL’s Commissioner Nick Garcia said via a statement:

“With attendance and viewership records already broken in the Liberty A-League Women, and the Isuzu UTE A-League Men kicking off with a bang, we are ready for an incredible season of A-Leagues football. eToro has a long standing connection with football globally and we look forward to developing our long term partnership.”

eToro Australia Managing Director Robert Francis explained how they will connect with the A-League supporters.

“We are inspired by the strong sense of community within the A-Leagues’ fan base that reflects eToro’s focus on community, collaboration and shared knowledge,” he added via media release.

“Following the success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and as part of our mission to empower everyone to take control of their financial destinies, we are excited to be supporting both male and female teams.

“We hope to inspire more people to explore investing as a way to secure their financial future. We are looking forward to attending the games and enjoying some great football.”

Technology companies are a huge addition to Australia’s sporting landscape and with the worldwide appeal that eToro has, this will promote the A-Leagues even further.

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