VFL ovals to bounce back with a free kick
By Mathew Murphy
The Age
September 15, 2005
TIME-WORN suburban football grounds that once hosted VFL games will be upgraded under a partnership between the State Government and the AFL.
The AFL has called on clubs to make submissions on ways to improve facilities that could also be used by local communities.
St Kilda is identified as one of the AFL clubs eligible for funding.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said St Kilda's training ground at Moorabbin, Richmond's Punt Road Oval, Carlton's Optus Oval and the Kangaroos' Arden Street premises would be top of the list to receive funding given their dilapidated states.He said that in the interests of a fairer AFL competition, improved facilities at Victorian clubs would enable them to better compete with their interstate rivals, which have superior training facilities.
"There is no doubt that your facilities and how you train can give you that little bit of an edge," he said. "It is amazing that a club like the Kangaroos has been able to compete as it has on the field and work in probably the worst conditions you can imagine …"
Premier Steve Bracks would not say how much money the Government would allocate. Each case would be considered independently.
Proposals to improve training facilities, administration and office areas and grandstand decommissioning would be considered by the AFL's facilities development reserve.
Demetriou said the reserve had $10 million waiting to be spent. He said submissions on upgrading of grounds should focus on the benefits for the community, which would be eligible to use the improved facilities, in a similar way to the Skilled Stadium and Whitten Oval upgrades, towards which the state provided $13.5 million and $3 million respectively.
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