Author Topic: MCG eyes rebuild of Great Southern Stand in the next 5-10 years [merged]  (Read 5697 times)

Offline one-eyed

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According to Eddie on the footy show:

* AFL grand final at the MCG until 2057

* $225 million to upgrade Etihad stadium and redevelop the precinct around it including opening up the waterfront (AFL House and Ch 7 to move nearby).

* MCC to start building a new Great Southern Stand in the next 5 to 10 years at no cost to tax payers costing about a billion dollars.

* Andrews state government giving 250m for community projects and women’s football fixing up grounds (Princes Park, Whitten Oval), etc.

Deal to be signed by tomorrow.

Article about it on the Herald-Sun website [paywall]: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/etihad-stadium-to-undergo-massive-225-million-makeover/news-story/68078056018d002afa408232bd9198b7

Offline mightytiges

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They'll need to expand the capacity of new southern stand by 30k to fit all our members into the 'G  ;D.

As for the MCG hosting the GF through to 2057 = even saltier Adelaide fans  :lol
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Offline Diocletian

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Punt Rd not included it seems.... >:(
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Offline one-eyed

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Punt Rd not included it seems.... >:(

Tigers 'surprised' by Punt Road funding snub

Ben Guthrie
afl.com.au
Apr 13, 2018 1:09PM


PREMIER Richmond admits it is a "little surprised" its headquarters at Punt Road was overlooked in the Victorian government's plans to upgrade key facilities across the state.

Among the big winners from the sports package announced by Victorian premier Daniel Andrews were Carlton through the investment of Ikon Park, the Western Bulldogs (Whitten Oval), St Kilda (RSEA Park) and Melbourne (Casey Fields).

Tigers CEO Brendon Gale said the Tigers had pitched extensively to the government to be included in the facility revamp project.

The news came as Richmond became the first AFL club to surpass 90,000 members.

"None (no benefits) forthcoming, so far which we're a little surprised with to be honest," Gale said at Punt Road on Friday.

"I think 90,000 members might be a little surprised as well given that what a genuine community hub this is.

"I don't want to rain on the parade of the announcement, I think the government have made a significant investment in our code and it gives us great confidence and the AFL have done a great job.

"But, from our point of view, we're a little surprised."

Clubs that missed out still have a chance to lobby the state's politicians though, with the Victorian state election slated for later this year it’s expected political parties will have more cash to splash to win over votes.

Gale said the Tigers, who will be granted an AFLW licence in two seasons time, would continue to put their case forward to the government that the Swinburne Centre deserves funding.

"If we want to continue to be an elite sporting environment for men and women and keep pace with our competitors all over the country we need to invest in this facility," Gale said.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-13/tigers-surprised-by-punt-road-funding-snub

Online Francois Jackson

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we probably needed to cheat a bit more for dan andrews to notice us. Big winners carlton, demons sounds about right for big dan



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Offline one-eyed

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MCG eyes rebuild of Great Southern Stand in the next 5-10 years [merged]
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2019, 12:37:20 PM »
Serious MCG redevelopment expected in next 10 years says outgoing MCC president

By Nic Negrepontis
SEN
20 March 2019


Outgoing MCC president Steven Smith has revealed the Southern Stand could receive major renovations in the next 10 years.

It’s been 27 years since the redevelopments finished and Smith said they would like to make some major changes to it, linking it to Brunton Avenue and Richmond Station.

“In the last four years, the extension of the AFL agreement that means the Grand Final is now guaranteed for 40 years at the MCG,” Smith told SEN Breakfast.

“What that means in 10 years when the Southern Stand is 35 years old, and it’s about the time you start thinking what you do with grand stands, we’ve got enough guaranteed content to borrow the billion dollars that we need to rebuild it.

“To connect it to Richmond Station, to connect it to AAMI Park and the tennis centre and it’ll retain being one of the greatest sporting grounds in the world, but also it would be one of the best sporting precincts in the world.

“35 years, it flies past, new stadiums coming through like Perth, Adelaide’s re-done, around the world it’s changing all the time so you’ve got to keep modernising.”

Smith doesn’t expect it to have a huge impact on the total capacity of the MCG.

“We might be able to get an extra 5,000 possibly, depends on how high you go,” he said.

“It’s also very narrow the Southern Stand, it needs to be extended out across Brunton Avenue, it’ll sort of provide better facilities over there. There aren’t the restaurants and bars for the public we’d like to have.”

The outgoing president added it’s very unlikely the MCG will ever a have roof, in a similar vein to Marvel Stadium.

“Not at this point, it’s just not possible from an engineering point of view,” he said.

“I think the beauty about it would be trying to provide more coverage for spectators so they don’t get rained on.”

The MCG undergoing serious renovations could lead to the Grand Final being temporarily moved, according to former Essendon captain Tim Watson.

“Back in 1992 the Grand Final was transferred to Waverley, if the Southern Stand was to come down,” Watson said.

“I think it will (go outside of Melbourne). It could go to Sydney, they’re redeveloping up there, it could go to WA, Adelaide possible. The capacity is a bit down there.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2019/03/19/serious-mcg-redevelopment-expected-in-next-10-years/

Offline Diocletian

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Once again - well done on demolishing Waverly ...well. stuffing. done....... :clapping
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FJ is the only one that makes sense.

Offline tdy

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Geez the MCC must be raking it in to be able to borrow a billion and not blink. We waste so much money on sport in this country.

Offline one-eyed

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MCG eyes rebuild of Great Southern Stand in the next 5-10 years [merged]
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2022, 02:06:57 PM »
MCG eyes rebuild of Great Southern Stand to retain sports capital crown

Michael Fowler
The Age
February 21, 2022


Almost half of the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s seating area could be rebuilt as plans accelerate for the biggest redevelopment in the landmark’s history.

The Victorian government is preparing to complete a feasibility study that will decide the future of the 45,000-seat Great Southern Stand, which holds nearly half the stadium’s capacity.

Two sources close to the process, but not authorised to speak publicly, said the study was likely to recommend an entire rebuild of the stand, at a cost of more than $1 billion. Work could start within five years.

Whether additional seating could be incorporated into what is already the southern hemisphere’s largest sports stadium is one of the topics under consideration.

The MCG’s 100,000-person capacity would be reduced during the renovations, which are expected to last at least two to three years, but AFL, cricket and other sporting matches would continue to take place.

The Melbourne Cricket Club, which manages the MCG, started a redevelopment feasibility study in the second half of last year as concerns grew the 30-year-old stand would soon be outclassed by new stadiums in Perth, Sydney and Brisbane.

Details from that study – including rebuild and refurbishment options, the cost, funding structure and impact on events – are being finalised before being handed to the state government.

The MCC, led by chief executive Stuart Fox, will then ask Spring Street officials to complete the final stage of the business case, with the aim of starting construction by 2032 and ideally within five years.

A major upgrade of the Great Southern Stand has been on the cards for several years because the stand was built in 1992 with an anticipated lifespan of about 40 years.

The MCC is growing wary of issues including limited disability access, particularly on level four; a dearth of food and beverage options; outdated seating; and congestion at entry and exit points.

“Most of the industry knows it’s old. It’s not broken but it’s not great,” said one MCC source.

“The stand doesn’t cope as well functionally with huge crowds. If you were to let it go and nobody did anything, I think Victoria would have a genuine risk of losing major events.”

Sources said early findings from the feasibility study preferred a rebuild over a refurbishment of the existing stand, which would be cheaper but would not allow for a complete modernisation of the facilities.

The Victorian government, emboldened by its agreement with the AFL to host every grand final until 2057, holds responsibility for significant infrastructure work at the MCG and would be expected to foot the majority of the bill.

In response to questions from The Age, a government spokesman confirmed the feasibility work had so far been undertaken and funded by the MCC.

“We will always work with stadium management to assess the condition of our major venues and have a strong track record of delivering stadium upgrades across the state,” he said.

The MCC declined to comment.

Sources close to the process said any increase to capacity would be minor, probably 5000 or less.

The Great Southern Stand underwent a $55 million facelift in 2012, with $30 million paid by the state government and $25 million by the MCC.

A full rebuild would outstrip the $465 million spent redeveloping the Northern Stand, host to the members’ facilities, before the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The plan coincides with other states pouring funding into stadium upgrades, with the aim of attracting national and international major events.

The Western Australian government spent $1.8 billion to open Perth’s 60,000-seat Optus Stadium, the country’s newest ground that opened in 2018 and hosted last year’s AFL grand final with Victoria still in lockdown. Among the amenities are two display screens measuring 10 metres by 33 metres and cup-holders in every seat.

The NSW government is spending more than $800 million rebuilding the 45,000-capacity Sydney Football Stadium, while the Gabba in Brisbane will be upgraded from 42,000 to 50,000 seats at a cost of $1 billion in time for the 2032 Olympics.

The MCG has faced two years of cancellations and reduced crowds due to COVID-19, but will again be allowed to host full stadiums when the AFL season begins next month.

Another MCC source said: “You’ll soon have three venues that can make the MCG look pretty old and tired.”

Sports business expert Sam Duncan said the modern game-day experience relied on amenities such as bars, restaurants and meeting spots.

“Historically, things like where you would eat and drink occurred outside the stadium,” said Dr Duncan, an academic with Melbourne’s Holmesglen Institute.

“Now they’re often occurring inside, and the new Northern Stand caters for that. The Southern Stand, which absolutely needs a refresh, does not.”

Explaining the importance of state-of-the-art facilities, Dr Duncan cited the example of an Ashes cricket series.

“Melbourne would always host a match but if that suddenly went from five to four fixtures, each candidate would be assessed on how contemporary their stadium is,” he said.

“If the MCG is the jewel in the crown and the crown is seeing yourself as the sporting capital of the country with all the economic benefits of that, it is a no-brainer to ensure that crown is as shiny and attractive as possible.”

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/mcg-eyes-rebuild-of-great-southern-stand-to-retain-sports-capital-crown-20220220-p59y1o.html
« Last Edit: November 08, 2022, 04:09:27 PM by one-eyed »

Offline one-eyed

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‘Put a roof on the MCG’: Eddie’s big call (Foxsports)
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2022, 04:52:24 PM »
‘Put a roof on the MCG’: Eddie’s big call as $1bn plan to build ‘best stand in the world’ revealed

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has proposed putting a roof on the MCG as part of a proposed billion-dollar rebuild of the Great Southern Stand.

McGuire, who travelled to the US to attend this month’s Super Bowl at the $7.7 billion SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, wants the MCG redevelopment to include increased capacity - potentially towards 110,000 - plus a precinct around the venue.

“It’s got to be a knock-over, because the (Great Southern) stand itself is just structurally not the right shape for where we need to go with what we need to build at the MCG,” McGuire said on SEN.

“To be perfectly honest, we should be looking at even putting a roof on the MCG or at least a sliding roof over the top of it. The difference between the stadium and what we saw the other day (at the Super Bowl) was the unbelievable audiovisual opportunities with that screen that was right around the stadium perimeter inside hanging down.

“It’s not that long ago that we used to get excited about maybe having a video screen at your seat.

“It has to be a better experience than what you have at home and we’ve had two years to be at home.”

“Before we say we should be spending money on hospitals, there are buckets of cash,” McGuire said.

“There are ways of doing it. One of those things is to look at the Southern Stand. At the moment it’s a stand for sport when it’s on. But if we do it properly, these can become many sorts of things.

“Let’s use this precinct and turn it into something sensational. Not just the footy game itself.”

He added: “The MCG is our beating heart of the city and the citadel of all sports,” McGuire said.

“If we’re going to continue to get big sports in, we need to have 100,000 or maybe even get up to 105,000 or 110,000.

“There is an opportunity for us to build the best stand for the general public of any facility in the world.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2022-mcg-redevelopment-great-southern-stand-to-be-rebuilt-1-billion-construction-capacity-roof-on-mcg-eddie-mcguire/news-story/0a0601fa2be8f363bcf9c66e3eef66cf

Offline Rampsation

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Re: MCG eyes rebuild of Great Southern Stand in the next 5-10 years (Age)
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2022, 05:15:36 PM »
Richmond should get enough room for a social club in the new stand.

Offline one-eyed

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Re: MCG eyes rebuild of Great Southern Stand in the next 5-10 years [merged]
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2022, 04:12:21 PM »
Insiders say “everything” is on the table as bold ideas, including a complete rebuild of the Shane Warne Stand, are being considered to improve the MCG.


https://twitter.com/theheraldsun/status/1589731935513112576

Offline one-eyed

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Eddie: Roof on the MCG is a must (HeraldSun)
« Reply #12 on: November 16, 2022, 01:23:49 AM »
“We don’t want to be left behind."

Eddie McGuire believes a roof on the MCG is a no-brainer.

https://twitter.com/superfooty/status/1592417856129404928

Offline one-eyed

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McGuire lifts lid on 'discussions' to put a roof on the MCG (Nine)
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2023, 01:09:55 AM »
Eddie McGuire lifts lid on 'discussions' to put a roof on the MCG as part of major redevelopment

Emily Patterson
Nine
5 September 2023


Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has revealed there are plans to redevelop parts of the MCG, with the possibility of installing a roof being floated.

McGuire, who has previously proposed building a roof to increase the stadium's commercial opportunities, believes parts of the MCG are in desperate need of redevelopment.

Speaking on Nine's Eddie and Jimmy podcast, McGuire said he was privy to a conversation surrounding the Great Southern Stand (now the Shane Warne Stand).

"There's been discussions in the last few days about this, unofficial discussions that I may have been a party to," he said.

"So, really we need a new stand but because of the state of the economy and the likes, there would be no change out of $1.5-2 billion to do it now and to do it properly.

"So, in my mind, I'm thinking what we need to do is build it out over the rail yards but put things in — put sports medicine, MRI, all those types of things to really take it to the next level."

McGuire contended that not enough groups were using the ground for commercial activity.

"(The Shane Warne Stand) is the equivalent of a 70-storey building, that for all sense and purposes gets used on Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday afternoon," he said.

McGuire added that a roof was once again on the cards.

"Here's where the current thinking is bouncing around at the moment; do a refurb of the Southern Stand — and maybe they were saying this was a good idea to shut me up — but somehow working on how we get a lid (roof) on this is probably more for the future than maybe having to rebuild the Southern Stand," he said.

Asked if the cover would take the form of a retractable roof like at the AFL-owned Marvel Stadium or a more perspex-style, like what is used at many stadiums across America, McGuire floated a "combination".

He used Hard Rock Stadium, which has a structure built over the ground which you can retract at both sides, as an example.

In vouching for a roof, McGuire was bullish about the business opportunities outside of footy.

"If we had this, and you look at the way concerts are going now, the big concerts want to come and do one concert," he said.

"You come here, get 120,000 people inside, you put the stage at one end, you've got the ground and the stands around."

McGuire also addressed the purists opposed to weatherproofing the stadium, claiming the installation of a retractable roof would allow codes and broadcasters to strike the perfect combination.

"So for everyone who says, 'Oh, we don't need a roof, it's an outdoor game'. We'll keep it as outdoor as possible," he said.

"Friday's (elimination final) is a good example. It's going to be 12 degrees and absolutely belting down. Would it be better if we had a roof over that game?

"Wet weather football is part of it — I love wet weather football — but you could open (the roof) for the two hours of the game. You don't want to have to open it 24 hours before so you run out and you're playing on quicksand.

"Whether you like it or not that is the discussion that's going on at the moment."

https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/news-2023-eddie-mcguire-reveals-plans-to-put-roof-on-mcg-major-redevelopment-exclusive/11a9b54e-301b-446b-8c39-3edba75038cd?ocid=Social-AFLFS

Offline Diocletian

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Re: MCG eyes rebuild of Great Southern Stand in the next 5-10 years [merged]
« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2023, 01:33:12 PM »
Fast talking Fathead and his latest grandiose scheme......have any of them actually eventuated yet?  :shh
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FJ is the only one that makes sense.