Ben Warren of the Kangaroos during the AFL Round 01 match between Port Adelaide Power and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at AAMI Stadium, Adelaide.
North Melbourne’s location uncertainty could be put to rest this week with club President James Brayshaw declaring that the Kangaroos could potentially be playing a handful of home fixtures in the regional city of Ballarat from 2012.
Albeit on the basis that the Victorian Labour government is re-elected on Saturday. It is known that the club will initially be playing two home games in Ballarat, with an increase to four in the near future.
The deal lands a grand opportunity for the financially struggling Melbourne club who have been pondering on a number of solutions to assist their current economic crisis.
The new deal will consist of a landmark upgrade of the North Ballarat Oval, (Eureka Stadium) where the clubs reserves are currently affiliated with North Ballart Roosters in the VFL.
The Victorian Labour government has agreed to fund $30 million dollars if re-elected on the Eureka Stadium in Ballarat. Of that investment, $25 million would be spent on upgrading the capacity of the arena to approximately 15,000 and improving the playing surface in order to meet the demanding requirements of the AFL model. The outstanding $5 million would be used to build a major event centre.
This all coming in after the Tasmanian government recently rejected North Melbourne’s proposal to stage up to seven AFL games in the Apple Isle. However, the Tasmanian government opted to stay loyal towards Hawthorn by signing a contract extension this week which will see the club earn $18 million from 2012-2017 to play four games per season in Launceston.
It is well documented that James Brayshaw was a major influence in rejecting the $100 million AFL proposal to relocate the club to the Gold Coast towards the end of 2007. It would give Brayshaw much relief to finally see the Kangaroos have a secure, long-term and reliable deal. There is no doubt that the AFL headquarters would be pleased with the proceedings taken place. The guaranteed funding from the Victorian Labour government (if re-elected), a legacy for the local community to get behind and a great deal of potential in the untapped regional city establishes a great future for the Kangaroos.
AFL Chief executive Andrew Demetriou approved the Kangaroos arrangement with Ballarat, feeling that it is a step in the right direction for the embattled club and also for the local community. “North Melbourne has a strong relationship with the Ballarat region that has grown significantly in recent years and this would be a great opportunity to play games in one of Australia’s fastest growing regions,” Demetriou said.
North Melbourne only earned a modest $640,000 from its 11 home games at Etihad Stadium this year. It is believed that the club could earn this amount amid just one game in the Ballarat region according to figures disclosed by the city of Ballarat and the state government.
This is an enormous financial commemoration for a club who has battled through some strenuous times in recent history. To have the financial security in set stone would be a major bonus for the club and gives them a positive outlook on their medium to long term future.
One must wonder if the bid to change the name back to North Melbourne in 2008 (from 1999-2007 the club was known as “The Kangaroos” in order to enhance their appeal nationwide) will prove to be a beneficial arrangement considering the club wants to appeal outside the metropolitan Melbourne region.
Can people from the regional Ballarat city gain an emotional attachment towards a club with evident roots from Melbourne?
If the club is able to create a long term plan with the Ballarat region in the direction of hosting more fixtures over the coming years then realistically this can be quite achievable. Time will be a telling factor for this predicament.
North Melbourne’s previous experiment in the nation’s capital city didn’t prove to be so successful from a fan perspective. The club had a superior financial deal; however it didn’t win over the hearts of many supporters in the long-term.
Brayshaw is an enormous advocate of expanding the North Melbourne brand and believes that the club is committed to a long term growth plan which will benefit the club and the fans. “If someone had told me that there would be AFL games in Ballarat by 2012, I would have said they were joking,” Brayshaw said.
The trademark of North Melbourne Football Club will forever be installed into the history of the Arden Street precinct; conversely for the club to survive in this demanding market some sacrifices need to be made. Ballarat demonstrates a region with a great deal potential and a growth plan which needs to be taken advantage of.
North Melbourne, this is your time.
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