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Let’s cut to the chase. Eddie McGuire’s planned Melbourne makeover is a no-brainer.
It’s not that McGuire is associated with Collingwood. That’s a minor consideration. He genuinely thinks he has created a brilliant proposal for to ensure footy’s financial future and transform Melbourne into the world’s most sportified city.
McGuire plans to sell off Etihad stadium. Proceeds from the sale will go to the clubs and ensure their continued viability. The wrecking balls will move in on Etihad, while a new state-of-the-art, 60-000 seater stadium will be built on the current site of Hisense Arena.
Hisense will be re-built on the current site of the Richmond station, which will head underground.
Such is Eddie’s influence around Melbourne that the Labor Premier, Dan Andrews, is looking closely at the proposal. They can’t be serious.
The last thing Melbourne needs is another sports stadium. When it comes to the global sporting marketplace, Melbourne is no London, Manchester or Liverpool. It’s not even a Madrid.
Melbourne has no sporting brand of global significance, yet its civic leaders strut around claiming the city is the sporting capital of the world.
It’s this level of hubris that’s behind McGuire’s make-over. Melbourne spends a great deal of money on securing sporting events and providing the necessary infrastructure to ensure they stay. Just look at the Grand Prix and the Australian Open.
The contracts for both these events have been extended and rightly so. Unlike Eddie’s sport, Australian rules, both events showcase Melbourne internationally.
If Eddie’s make-over goes ahead, the Australian Open will lose a major show court and Melbourne a multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility.
The ideal location for any new stadium would be on the old Olympic Park, where there is plenty of land.
The only problem is that it’s the home of the Collingwood Football Club. Eddie would have trouble selling the idea to the members.
Eddie can’t be serious. The move just doesn’t make sense. Etihad Stadium already has a capacity of 53,359, a mere 6,641 less then McGuire’s planned stadium.
In 2025 the AFL can buy Etihad for $30, a saving of $999,999,970. That’s money which could be invested into transforming it into a state-of-the-art stadium on the CBD’s western fringe with easy access to Melbourne’s fastest growing suburbs.
The last thing Melbourne needs is a new footy stadium on the CBDs eastern fringe. Hopefully this moment of McGuire madness will pass once the season starts, and we can get back to the things that matter – belting McGuire’s Pies.
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