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Overnight the Victorian narrative has moved from Malcolm Turnbull’ $5 billion airport rail link promise and his facepalm-worthy You’re the Voice moment with Neil Mitchell back to the AFL.
The announcement of a funding package in which the state government will allocate $225 million in the budget for the Etihad Stadium redevelopment may look like a handout to the AFL, and it fits the narrative that some try to run with.
With Etihad Stadium now 100 per cent owned by the AFL, the question of whether to retain or demolish was raised.
The future of the venue is of clear concern to the state government as its presence is an asset to the city. For what really is the bargain price of $225 million, Victoria gets a commitment from the AFL that the venue is available for all sports and activities for the next 30 years.
And what does the $225 million buy? The reality is that there has been some interesting talk about changing the nature of the stadium externally and of creating more of a ‘precinct’ environment linked to the city on the east and to the waterfront on the west.
We’ve seen what a precinct reimagining has done for Adelaide, with the Adelaide Oval redevelopment including connectivity to the city in a broader project than ‘just a stadium’.
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The AFL has also extended the term of the commitment of the AFL grand final to the MCG. As indicated this morning, the MCG (run by the MCC on behalf of the MCG Trust) has not always worked in partnership with the AFL. The relationship at times has been strained, and dating back to the days of VFL Park the relationship between the VFL, Victorian government and the MCC was far from friendly.
This commitment, though, is seen as the signal for the MCC to go ahead with a major redevelopment of the southern stand with the security of a committed relationship.
Back to the government funding announcements, the AFL has secured $20 million to upgrade Ikon Park in Carlton into the home of AFLW. Further funds include improvements at Victoria Park, Casey Fields and Whitten Oval with the AFLW in mind along with $15 million towards the female-friendly facilities grants program.
The government is committing almost $500 million from elite to grassroots into Victorian sport and this will include multi-sport suburban precincts such as Albert Park, Yarra Bend, Jells Park, Olinda Precinct and Ryan’s Reserve.
Much of the stimulus for this has been the surge in women’s football. I’ve suggested to some of the critics of the AFLW that it’s just the tempter – the main course is yet to come, with the surge of female participation providing higher quality recruits in the forthcoming seasons.
The pressure on local councils and the state government for funding is something that men’s footy alone could not achieve. The women have become a vital cog in unlocking government purse strings and gaining the attention of the policymakers.
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