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Demons causing a concern for Cranbourne Print E-mail
MPNFLJunior sport in the Cranbourne precinct is being disadvantaged by Melbourne Football Club’s bid to establish a temporary summertime training base at Casey Field, according to two former Mayors of the City of Casey.


Crs Kevin Bradford and Rob Wilson say the new priorities towards financially-troubled Melbourne have come “in secret, cloak and dagger closed doors meetings” and at the expense of a wide range of proposed sporting facility upgrades affecting local sport.

“We need facilities for our youth and right now the percentage is well down on kids in our area taking up sport,” Cr. Bradford said.

“We can’t afford for local club projects to be delayed because of allocating money to an elite AFL club.

“We have no problem with Melbourne Football Club coming down here. But they should pay their way into the community like every local club has done.”

Melbourne chairman Paul Gardner confirmed that Melbourne intends to use Casey Field for no longer than two years, but but will maintain a community presence in the area.

“We need a corridor to help grow our brand,” he says. “While we will be based (full-time) at the Rectangular Stadium (at Olympic Park), we want to remain part of the (Cranbourne) community in many ways including occasionally training there and conducting things like Auskick clinics.”
Cr. Wilson estimates City of Casey ratepayers will outlay $1.3 mill. for the privilege of having Melbourne use Casey Field on purely a temporary basis while the club’s proposed new state of the art AFL facility is being built in town.

“Our ratepayers will pay $18,000 per week for the privilege of having Melbourne here for a maximum of 70 weeks. Once their new facilities in town are built, they’ll be off,” he said.

Many in Cranbourne are also against “a sweetheart deal” where Melbourne is to be granted an “asset”, likely to be a land release for what locals are convinced will be used for the building of a new social facility involving gaming machines.

Asked about these negotiations, Mr Gardner said: “There are a lot of things we’d like and a number of things to consider.”

Asked about the backlash against the Demons in sections of the community, one of the fastest growing population bases in the state, he said: “We’re not overly fussed. We want them all to become Melbourne supporters.”

The City of Casey last weekend allocated $140,000 for asphalting the car park at Casey, one of Melbourne’s requisites. 		Visit cricketbooks.com.au
“They saw this as an immediate priority,” Cr Wilson said. “Yet Narre Warren Junior Football Club with 100s of kids has been trying for 15 years to get their carpark asphalted.

“A new local basketball stadium is on hold and has been for years. Berwick has a women’s and an Under 18 football team and the girls have to change in front of the men’s urinal. It’s all about misplaced priorities.”

Cr Wilson was Casey’s mayor when South Melbourne Cricket Club moved its base to Casey Field and he says that move was far less political and has given cricketers all around the area and deep into Gippsland a new Premier local club.

City of Casey CEO Mike Tyler denied that Melbourne was to be only a temporary tenant at Casey.

“The benefits to the local community with the further improvements at Casey Field are vast,” he said, “And we expect Melbourne to come back each year as part of their summer training.

“Council has a whole range of capital works in planning. The monies allocated to improving Casey Field will only complement everything else we’re doing,” he said.

He confirmed a decision on Melbourne’s move is “just weeks” away.

By Ken Piesse
 
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