Saints homeward bound!!

[Harvey To Hayes]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/st-kilda-s ... 09xvs.html

Saints to get new homeground at Junction Oval precinct courtesy $10 million apiece from AFL, Cricket Victoria, State Govt and some additional sources. Assumedly an elite facility back in our homeland, brilliant news for mine. My personal heart will always be at Moorabbin but this seems like a brilliant option moving forward. we're going home!

[karnaby]

BIG news. Lets hope it all comes to fruition.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Doesn't sound like AFL games will be played there ... but still, a positive development.

[supersaints]

Wow it's been a long, long time!

[Con Gorozidis]

God damn amazing if this happens.

The benefits in terms of branding and association would be incredible. No matter where people actually live - St Kilda is iconic.

This would give the club a real heart and soul and sense of place that is national and even international.

Players would want to play for us. Sponsors would want to be associated with. New fans would want to be part of it.

Caro breaking the story.

We have a Saints man in power at AFL headquarters - and if he pulls this off I will be a Gillon McLachlan fan from here in.

[mcadam05]

[realdeal]

So we'll be placed across the road from the Junction Oval on a random sports field as opposed to our original home ground? I guess as long as we have top quality facilities then it really could be a fantastic move.

We still have an opportunity to make sure the Port Melbourne to Portsea area is ours, however, we have 8,000 members who have dropped off in the last few years! They need to pull their finger out!

[bergholt]

Interesting!

It relies on more money coming in from somewhere unspecified, and the Naphthine government getting re-elected. A lot of water to go under the bridge still there.

But could be the making of our next 30 years just like Moorabbin was.

[Toy Saint]

Fantastic exciting news. Moving back to St Kilda will help strengthen the culture. Farewell Seaford.

[remboy]

Where was this money before we moved to Seaford? If we'd had it then with some state govt and AFL clout behind us we might not have had to move in the first place.

[oh when the]

At last someone helping us. Saw the Cats got a $5m grant from Govt. during week for more planning development of Kardinia Park.

[saintspremiers]

Great news for the MCC also as it frees up the G in Summer and allows an earlier start to the AFL season.
I used to love watching shield games at the Junction.

[MC Gusto]

Huge! Massive news!!!

Now to make it a true boutique stadium and get the f*** out of etihad

[bigcarl]

The benefits in terms of branding and association would be incredible. No matter where people actually live - St Kilda is iconic.

This would give the club a real heart and soul and sense of place that is national and even international.

Well said. It really is the iconic Melbourne suburb but as it stands people don't make the association between the place and the football team.

I reckon the social club would go off, too.

Of course the other side of the equation is to actually win some games. That attracts members and sponsors better than anything. But that will come.

[bigcarl]

[PADDLEPOP1001]

Huge news,great for players supporters and club & not forgetting branding,advertising & media!

[SemperFidelis]

The benefits in terms of branding and association would be incredible. No matter where people actually live - St Kilda is iconic.

This would give the club a real heart and soul and sense of place that is national and even international.

Players would want to play for us. Sponsors would to be associated with. New fans would want to be part of it.

This.

PS. Dave McNamara must be asleep. Or he's internally combusted with over excitement!

[mullet]

Interesting that Caro says it is the brainchild of Gil.

I know that a certain Saints supporter has been working on this for a long long time. Perhaps he wants to stay in the background
as he so often does.

You are passing another junction oval

[lewdogs]

Interesting!

It relies on more money coming in from somewhere unspecified, and the Naphthine government getting re-elected. A lot of water to go under the bridge still there.

But could be the making of our next 30 years just like Moorabbin was.

The article mentioned that they believed both parties would support it. Which is good considering the libs look gawn in Victoria.

[philtee]

Great move if it comes off.
Not quite the Junction Oval, but next door, and only a training base.
Gosh, the VCA are hard to shift from the Junction Oval.

[saint6709]

Massive if it comes off - not sure why training facilities are so far from training ground ?? - but won't complain - this has got to be good news when trying to trade for and recruit young talent and for membership - awesome

[Junction Oval]

Just fantastic news It will be the salvation of the Club and enable it to re-establish itself to a powerful Club. GO Saints - with conviction!

It was always going to take "money" to get the job done and it seems like Gillon McLachlan should be made a member for life!

[lewdogs]

So we could be out of Seaford in two years. Incredible.

[Richter]

Absolutely fantastic news. Already dreaming of the ticker tape parade down Fitzroy St as we celebrate the triple prem in 2020...

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...

[Bunk_Moreland]

Great news for the MCC also as it frees up the G in Summer and allows an earlier start to the AFL season.
I used to love watching shield games at the Junction.

Yeah Shield at the Junction was much more intimate.

Reading the deal it seems a win for more than just football.

Cricket will move to a less costly venue for 1st class games

MCG trust can utilise the G for other events from early January to March.

Football gets the G back in early March therefore helping the draw.

Saints get back to their heartland with decent coffee shops

Local community gets a boost.

All good BUT.....

The probably new government has signalled a redevelopment of the football ground at Ballarat.

If they do the right thing and scrap the idiot East West tunnel fiasco, they could free up 8 billion and redevelop every bloody ground in Victoria.

AFL have got the heavy hitters lined $10 mill from the AFL, $10 mill from cricket Australia, MCG trust on board, Port Philip council on board.

Even the Primary School across the road will benefit.

Exciting development.

Finnis and the board need to be congratulated.