Saints new Training base to now be at Seaford!!!!!!

saintsRrising · Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:22am

The Saints are set to announce a new training base....at Seaford!!!

And given it is where Banger played his junior footbal...dare I start a push to call it the Robert Harvey Oval!!!! (or Robert Harvey Centre for Excellence or whatever......)

Saints finally settle on Frankston home
Damian Barrett | September 17, 2008 12:00am

SIXTEEN months after it made the emotional call to leave Moorabbin, St Kilda is set to announce its new home will be built in Seaford. It is believed the Saints this week finally reached agreement with Frankston City Council to establish a training facility at Belvedere Park.

Frankston Oval, the venue the Saints initially identified as a new home, was overlooked when cost estimations blew out by more than $5 million.

St Kilda will effectively have a blank canvas with which to work at Belvedere Park, with more than $11 million to be pumped in to the site.

An oval built to MCG configurations, an indoor sports stadium, a pool and gym will be included in the development, which will be funded by the State Government, local council, the AFL and the Saints.

The club hopes the new facilities, most of which will be open to the public, will be operational by the start of the 2010 season.

The Herald Sun has learnt that after months of negotiations, Frankston City Council on Monday night decided to approve the Belvedere Park option.

St Kilda announced in May last year it would be leaving Moorabbin, its home of 43 years, after lengthy discussions with Kingston Council broke down irreparably.

In dealing with Kingston Council, the Saints had made it clear they would not be staying at Moorabbin unless they could transfer 83 poker machines about 200 metres, from their Linton St headquarters to South Rd.

St Kilda has 32 years of a lease to run at Moorabbin.

It is understood Frankston Council has committed about $3.8 million to the Belvedere Park project.

Until Monday night's meeting, it had been adamant during months of negotiations with the Saints that it would not commit to more than $3 million.

Belvedere Park, situated near the Frankston bypass, was where Saints legend Robert Harvey, who will retire this year, played a lot of his junior football.
The Frankston Oval proposal fell through when building restrictions, including rising steel prices and sewage pipe placement, saw the project's budget blow out by more than $5 million.

St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser could not be contacted last night

fingers · Post: # 646233Post **fingers** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:22am

It's a must surely!

saintsRrising · Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:34am

Though looking at Google Maps. and Streetview..it i shardly a "prime" location.

Only thing going for it is that it is agreenfield site and so you can start from scratch...with probably no building restriction hassles.

Players will be probably happieras it is near the freway and easlink and being north of Frankston it will be 5 to 15 minutes closer to those wanting to live north of Frankston.

yipper · Post: # 646246Post **yipper** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:35am

Well, they really will be able to name it Robert Harvey stadium now.

St Marcus · Post: # 646247Post **St Marcus** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:35am

Well I hope this time everything goes smoothly and we don't end up with another change of site. We urgently need a state of the art training facility, otherwise will fall behind other clubs. Not the best location but still preferable (IMHO) to Casey Fields.

Does anyone know what the situation is with the Social Club at Moorabbin, re our committments with the lease ? Also I have heard that we will still occasionally train there???

Would be great if we could maintain some presence at Moorabbin thru the social club, do really enjoy going there and if upgraded has still the potential to be a pretty decent facility

saintsRrising · Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:38am

Archie will be on SEN after 10am to announce it...

GrumpyOne · Post: # 646261Post **GrumpyOne** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:47am

saintsRrising wrote:Archie will be on SEN after 10am to announce it...

I'd be interested to find out how with no land asset, no pokies, no social club and $2m of our money going in to the venture; how we are better off there than at Linton St.

fonz_#15 · Post: # 646272Post **fonz_#15** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:52am

it is a nothing area at the moment there is 2 footy grounds and 1 little brick change rooms.

i played junior footy there and have many memories form the ground.

saintly · Post: # 646274Post **saintly** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 10:53am

GrumpyOne wrote:
saintsRrising wrote:Archie will be on SEN after 10am to announce it...
I'd be interested to find out how with no land asset, no pokies, no social club and $2m of our money going in to the venture; how we are better off there than at Linton St.

either ask askie on sen or on saints central.

i would like to know if the saints gain an asset?

saintsRrising · Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:11am

[quote="Saints Media"]SAINTS MOVE TO FRANKSTON CITY CONFIRMED

The St Kilda Football Club and Frankston City Council are pleased to announce the approval of plans for the Club to move its proposed community training and development facility from Frankston Park to Belvedere Oval in Frankston City, giving the Saints the green light to immediately commence planning and development.

The Saints have spent considerable time exploring all feasible options after preliminary costing for Frankston Park exceeded the original estimate due to unforseen cost increases. The Club decided after considerable consultation that the Belvedere Park precinct gives the Saints a financially secure elite training base while providing a myriad of sporting facilities for the local community.

Archie Fraser, CEO of the St Kilda Football Club said, â€œThe Saints are delighted that Frankston City Council and Mayor Alistair Wardle has approved the relocation of our proposed training facility to Seaford; the very same ground that Robert Harvey played his first game of football. This decision to partner with Frankston (announced over 12 months ago) is part of our long-term strategic plan to continue to grow and develop our membership / supporter base and unlock the power of our brand across the Bayside area. While the process has taken longer than we had hoped, the Club has a duty of care to its members and we sought advice on all available options.â€

saintly · Post: # 646291Post **saintly** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:12am

saintsRrising wrote:Archie will be on SEN after 10am to announce it...

can anyone give us a rundown on what he says?

GrumpyOne · Post: # 646295Post **GrumpyOne** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:14am

saintly wrote:
saintsRrising wrote:Archie will be on SEN after 10am to announce it...
can anyone give us a rundown on what he says?

And ask him what exactly we get for our $1.43M?

No mention of assets in that announcement.

saintsRrising · Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:16am

GrumpyOne wrote:
saintly wrote:
saintsRrising wrote:Archie will be on SEN after 10am to announce it...
can anyone give us a rundown on what he says?
And ask him what exactly we get for our $1.43M?

No mention of assets in that announcement.

In the announcement it does say:

""The $11m plus training and administration facility will include an AFL MCG sized oval, gymnasium, rehabilitation pool, meeting rooms, lecture theatre and an indoor sports hall for basketball, netball and other sports that will be made available to local schools, health providers and sporting associations."'

Which is what AF said on SEN too..

bigred · Post: # 646299Post **bigred** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:16am

Barks will be absolutely flogging himself!!

Even more than usual.

Must be called Robert Harvey Oval....surely....SURELY.

chook23 · Post: # 646302Post **chook23** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:19am

saintsRrising wrote:
GrumpyOne wrote:
saintly wrote:
saintsRrising wrote:Archie will be on SEN after 10am to announce it...
can anyone give us a rundown on what he says?
And ask him what exactly we get for our $1.43M?

No mention of assets in that announcement.
In the announcement it does say:

""The $11m plus training and administration facility will include an AFL MCG sized oval, gymnasium, rehabilitation pool, meeting rooms, lecture theatre and an indoor sports hall for basketball, netball and other sports that will be made available to local schools, health providers and sporting associations."'
Which is what AF said on SEN too..

exactly what grumpone is on about

no asset

saintsRrising · Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:36am

chook23 wrote:
saintsRrising wrote:
GrumpyOne wrote:
saintly wrote:
saintsRrising wrote:Archie will be on SEN after 10am to announce it...
can anyone give us a rundown on what he says?
And ask him what exactly we get for our $1.43M?

No mention of assets in that announcement.
In the announcement it does say:

""The $11m plus training and administration facility will include an AFL MCG sized oval, gymnasium, rehabilitation pool, meeting rooms, lecture theatre and an indoor sports hall for basketball, netball and other sports that will be made available to local schools, health providers and sporting associations."'
Which is what AF said on SEN too..
exactly what grumpone is on about

no asset

Sorry...yes understood now...yes no mention of Assets, as in an accounting sense, was given by AF (ie title to land etc...)

bigred · Post: # 646324Post **bigred** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:48am

Wasnt the original proposal having Frankston Council GIVING US the land?

St Chris · Post: # 646325Post **St Chris** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 11:50am

bigred wrote:Must be called Robert Harvey Oval....surely....SURELY.

Linen House Robert Harvey Oval

GeorgeYoung27 · Wed 17 Sep 2008 12:02pm

And ask him what exactly we get for our $1.43M?

No mention of assets in that announcement.

Wasnt the original proposal having Frankston Council GIVING US the land?

a bit like how the Filth have got a freehold on the Lexus Centre.

so we get a $11+M training facility for $1.43M, tell them they're dreaming.

Otiman · Post: # 646333Post **Otiman** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 12:06pm

I'm fuming.

This will be the biggest white elephant in St. Kilda football history.

Mr Magic · Post: # 646350Post **Mr Magic** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 12:21pm

The Harvey/Burke Elite Training Facility in honour of the 2 Saint legends who grew up in that area?

Post: # 646353Post **n1ck** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 12:24pm

*sigh*

Not happy, Jan.

Ralphy · Post: # 646355Post **Ralphy** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 12:26pm

has to be named the robert harvey oval or something ..

bigred · Post: # 646358Post **bigred** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 12:30pm

I dont give a damn where is is...

* As long as its in Melbourne.
* As long as we have an elite training facility.
* Full stop.

Post: # 646360Post **n1ck** » Wed 17 Sep 2008 12:34pm

And what about when potential players are taken to see our facilities and realise our state of the art, modern centre of excellence is actually in a backwater, dirty part of the world?

No offence to the Frankstonites... I would have settled for Frankston Oval, but Belvedere Park? Gimme a break.

Talk about settling for second best.

This is why we as a club are tainted with the 'settling for mediocrity' tag. This is why we as a club are known for bending over and taking whatever comes our way.

This is why we as a club are thought of as a joke.

Not happy at all.