Melbourne star Nathan Jones in action against the Western Bulldogs. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images
MELBOURNE is exploring a move to the University of Melbourne.
The Herald Sun can reveal that Demons officials have raised the prospect of shifting football’s oldest club to the prestigious Parkville campus.
Under the plan, Melbourne would finally be able to have its administration, football department and training facilities on the one site.
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Club sources said any relocation to the university would still be some time away. The Demons would potentially gain access to the university’s renowned academic facilities, while the university would receive a world-class training centre.
Redevelopment of University Cricket Ground, home to amateurs football clubs Uni Blues and Uni Blacks, and the adjacent athletics track, both nestled among residential colleges, would be one option to accommodate the Demons.
Melbourne is in discussions with university chiefs over the formation of an off-field partnership centred around research.
The educational agreement would also form part of the Demons’ plan to better link itself with the city’s icons while the exposure of its brand to thousands of international students would boost its small supporter base.
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Melbourne chairman Glen Bartlett, who is concerned by his club’s lack of presence in the city, wants the Demons to become a compelling attraction for visitors and newcomers.
University of Melbourne executive director of engagement and partnerships Adrian Collette said there was an “increasingly close relationship with the club”.
Collette said talks with the club had been purely educational, but didn’t rule out the prospect of the Demons calling the university home in the future.
“They certainly want to put the Melbourne back in the Melbourne Football Club and I would welcome further conversation,” he said.
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The Demons have links to the institution, with chief commercial officer George De Crespigny having played for both the Uni Blues and Uni Blacks and represented the VAFA three times.
New AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan is a Uni Blues life member and is still seen at games.
The university is one of a number of potential sites Melbourne is exploring, along with vacant land at Docklands which the club was linked with five years ago.
Sources said the Demons signed a long-term lease at existing home AAMI Park, but it’s believed breaking that contract wouldn’t be difficult given co-tenants Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne Storm and Melbourne Victory are screaming for more space.
The Demons have long been a club divided, with its administration on the third floor of the MCG’s Great Southern Stand and its football department squeezed into the bowels of AAMI Park on the other side of train tracks.
Originally published as Demons eye Melbourne Uni move
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