Melbourne City begin construction of new home at Casey Fields
Construction has commenced on the new Etihad City Football Academy in Melbourne’s south-east which will become the new headquarters of the A-League club.
Fresh off claiming the premiership and championship double with their 3-1 defeat over Sydney FC at last Sunday’s A-League Grand Final, the club will now turn their attention to their new home.
The first stage of construction includes the central elite training pitch, with its 115m x 115m hybrid grass surface, and is due for completion by the end of 2021. The new pitch is adjacent to the site’s existing four full-sized pitches – one grass and three synthetic – which will be primarily used by the Club’s Academy teams and the club’s community programs, as well as for City of Casey school and club programs.
The next stage of construction will see the development of Melbourne City’s new two-storey administration and high-performance building at Casey Fields, currently in detailed design phase. Construction on that phase of the facility is due to commence in the coming months, with completion estimated for mid-2022.
Vacant land will remain to the east of the new building, for a potential future mini stadium able to accommodate up to 4,000 spectators including seating for 800, to host the club’s W-League and youth league teams, as well as pre-season games.
The club announced their move from Bundoora to Casey Fields in December last year, with its academy teams utilising the existing facilities since February.
City’s administration staff will begin working from Casey Fields next month, before the A-League and W-League teams commence 2021-22 pre-season training on site in August and September respectively.
Melbourne City FC CEO Brad Rowse and City of Casey CEO Glenn Patterson put the first spade in the ground at Casey Fields on Thursday to mark the official commencement of work.
Brad Rowse said, “This has been a momentous season for Melbourne City FC – starting with the announcement of our move to South East Melbourne and right up until last weekend's grand final win.
“Both moments are just the beginning of an exciting future for the Club, the fans, the staff, players and the wider community.
“The welcome we have received in the South East has been extraordinary, and we cannot wait to see the Etihad City Football Academy come to life. This is more than an elite training facility, it’s a home for football in South East Melbourne.”
While the Melbourne City W-League team played some home games in the south-east region during the past season, there are currently no plans for the A-League team to move home games from AAMI Park.
