Essendon FC announce plans for new facility

Essendon Football Club Chairman David Evans announced plans to develop a new state-of-the-art high performance training facility at Melbourne Airport.

The elite sporting and community facility will become the Club's future training base in partnership with the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC).

Evans said the proposed development would deliver significant long-term benefits for the Club from both a football and community perspective.

"We believe that this decision to grow the Essendon Football Club by expanding the Club's facilities is a bold and strong ambition to help take our great club back to where we belong on top of the ladder. The essence of Essendon can never be contained by a location," he said.

"From a football perspective, the new precinct allows for unprecedented future growth and delivers a multi-generational outcome for the Club. The land size alone is approximately 100,000 square metres and will allow the Club to build one of the largest and most flexible indoor training spaces in the AFL, with elite gym, medical, recovery and IT facilities.

"Further to this, to enable the players the best possible training conditions, the Club will deliver a two oval football solution, building one ground the size of the MCG, and the other the size of Etihad Stadium. The retention of Windy Hill also provides a third training oval."

The dual vision will allow the Club to maintain a connection with Windy Hill and allow Essendon to continue to use the current facilities as an alternate training base.

"This decision was not taken lightly and was made with careful planning, deliberation and thorough acumen over a long and exhausting process. As a club, we understand the importance of Windy Hill to our history, and as a result have made a commitment to maintaining a significant presence at the ground by opening up the facilities for greater community and local sporting use," Evans said.

"Contrary to what some believe, the decision to move our training and administration base has not been made because of any particular user group at Windy Hill, but in fact with a long term vision in mind. In essence, the Windy Hill precinct is constrained to deliver the professional training outcomes desired by the club, its players and coaches.

"With the implementation of a new Football Program to drive and execute this vision, it quickly became clear something needed to be done to give the players a more professional, learning, development and training environment.

"The football landscape has never been so competitive, and if we want Essendon to be considered a powerhouse in Australian sport and the AFL, we must not allow our great club to fall behind the rest of the competition, on or off the field.

"By embracing a new facility outcome and a sustained presence at Windy Hill, the Club is now committed to delivering this dual vision for the future success of Essendon."

Evans thanked the City of Hume for their support and also acknowledged Brimbank Council for their submission.

The Club looks forward to working with Melbourne Airport and the Commonwealth Government throughout the planning process to achieve the best possible outcome.

Melbourne Airport CEO Chris Woodruff said the ground-breaking partnership was great news for Melbourne Airport, Essendon Football Club and local youth, residents and community groups.

"Melbourne Airport applauds Essendon Football Club's long history of giving back to the community and is proud to be partnering with the Club to provide such brilliant facilities that the local community and sporting clubs can use and enjoy."

"The proposed location of Essendon Football Club's new facility at Melbourne Airport aligns with our strategic goals of growing responsibly and strengthening relationships with our neighbouring communities.

"Melbourne Airport will provide every assistance as Essendon Football Club go through the various planning approvals."

The new facility will become the operational headquarters for the APC's Victorian administration and will be a base for camps, training, classification and talent identification.

"We are genuinely excited about the development of the state-of-the-art facility and the improved pathways it will deliver for Paralympic athletes and the opportunities it will create for people with disabilities," APC CEO Jason Hellwig said.

Tonight's Annual General Meeting also saw Phil Prior and Tim Jonas re-elected to the Board. Paul Little has joined the Board and replaces the position vacated by Beverly Knight who has served on the Board since 1994.

The AGM included the induction of seven life members - Allan Dunn, Dean Solomon, Justin Blumfield, Graeme Schultz, David Friend, Ray Horsburgh and Ken Box - and the announcement of the Club's number one ticket holder for season 2011, Bruce Heymanson.

Heymanson has been a loyal Club supporter and Essendon person and has acted as the Chairman of the Dick Reynolds Club for the past nine years.

"It took a couple for weeks for the enormity of the honour to really sink in. It is a huge buzz and a huge honour, when you've been around the Club for as long as I have," he said.

"It is particularly exciting in Hirdy's first year when there is a real excitement around the place and we all have grand hopes about what we might be able to achieve both on and off the field."