The Sydney Cricket Ground scored a "significant victory in Sydney's stadiums war," securing Australian Football League side Sydney Swans as "home-and-away tenants on a 30-year deal that is a huge blow to its rival ANZ Stadium," according to Peter Lalor of THE AUSTRALIAN. The contract does not begin until '17, but is a "setback to the former Olympic venue which is hoping to find government support" for a A$350M ($302M) upgrade. The New South Wales government is about to announce a "cultural and sporting fund that both venues are keen to exploit for future developments." The move to secure the Swans as "exclusive tenants is a public relations win for the eastern suburbs sporting centre, which will soon be linked to the city by a footbridge and light rail connection" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/25). In Sydney, Neil Cordy reported the Swans will play "all their home games at the SCG and
will make provisions to play finals matches at their spiritual home as
well" starting in '17. Swans CEO Andrew Ireland: "This is a really good deal. My view is it would sit at the top quartile of deals (Venue) in the AFL." Swans Chair Andrew Pridham said the move was "in response to members
and fans who wanted all their games to be played at the SCG." Pridham: "It was clear our members and fans located in Sydney, broader New
South Wales and in fact Australia, wanted the SCG to be our one and only
home" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 11/24). Also in Sydney, Andrew Wu reported news of the Swans' new 30-year agreement with the SCG comes as the
Baird Government "prepares to release details" of its A$600M long-term stadium strategy for Sydney's major sporting venues. It
is expected ANZ Stadium will receive a "sizeable sum of taxpayer dollars
though short" of the A$250M it had been requesting to help fund its
A$350M redevelopment plan. But there is "also growing belief
ANZ Stadium will come under fierce competition from Allianz Stadium,
with plans to turn the Moore Park ground into a 60,000 capacity venue,
an upgrade of Parramatta's Pirtek Stadium and the construction of
another ground in western Sydney." The Swans' deal has also "reignited tensions between the SCG Trust and ANZ Stadium" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 11/24).
