Australian Football League side Melbourne Demons "pitched a plan" to build a new HQ next to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with a training ground on Yarra Park, according to Jay Clark of the HERALD SUN. The Demons are "eyeing a prized parcel of parkland," in the northeast corner of the MCG precinct, for a full-sized football oval. The proposal would include a six-story complex boasting an office wing, a gym and medical facilities, built on top of rail tracks next to Jolimont Station. An apartment block is "expected to be developed" next to the new HQ. The state government confirmed on Monday it was "in talks with the Demons about the potential development of Yarra Park and VicTrack land to accommodate a dedicated new home for football’s oldest club." No formal decision has been made on the plan, but a government spokesperson said, "Melbourne is the sports capital of Australia. We’re always happy to talk to organizations about how we can make our great sporting precincts even better." It is understood the proposed Yarra Park football oval "would be available for community use outside of Melbourne's training sessions." The new training base would be a "massive coup" for the club as it looks to bring its football administrative staff "under one roof in the city's heartland" (HERALD SUN, 6/19).
