Melbourne’s claim to being the nation’s sporting capital could be strengthened by a new stadium.
Plans for a 15,000-seater stadium have been unveiled for a site in Dandenong beside the train station – but there is a catch.
The stadium will only be built if the A-League grant an expansion place to the south-east Melbourne hopefuls.
The “Team 11” committee confirmed the plan this morning, with the same team that designed AAMI Park behind the stadium design.
Competition for an A-League licence has intensified over the past month after Football Federation Australia announced it would accept two new teams into the competition for the 2019/2020 season.
An announcement on those teams will be made in October this year.
The new stadium is viewed as a game-changer for the Team 11 bid, which is backed by three major councils in south-east Melbourne.
The Greater Dandenong Council will gift the land to the team if they are selected as a successful bidder, paving the way for the $170 million stadium.
Team 11 are also seeking pledges of support prior to November’s Victorian state election.
The stadium would house the Team 11’s A-League, W-League and youth teams, with the potential to host NRL and Super Rugby matches and other major events.
Up to a dozen consortia are putting together their bid documents in the hope of admission into the A-League.