Dee-Day looms at Casey Fields

By Callan Date
A DEAL that will commit the City of Casey to partly fund a multi-million dollar development for the Melbourne Football Club (MFC) at Casey Fields appears imminent.
Serious headway has been made on the agreement between the AFL club and Casey this week, with two separate meetings held to discuss the proposal.
The MFC board of directors and partners attended a ratepayer funded dinner in the function room at Casey Fields in Cranbourne on Monday night.
All 11 councillors, along with their partners, were invited to attend. Several senior Casey officers, including Casey CEO Mike Tyler, also took part in the event.
A day later Casey councillors were presented with confidential documents outlining the bold deal, which will result in the MFC using Casey Fields as its summer training base as soon as October this year.
It is believed MFC officials have also made an audacious bid to acquire ownership of a large portion of land at Casey Fields as part of the deal.
A Casey source said a major extension to the Casey Fields pavilion, as well as the sealing of a car park, would form part of the agreement.
Casey management has been outspoken in its quest to attract a professional sporting club to the municipality.
Attempts to lure St Kilda and North Melbourne football clubs to Casey were unsuccessful.
Talks with potential A-League soccer investors about establishing a new franchise in Casey are continuing.
Several local councillors have attacked Casey management over the protracted negotiations involving the use of Casey Fields by MFC.
Former mayor Kevin Bradford said he was frustrated that most councillors were being kept in the dark regarding the city’s attempts to lure MFC to Casey Fields.
“It seems we will be committing millions of dollars to secure an AFL team to Casey Fields and there is no business case or research done to support what benefit it will bring to the City of Casey,” he said.
“The time has come for (mayor) Janet Halsall and Mike Tyler to fully inform the entire council and the Casey community as a whole,” he said.
“Over the past month or so, the majority of the council has been kept in the dark as to what exactly this city has been committed to by the mayor and CEO,” Cr Bradford said.
Cr Rob Wilson was just as outspoken.
“Casey CEO’s love affair with AFL elite clubs is coming at the expense of local sporting clubs,” Cr Wilson said.
“Melbourne AFL coming to Casey is robbing the local sports clubs of much needed funding and priorities. Melbourne are welcome to come to Casey Fields, but should bring their own or AFL money for their facilities,” Cr Wilson said.
Mr Tyler issued a three sentence statement denying there was a meeting with MFC representatives on Monday.
“Although board members of MFC and Casey councillors met informally at Casey Fields for dinner,” he said.