There's training and administration offices at Carlton too Charles!
This article should prick up the ears of most Carlton members...including the likes of Mosquito Fleet and Surrey - because while I'd never doubt your passion for the Blues and your want to see them back playing at their traditional home - you should be very careful what you wish for. Because it would come at a cost.
In 2006, the AFL Commission hired a consultant to work out the pro's and con's of the AFL purchasing Carlton's lease. The lease between Carlton and the City of Melbourne expires in 2035. The consultant's recommendation to the AFL at the time was that it was 'too hard' - particularly as it was clear by that stage that a redevelopment of some sort would be done and there were extenuating circumstances with Master Plans, a staunch residents group and an imminent heritage listing of the Gardiner Stand.
All it takes is a Carlton board to view that the AFL controlling the lease would be its preferred method of improving its cash and debt positions and we're pretty much at the mercy of the AFL as to what we can do as a club.
Letting go of the lease would save the club about $2 million annually in maintaining the ground. That 'should' pay off the debt a lot quicker - but long-term, what would we lose? This isn't a Collingwood type situation whereby taxpayers are shelling out $4.5 million to a Victorian Premier League soccer club under a secret deal agreed to by a Collingwood suporting Premier (John Brumby), to ensure that the Collingwood Football Club have exclusive control of Olympic Park. This would be losing control of our ground and we'd be paying for the privilege to train and have administration HQ there. It wouldn't be Carlton playing there...it would be North Melbourne vs GWS....you get that right?
So we kind of got off the hook so to speak, because had that consultant said to the then AFL Commission 'That's a great idea...you should definitely do it', the then Board of our Football Club were more than willing to do it. Instead, we followed the path of the Bulldogs, Kangaroos and Melbourne Football Clubs and were granted annual special assistance to go along with a $4 million re-direction order from the AFL to keep our financial heads above water.
It probably should have been noted in that article that last year a Princes Park Master Plan was created by the City of Melbourne and emphasis was made on community sport, environmental stability and to 'Ensure no additional car parking spaces are introduced to Princes Park.' The aforementioned 2012 Master Plan has already reduced parking by about 1400 vehicles. Charles Happell can talk down Richmond as a boutique venue all he likes - but their strong-suit is the transport convenience and no residents. They'll even be able to play at night - Princes Park won't, and no one can park there! That's why Big Jack thought the underground car park was a winner. @#$%&! me...all this 'return to Princes Park' talk is like deja vu...but where Carlton playing is concerned...fuggedaboutit.
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) you would be talking well north of $500 million on real estate value alone.