The Melbourne Demons are very much looking forward to their future at Waverley Park. This follows Hawthorn’s recent sale of the property. Despite the sale, the AFL would continue to control Waverley Park. This ensures the park will be actively used by the league and maintained for all to enjoy. On Friday, Melbourne’s coach Steven King, vice-captain Jack Viney and incoming president Steven Smith all took a walk through the historic venue. Their attendance helped inform the new facility’s design and inspire facilities that will go into their tour.
Hawthorn’s announcement of the sale of Waverley Park comes as it prepares to finalise its own move to Dingley later this month. This move has forced not just the Demons but Richmond to consider what their options may be when it comes to using Waverley Park. Richmond has previously indicated they would be open to a short-term move to the venue while their Punt Road home facility is redeveloped.
King, Viney and Smith on an early tour of Waverley Park. This visit further demonstrates Melbourne’s commitment to evaluating it as a possible option for their operations. The AFL very much has its hands on both clubs. They are working to define Waverley Park’s programming to best serve all of its public users’ needs.
At a recent media conference, the now-outgoing coach Simon Goodwin articulated how frustrated he was. He is still worried that Caulfield’s development timeline will be too long, affecting the availability of Waverley Park. Such clarity would be key to the Demons as they consider their options for the upcoming short- and long-term.
The intrinsic value of Waverley Park’s history is hard to overstate. Once the most famous field in the AFL, it’s a place imbued with timeless memories for players and fans to this day. As the AFL ushers through these changes, what happens to Waverley Park will continue to be a closely contested issue worth following between the clubs.
