ESSENDONTo our players, families and supporters,
Thank you. More than 850 of you have signed our petition in a week, a powerful show of what this ground means to our community. The club is committed to exploring every option to protect our home, and we will keep you updated.
Last week Council commented publicly for the first time, in the Herald Sun. Here is what Council said, and our response, using Council’s own documents.
Council said:
“The council has an obligation to ensure that our facilities are safe, and that any investment in community facilities balances community outcomes with council’s responsibility for sound and sustainable financial management.”
We agree. That is exactly why the repair should be tested on the open market. A single $1.8 to $2 million estimate is not a competitive tender, and the true cost and scope should be established before any building is demolished.
Council said:
“The old pavilion is currently used as a secondary venue for a limited number of junior teams, which can be accommodated at other grounds in Moonee Valley.”
Ormond Park is the home of a considerable number of our junior sides for games and training. For some of our teams it is their main home ground for games, for others it is their main ground for training. Our teams play almost 100 matches at the ground across a six-month season, train there most nights of the week all year round, and the ground hosts our Kick-Starters program for our youngest players during Terms 1 and 4, when the club is not allocated Cross Keys Reserve.
Council’s own 2022 Soccer Strategy says Moonee Valley is already short of fields, two needed then and five more by 2032, and names Royals a “super club” facing a shortfall. You cannot absorb a club this size into a network that is already full.
Council said:
“From next season Essendon Royals will be allocated additional ground time because of recent investments the council has made in other sporting grounds.”
We welcome any access, but Council has not told us what those hours are, or where our teams would play and train, and has met the club only once. Furthermore, hours on different grounds is not a replacement for a proper home.
Ormond Park is a critical part of our club’s ability to meet the year-round demand for football, our pre-season preparations and fixtured competitions. We are yet to receive any understanding from Council about where these hours will be placed, what facilities our players will have access to and how they will accommodate our gameday requirements.
How you can help
1. Keep signing, Every adult in your home should sign in their own name. We are building to 1,000+ to present to Council next month. app.essendonroyals.com.au/petition
2. Ask a question at the 29 June Council meeting. Moonee Valley residents can lodge up to two questions, due 12pm Friday 26 June, to governance@mvcc.vic.gov.au or via Council’s website. We have a ready-to-use question list you can pick from (attached separately).
Thank you for standing with us.