$10M Funding Commitment For Proposed Casey Mini Stadium

A funding commitment of $10.68 million has been announced towards the proposed mini rectangular stadium at the Melbourne City Football Academy at Casey Fields.

Melbourne City FC, the Melbourne Storm and the City of Casey welcomed the announcement of the funding commitment – contingent on the outcome of the upcoming Federal Election – towards the construction of the new boutique rectangular stadium at Casey Fields last Sunday.

This proposed facility, to be known as Casey Mini Stadium, would include a natural turf pitch, grandstand seating on the western perimeter for 800+ spectators and overall capacity of around 4,000, and modern amenities designed for both community and elite-level sport.

The shell of the grandstand already exists on the eastern side of the City Football Academy building, which opened in 2023.

This development aims to address the growing demand for quality rectangular venues in Victoria, driven by the surge in popularity of women’s football following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the continued growth of rugby league.

By providing a venue suitable for elite competitions, the stadium would offer significant benefits for local athletes, clubs, and fans, enabling them to watch and participate in top-level sport within their own community.

Melbourne City FC CEO, Brad Rowse was joined by Federal Member for Holt Cassandra Fernando, The Hon. Catherine King – Minister for Infrastructure, The Hon. Julian Hill, Federal Member for Bruce and Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, City of Casey Mayor Stefan Koomen, and Melbourne Storm CEO, Justin Rodski for the announcement.

Reflecting on the initiative, Brad Rowse said, “As the sport with the highest junior participation numbers in Australia, Melbourne City FC welcomes any commitment to build essential sporting infrastructure that supports the pathway from grassroots right through to elite competitions.

“Should this funding be confirmed after the Federal Election, Casey Mini Stadium would serve as a vital hub for our youth academy and elite teams, while delivering facilities of the highest quality for local clubs and communities.

“With women’s football on the rise, the stadium would serve as the dedicated home for our A-League Women’s team, delivering a venue that shines as a beacon for the women’s game. It would also showcase our youth academy and offer potential for Australia Cup and pre-season fixtures for our men’s team.

“Our priority is to work with all stakeholders to create a space that strengthens football and benefits the entire South-East community, and we look forward to bringing this vision to life for the benefit of the entire region.”

We welcome the announcement of a $10.68 million funding commitment towards the construction of a new boutique rectangular stadium at Casey Fields - contingent on the outcome of the upcoming Federal Election 🤝🏟️

Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski said, “This new proposed mini stadium will deliver significant benefits to the growing rugby league community in the Casey region and provide Storm with an alternate venue to host elite content in the future. Our junior pathways programs are fast outgrowing the facilities we have at AAMI Park and in Broadmeadows and we see this proposed venue as strategically important for the ongoing development of our game.

“If built, this will be a high-quality venue that will be used by local community sport and also serve as a training hub for Storm’s male and female pathways into the future. Both rugby league and football need facilities to keep up with the growing demand of both sports, particularly in the south east, and we believe this sort of facility is needed to give all athletes the best chance to develop and one day pull on the Storm jersey.”

The Federal Election will be held on Saturday, May 3.