The Etihad City Football Academy, Melbourne, named after the Etihad airline and located in Melbourne, Australia, is the training and administrative headquarters of professional football club Melbourne City FC. The club has been based at two of these facilities, originally at in the northern Melbourne suburb of Bundoora, and later at the Casey Fields sports precinct in Cranbourne East.

Bundoora site

City Football Academy, Melbourne[1]
LocationLa Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria
OwnerMelbourne City FC
(City Football Group)
Construction
Built2014
Opened2015
Construction cost$15 million AU
Tenants
Melbourne City Football Club (Training and administration)

City Football Group announced the construction of the facility in mid-2014, shortly after acquiring Melbourne Heart and renaming the club as Melbourne City. The site was situated within the La Trobe University precinct.[1] Constructed in late 2014 for approximately $15 million Australian dollars, the City Football Academy has served as the Asia-Pacific base for the City Football Group company and since its opening in February 2015 has provided tenant club Melbourne City with some of the best facilities of any A-League club.[2]

Among the facilities features are a world-class physiotherapy, sports rehabilitation and administrative building as well as a $2 million DESSO pitch, which is hybrid grass system where natural grassroots intertwine with artificial turf fibres and is able to withstand three times the wear of a normal pitch.[2]

The facility was also the administrative and training hub of Melbourne City's youth team and its women's team.[3] In December 2016, the club unveiled the Elite Women's Facility, an extension of the complex providing dedicated warm-up, training, locker and lecture rooms for the women's team.[4][5]

The Bundoora facility was demolished after Melbourne City moved out.

Etihad City Football Academy, Casey Fields

In December 2020, Melbourne City officials announced the club would move its training and administration facilities to Casey Fields in Melbourne's South-East. In 2019 the football facilities at Casey Fields included four floodlit pitches and a one-story administration building. The club announced that, in conjunction with the City of Casey, it would add an elite training tablet pitch, expand the size of the administration building to two storeys and leave space for potential future construction of a 4,000 capacity boutique stadium. The club's youth and women's teams began moving into the facility in early 2021, and the senior men's team commenced pre-season training later that year. Construction of the additional facilities commenced in July 2021 and will conclude in mid-2022.[6][7][8][9][10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "City Football Academy unveiled". La Trobe University. 27 February 2015. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 David Davutovic (27 February 2015). "Melbourne City unveil new $15m training facility as City Football Group show A-League commitment". Herald Sun.
  3. ↑ "Melbourne City joins W-League". ABC News. 13 May 2015. Archived from the original on 19 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "W-League: Melbourne City women get a place to call home". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "Elite Women's Facility Launched: City Football Academy". Melbourne City FC. YouTube. 1 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Melbourne City FC to create new Etihad City Football Academy Australia in South East Melbourne". Melbourne City FC. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "Shock move: Melbourne City to relocate in bid for more fans". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "Melbourne City to build new home 'Etihad City Football Academy' at Casey Fields". ESPN Australia/New Zealand. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Construction begins on Melbourne City Football Club academy at Casey Fields". miragenews.com. 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  10. ↑ "Construction starts on Melbourne City FC new academy and home base at Casey Fields". Australasian Leisure Management. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
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