St Kilda want to shift a number of home games to the MCG and, over the longer-term, have a shared tenancy between the AFL’s Marvel Stadium and the MCG, in the manner of Essendon.
The Saints have been in discussions with the AFL, in which they have requested more MCG games and eventually would prefer some version of a co-tenancy status, as Essendon and Carlton have, that would see them play up to four games at the iconic 100,000-capacity ground.
As part of their pitch to the AFL – which owns Marvel Stadium and controls the fixture – the Saints have said they would need less redistributive funding from the AFL, known as “variable funding,” if they played more games at the MCG.
St Kilda fans at the MCG for their side’s clash with Collingwood earlier this year.Credit: AFL Photos
St Kilda had clearly the highest level of variable funding among Victorian clubs from 2012 until 2022, despite a supporter base that had historically been larger than North Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne.
St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena confirmed that the Saints’ initial wish was to have two of their 11 home games at the MCG, with a longer-term hope of a shared tenancy between the two stadiums and up to four games at the MCG, and seven at Marvel Stadium, where the league is re-negotiating tenancy deals.
“We would prefer to get better match returns and financial returns (from home games) than variable funding,” said Dilena, who added St Kilda had been subjected to unfair “stigma” about the level of funding they had received from the AFL, when much of this redistribution was due to stadium returns and the imbalance.
St Kilda CEO Carl Dilena speaking at the Danny Frawley Centre earlier this year.Credit: AFL Photos
“You would prefer to be making your own money than say we’re getting a handout,” he said.
“Yes, that is the ask and we’ve said that to them.”
Dilena said stadium returns were part of the structural inequities in the competition.
He said he understood there were contractual arrangements for tenant clubs at the MCG that complicate the AFL fixture.
“You would prefer to be making your own money than say we’re getting a handout.”
St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena
Geelong has an arrangement in which they play two home games – one of them against Hawthorn, whom they meet every Easter Monday – and nine at their traditional home in Geelong. This year, the Cats drew 87,000-plus to their home game against Carlton.
“From what we understand, the MCG [MCC] is open to it,” said Dilena of the club’s wish to move games to the venue.
He said the Saints had requested that “Spud’s Game” – the game commemorating the late club great Danny Frawley – be scheduled at the MCG, as it had in 2023 and earlier this year, against Essendon and Collingwood respectively. Both games drew close to 70,000 fans, which gives the home club a far-higher financial return than any Marvel Stadium game.
Dilena said the Saints had been in discussions with the AFL executive, headed by CEO Andrew Dillon, about the MCG request.
“The opening gambit would be … a tenant club at the MCG, which is four (games),” Dilena said.
This proposed exchange of more MCG games in return for less funding had been pitched.
Dilena said Richmond train station, next to the MCG, was a few stops closer than Marvel Stadium (at Southern Cross station), for the large body of their supporters coming predominantly from the southern suburbs.
“It’s certainly longer term. We have to look at how we engage our supporter base when it’s predominantly to the south.
“I think tenancy clubs at the MCG is four (games minimum).
“Long-term if there could be a balance of games at the MCG, that’s attractive for us if you can do it.”
Dilena said club had discovered that the crowds that attended “Spud’s Game” in 2023 and this year had a higher mix of younger St Kilda fans attending those games at the MCG, and that their fixturing request long-term was about growth in their fan base.
Dilena said the club was yet to have “Spud’s Game” confirmed for next year at the MCG. They have played at the MCG this year only once thus far – an upset over Collingwood in round 3 in the Frawley game – and play Melbourne as the away team at the MCG this weekend.
Carlton has put on record that they would like an extra MCG game, changing their split from 5-6 to 6-5 between the two stadia, while Essendon, too, would like at least one more game at the MCG. Those clubs have their larger drawing games at the higher capacity stadium.
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