HAWTHORN president Andrew Newbold believes the club’s proposed new Dingley base will allow it to build the best sporting facility in Australia.
 
The announcement – which was made first to club members last night – will allow an 18-month investigation into a 28-hectare site in Dingley in Melbourne’s south-east corridor.
 
Newbold, who discussed the proposal with the media today, said the new facility would set the Hawks up for the next 50 to 100 years.
 
“What we try to do at Hawthorn is be best of breed,” he said.
 
“I think we’re playing catch-up in the facility area at the moment.
 
“What this will allow us to do is to be able to evolve with the game over the next 50 to 100 years.
 
“It allows us ultimate flexibility with the size of the property that we’ve got – 28 hectares – to really evolve as the game changes.
 
“Really we’re now looking at a prospect where we can build what we consider to be the best facility in Australia.”
 
Three years of planning has already taken place behind the scenes, with a further 18 to 24 months of planning to come.
 
A travelling party including club CEO Stuart Fox, Board member Richard Garvey and players Jack Gunston, Liam Shiels and Jarryd Roughead toured a number of elite sporting facilities in the United Kingdom and United States in the off-season, gathering information to help decide on the Hawks’ long-term future.
 
Newbold said the proposed facility would be a massive advantage for the playing group and the club as a whole.
 
“Firstly, we’re obviously trying to build an elite training facility to align with our values as being the destination club.
 
“It’s one of our key pillars.
 
“But equally as importantly, we want to engage with our members.
 
“We want the members to feel part of the club.
 
“We’ve now got over 71,000 – we’re targeting 80,000 by 2017 – and really we want to be a place where they come and belong for more than just the two hours when they go to watch the game on the weekend.”
 
The Hawks’ president said the club has outgrown its current home base at Waverley Park.
 
“This facility, as good as it is just doesn’t enable us to do that (grow),” Newbold said.
 
“I think we’re playing catch-up in the facility area at the moment.”
 
The Dingley location was one of 15-20 potential sites and is large enough to accommodate at least approximately five MCG size ovals in addition to facility infrastructure.
 
It was one of the largest and closest sites to Melbourne’s CBD under consideration.
 
Newbold said the proposal had the full support of the club – including the playing group – and AFL chief executive officer Gillon McLaclan.
 
“I spoke to Gill yesterday - he congratulated us,” the Hawks president said.
 
“I think this is probably a bit of a blueprint for what the AFL might look like in the future.
 
“We want the members and the supporters to think big when they think of the AFL, and (we want) to engage with them and be more than just the two hours on the weekend.
 
“I think this is to be embraced and I’m sure our supporters will be proud of the club.”