Roos kicking goals with new facilities

New and improved training facilities at North Melbourne Football Club are not only set to benefit players and staff, but also the local community.

The Arden St “world-class” training facility includes new changerooms, umpires’ rooms, an away-team medical room, and a multi-purpose meeting space. 

The newly completed facilities now provide the capacity to boost female player development and help support the next generation of North Melbourne stars, as the upgrade bridges the gap between men’s and women’s programs.

North Melbourne Football Club CEO Jennifer Watt was thrilled with the upgrade, saying it would “embed North Melbourne as the beating heart of the new Arden Precinct”.

“The Arden St redevelopment means that we can not only continue improving our footy on the field across our four teams – AFLW, AFL, VFLW and VFL – but it also allows us to deliver world-class education programs for the community via The Huddle,” she said.

Local schools, sports clubs, cultural groups, universities, and residents can also use the facilities for a range of events as the main oval being open to the public all year round. 

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos toured the oval on December 2 to celebrate the upgrade ahead of the AFLW grand final between the North Melbourne and Brisbane, which resulted in a heartbreaking loss to the Brisbane Lions.

The upgrade was part of the Stage 2 Arden Street redevelopment, which was officially completed in early 2023, thanks to funding from the state government. The project builds on the government’s women and girls in sport funding initiatives. •