Melbourne City FC are proud to announce the opening of the Club’s new state-of-the-art facility, the City Football Academy Melbourne at Casey Fields.
Setting a new standard for football in Australia, the facility will be home to the Club’s elite Men’s and Women’s teams, six Academy teams, and Administration department; as well as hosting the Club’s registered charity, City in the Community, and grassroots program, the Melbourne City Football School.
Inspired by the original City Football Academy in Manchester, the facility was designed and built in line with global best-practice and shares several design features with City Football Group’s other City Football Academies from across the world, joining the likes of Manchester City FC, New York City FC, and Palermo FC.
Featuring 16 changerooms, hot and cold hydrotherapy pools, two gyms, community classrooms, a 60-seat theatrette and extensive sports medicine, sports science, and administration spaces; this 5,900m2 facility will allow us to continue to develop, recruit and retain the best footballers and sports administrators from across the country.
Located within the 84-hectare Casey Fields sporting precinct, the City Football Academy Melbourne sits on 11 hectares of land, with two and a half grass pitches and three synthetic fields.
With environmental sustainability front of mind and in partnership with Origin Energy, the facility includes rooftop solar panels and battery storage.
Representing a substantial stride towards reducing the Club’s carbon footprint, the 40 kW rooftop solar system is expected to generate approximately 50 MWh of electricity annually, while a 13.5 kW battery storage system ensures the Club’s operations can continue to function efficiently day or night.
Over 3,500 aspiring young footballers and thousands more spectators were given the opportunity to experience the new facility for themselves at last month’s Macca’s City Cup. The tournament demonstrated that not only will the Club’s elite teams benefit from the facility, but also the local community.
Melbourne City FC CEO, Brad Rowse, said:
“We’re incredibly excited to officially unveil the City Football Academy Melbourne at Casey Fields, the new home of our Club.
“The facility leads the way in Australian football, bringing together our Men’s, Women’s, Academy, and Administration teams under the one roof, and allowing us to train, share ideas and challenge each other every day.
“We pride ourselves on being an innovative Club that has a positive impact on our local community, and with thousands of family homes now on our doorstep, we look forward to welcoming people from across Melbourne and the South-East to Casey Fields to experience the City Football Academy themselves.
“We’re setting new standards for football in Australia and laying the foundations for sustainable growth, on and off the pitch.”
With construction of a grandstand and amenities cold shell, the foundation is now set for a future Women’s Centre of Excellence to sit alongside the City Football Academy as a dedicated multi-purpose venue for Women’s sport.
