Carroll Promises $55 Million to Three AFL Clubs Before Election
Premier Ben Carroll has pledged $55 million for North Melbourne, St Kilda and Essendon facilities if Labor is returned to power. The money would fund upgrades at Arden Street, RSEA Park and Windy Hill, while Hawthorn appears to have missed out.
Premier Ben Carroll has promised $55 million to upgrade the facilities of three AFL clubs if Labor is returned to power at the coming election, according to a report published on November 16, 2026. The clubs are North Melbourne, St Kilda and Essendon.
It is a late-campaign spending pitch. Carroll, a North Melbourne supporter, is backing redevelopments at the Kangaroos' Arden Street home, St Kilda's RSEA Park headquarters in Moorabbin and Essendon's Windy Hill site.
How the money would be split
North Melbourne would receive the largest share, $25 million, for community infrastructure. Sources close to the negotiations, speaking anonymously, said that would include better spectator amenities for AFLW games and extra car parking. Players and staff currently have to move their cars through the day.
St Kilda would get $20 million for an indoor training facility serving its AFL and VFL men's and women's teams, plus local blind and wheelchair football sides. The plan also includes a four-court basketball centre, office space for the McKinnon Basketball Association, a potential cafe and a public car park for about 500 cars.
The remaining $10 million would fund the first stage of a "precinct-wide redevelopment" at Windy Hill. Essendon has been pushing for the ground to become one of four dedicated women's football venues, as the AFLW looks to cut its match venues from more than 20.
"Only Labor will make sure there are great venues for AFLW fans and great facilities for the local communities that surround them," Carroll said.
Costs and the Hawthorn question
The government expects the Windy Hill project would double the ground's capacity to at least 10,000 by 2029. It would also bring new broadcast lighting, upgraded video boards and "enhanced match-day facilities".
An AFL insider, not permitted to speak publicly, said the total cost would probably run to hundreds of millions of dollars. St Kilda's proposal has been costed at more than $60 million. No price tag for North Melbourne's plans has been confirmed, and the clubs are expected to seek more funding from other levels of government.
Two sources said the three projects match the AFL's top three funding priorities. The AFL has not confirmed that.
Clubs outside that list have struggled. Geelong has chased money for an indoor football centre. Melbourne has spent significant time and money on plans for a base at Caulfield Racecourse, but insiders from football and racing say that bid is dead, and the club has confirmed it is exploring alternatives.
One insider close to Labor's negotiations said Hawthorn is the club most disappointed to miss out. The Hawks want a similar project in the City of Kingston, the same council area as St Kilda, with an indoor basketball centre of at least four courts and an allied health centre.
Several sources said the general understanding was that only one of the two Kingston projects could proceed, because both need support from the same council.
Take the quizWhat Kind of Holiday Spender Are You? Take the Black Friday QuizStart →- 1Mavericks Surfers Race to California for Waves Near 50 Feet
- 2I’m A Celebrity 2026 Line-Up: Rooney Leads 11 Stars Into Jungle
- 3NYC Medical Examiner Has Not Determined Cause of Death of Beau Rose Jessup
- 4Mountaineer Finds Ice Age Cave Bear Graveyard in the Dolomites
- 5Rugby League World Cup Final 2026: Kick-Off Times and How to Watch Kangaroos v New Zealand
Lifestyle7 Signs Your Social Battery Is Running Low (and Why You Keep Cancelling Plans)
Lifestyle · Food & HealthThanksgiving Food Safety: How Long Leftovers Last and the Safe Turkey Temperature
Lifestyle7 Quiet Habits of Emotionally Intelligent People, According to Psychologists
LifestylePeople Who Don’t Like Celebrating Their Birthday Often Share These 7 Traits
