The St Kilda Football Club welcomes today’s announcement from the State Government of an $8 million contribution to the redevelopment of the Moorabbin Community Reserve.

This contribution will see a significant development of facilities at Moorabbin as Linton St is enhanced as a home for the Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup team, the Southern Football League and the South Metro Junior Football League.

It will also become the centre of football development in the bayside region, from Auskick, school football, women’s football and AFL 9s through to coaching and volunteer education.

St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis said the club was thrilled to join with government and community organisations to create Moorabbin as a hub for community football in Melbourne’s south.

“For years St Kilda fans flocked to Linton St to see the Saints in action and it is incredibly exciting that a revitalised Moorabbin will now play host to a new generation of footballers and their families.

“This is also an important step for the club’s plans to have a future standalone St Kilda VFL team based out of Moorabbin, as articulated in our “Road to 2018” strategic plan.”

“We congratulate the state government for recognising the significant community value which will be derived from regenerating the presently under-utilised facility into a sport and recreation hub which the local community can be proud of.”

The Saints have been participating in a working party with the projects’ key stakeholders, including the local community leagues, AFL Victoria and Kingston Council, for the past 18 months to collaboratively plan for the revitalisation of Moorabbin Reserve. This announcement is a terrific endorsement of that collaborative planning approach.

Moorabbin Oval served as St Kilda’s home ground from 1965 to 1992, with the club continuing to use the ground as its predominant training base until 2011.

These developments at Moorabbin do not impact the club’s base at Linen House Centre, Seaford where we enjoy first-class training facilities and a strong relationship with the City of Frankston.