The agreement will see the club relocate to Cranbourne’s Casey Fields where the Etihad City Football Academy (CFA) will be based within the Football Centre of Excellence. The venue will feature a training pitch for the elite level, four pitches with floodlights and a two-storey building that will be the headquarters for elite performance. An area for a small stadium to cater for up to 4,000 people is also available for future expansion.
The first stage of the construction programme, which includes academy and community facilities, is already complete, and the four pitches and one-level building are also available for use. It will accommodate the club’s community, schools and academy work, plus community and grassroots football programmes for the City of Casey.
It is expected remaining facilities – to be established in stage two of the project – will be ready for operation by early 2022. Future major events such as this are often publicised widely via local media and flyer printing campaigns.
CEO of Casey City, Glenn Patterson, said:
“We are proud of Casey Fields as an elite sport precinct, and the addition of a second full-time professional club adds to its status as the region’s premier sporting precinct.”
He also described the new agreement as a “game-changer” for Melbourne’s south east, and in particular, for Casey.