By Greg Blood

This is an update of research published in April 2019. It highlights how the majority of professional AFL and NRL clubs have now received substantial federal and state government funding to develop their high-performance training centres.

The 2019 federal election was a high-water mark in funding commitments – a period where professional clubs were in a competition to develop state of the art facilities. But the 2022 federal election resulted in the Coalition and ALP making only one commitment.

State governments have also significantly assisted in funding these centres. The NSW government’s Centre for Excellence Fund has assisted both NRL and AFL clubs.

Table 1 – Federal Election Commitments for High Performance Centres

Bolded amount indicates successful election commitments.

High Performance Sport Facility Election Commitments – 2019	Coalition	ALP
ACT Brumbies for women’s change rooms	200,000	–
Adelaide Crows (Adelaide AFL)	15,000,000	–
Brisbane Lion’s training and administrative facility in Springfield, QLD (Brisbane AFL)	15,000,000	–
National Cricket Centre	7,000,000	7,000,000
Hawthorn Football Club High Performance Centre (Hawthorn NRL)	–	20,000,000
North Queensland Cowboys’ Community, Training and High Performance Centre in	15,000,000	–
William Cooper Centre in Richmond, Victoria (Richmond AFL)	15,000,000	–
Redevelopment of Ikon Park in Carlton, Victoria (Carlton AFL)	15,000,000	–
Melbourne sports performance centre – Collingwood / Monash Uni (Collingwood AFL)	15,000,000	15,000,000
Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence (Parramatt NRL)	15,000,000	15,000,000
Kurt Fearnley Centre of Excellence	–	10,000,000
Brisbane Broncos Women’s Training Facility	–	1,000,000
Queensland Rugby Union High Performance Centre	15,000,000	15,000,000
Wests Tigers Centre of Excellence (West Tigerrs NRL)	6,000,000	5,000,000
NSW Cricket High Performance Centre	5,000,000	–
WA State Football Centre	16,250,000	–
Matildas Women’s Football High Performance Centre	15,000,000	15,000,000
Tasmanian AFL Team	–	25,000,000
High Performance Sport Facility Election Commitments – 2022	Coalition	ALP
Redcliffe Dolphins Centre of Excellence	15,000,000	–
Whitten Oval Redevelopment	–	15,000,000

AFL Clubs

Adelaide Crows – $15m in 2019 from Morrison Federal Government election announcement to support the development of a new home for the Crows in the city centre. In 2023, the ALP State ALP Government committed $15m. Proposed facility now  at Thebarton Oval. Proposed cost $100m.

Brisbane Lions (Brighton Homes Arena)– $15m in 2019 from Morrison Federal Government budget and $15m from ALP State Government. Estimated cost $80m. Completed in 2022.

Carlton Blues (Ikon Park)– $15m in 2019 from Morrison Federal Government and $20m in 2018 from ALP State Government for redevelopment of Ikon Park. State Two completed in 2022.

Collingwood Magpies (AIA Centre) – $15m in 2019 from Morrison Federal Government. Completed in 2022.

Essendon Bombers (The Hangar) -$6m in 2011 from Gillard Federal Government as part of it sharing facilities with Paralympic athletes and $1.8m State Government.  Estimated cost $25m. Completed in 2013..

Freemantle Dockers – $10m in 2013 from Gillard Federal Government, $10m from Liberal State Government, $65 million from City of Cockburn and the AFL and Dockers also contributing. Estimated cost $109m. Completed in 2017.

Geelong Cats (Kardinia Park) – In 2024, it was announced former president Frank Costa had pledged $10 million to the planned indoor training facility.

Gold Coast Suns – $15m in 2015 from Abbott Federal Government. Estimated cost $22m. Completed in 2017.

GWS Giants  (Tom Wills Oval) – In 2007, the NSW government ($15M) , Blacktown City Council, Cricket NSW and the AFL agreed to the development of an AFL/Cricket centre at Blacktown International Sportspark at a cost of $27.5 million. GWS moved to Sydney Olympic Park in 2014 – funded by State Government (?) and $2m Federal Abbott Government. Estimated cost $11.5m.  In 2023, $15m from Coalition State Government to upgrade its  centre for excellence.

Hawthorn Hawks (Kennedy Community Centre, Dingley) –  Both the federal and state governments are funding $15 million each while Kingston City Council is funding $5 million. AFL is also committing $5 million, and the Hawthorn Football Club is funding the remaining $73 million. Estimated cost $113m.

Melbourne Demons (Thurin High Performance Centre at Casey Fields) – $8 m upgrade in 2018-19 from $5m in ALP State Government funding.  Completed in 2024.

North Melbourne Kangaroos  (Arden Street Oval)- Redeveloped in time for the 2010 AFL season with funding from Federal and State Governments. It cost $16 million. Stage 2 of the redevelopment funded $7.3 million from the ALP Victorian Government in 2022. Completed in 2023.

Port Adelaide Power (MG High Performance Centre) – $2.5m in 2008 from Rudd Federal Government  and $2.5m in 2008 from Rann State Government for the development of Allan Scott Power Headquarters facility at Alberton Oval MG High Performance Centre at Alberton Oval funded by a $15m Morrison Federal Government, $3 m Coalition State Government, and additional funding from the AFL, City of Port Adelaide Enfield and club co-major partners, MG and GFG.  Opened in 2024. Estimated cost $25m.

Richmond Tigers (Punt Rd Oval Redevelopment) – $15m in 2019 from Morrison Federal Government budget for establishment of William Cooper Centre to house the club’s women’s football operations and the Bachar Houli Foundation. $15.5 m from ALP State Government in 2020. Estimated cost $65m.

St Kilda Saints (RSEA Park) – $12m in 2015 and $13 m in 2018 million from ALP State Government for redevelopment of Moorabbin Oval. Estimated cost $30m. Opened in 2022. Note – State Government previously provided $3.45 million when it moved to Seaford.

Sydney Swans (Sydney Swans HQ) -$15m from the Morrison Federal Government in 2019, $26m Coalition State Government, and $6m from the AFL. The remaining cost was funded through the Sydney Swans Foundation and the generosity of club donors. Completed in 2023. Estimated cost $70m.

West Coast Eagles (Mineral Resources Park) – $13m from Abbott Federal Government in 2016 and $10m by Liberal State Government. Estimated cost $60m. Completed in 2019.

Western Bulldogs (Mission Whitten Oval) – $8m in 2004 from Howard Federal Government and $3m ALP State Government. Estimated cost $20m. Stage 2 – $15m – Morrison Federal Government in 2022 and $36.6m by ALP State Government in 2020 and the AFL and the club.. Estimated cost $73.9m. 

Tasmanian Government has committed $60m for the proposed Tasmanian AFL team. AFL will contribute $10m. Estimated cost $70m. St Kilda Saints and GWS Giants have moved from their original high performance centres – as a result governments have funded two of their centres. Hawthorn Hawks is moving to a new centre in Dingley, Adelaide Crows planning to move to Thebarton Oval and Melbourne Demons looking top move to Caulfield Racecourse Reserve.

NRL Clubs

Brisbane Broncos – $6.75m in 2014 from Abbott Federal Government. Estimated cost $26m. Completed in 2018.

Canberra Raiders – $5m in 2018 from Barr ACT Government and $4m in 2018 from Coalition State Government. Estimated cost $19m. Completed in 2020.

Canterbury Bulldogs – $2m in 2017 from Coalition State Government as part of its Centres of Excellence Program. $40m Coalition State Government. Club plans to inject another $20m to finalise the complex. Announced in 2022.

Cronulla Sharks – $8m in 2017 from Coalition State Government as part of its Centres of Excellence Program.

Gold Coast Titans – $12.4m training facility received no government funding. Completed in 2016.

Manly Sea Eagles – $20m in 2019 as part of Coalition State Government election commitment. Cost $32.5 m and completed in 2022.

Melbourne Storm – $12 million in 2018 from ALP State Government for Rugby League State and Community Centre in Broadmeadows. Estimated cost $16.9m.

North Queensland Cowboys –$5m in funding from the Queensland Government, $15 million from Morrison Federal Gvernment, and a $20 million loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility.  Completed in 2021.

Newcastle Knights – $10m in 2017 from Coalition State Government as part of its Centres of Excellence Program. Jointly funded by the NSW Government and the Wests Group Australia Opened in 2022.  Estimated Cost $30 million.

Parramatta Eels – Centre of Excellence (COE) and Community Facility at Kellyville Park. Jointly funded by the NSW Government, $15m from Morrison Federal Government, Hills Shire Council and Parramatta Leagues Club. The Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence is scheduled for completion in 2025.

Penrith Panthers – fully funded by the Panthers Group. Estimated Cost – $22m. Completed in 2016.

Redcliffe Dolphins – $15m Coalition election commitment in 2022 – currently not funded. Estimated cost $23m.

South Sydney Rabbitohs (Heffron Community & High Performance Centre,) – $10m from Abbott Federal Government, $8.7m Coalition State Government, $4m from South Sydney Rabbitohs and $3m Randwick Council Estimated cost $25.7m .Completed 2023.

Sydney Roosters (Nick Politis Centre of Excellence) -) – $5.76m in 2017 from Coalition State Government as part of its Centres of Excellence Program. Estimated cost $10.6m. Completed in 2023. 

St George Illawarra Dragons – In 2022, Coalition State Government committed $40 million to the project at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus. Estimated cost $50m. Development application in December 2022.

Wests Tigers (West Tigers Centre of Excellence)– $5.5 m in 2017 from Coalition State Government to to develop Concord Oval. Completed in 2022. The NSW Government contributed $64.6 million towards the precinct redevelopment, including the Wests Tigers Centre of Excellence. Estimated cost $78m.

Summary

Federal and State Governments have provided over $250m to fourteen NRL clubs and over $450m to eighteen AFL clubs. These figures are mostly likely on the lower side as it is difficult to determine the exact funding for all of the facilities.

The majority of AFL and NRL club high performance centres have been funded on the basis that they have a community hub. It would be interesting to examine the extent of community access to these centres as they now have to support AFLW and other teams.

Governments have provided limited funding to cricket, rugby union and football high performance centres.

The question to be asked is whether professional sports high performance centres should be funded by federal and state governments when there is still significant facility funding required to meet the needs of community sport – after all community sport develops the talent for professional teams.

Future Australian Government Funding

The Albanese Federal Government has recently confirmed that the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) will remain in Canberra. However, it will need additional funding in the 2024 May budget to ensure that it remains Australia’s premier high performance sport centre. It was back in 2007 that the AIS last received significant funding to ensure that its facilities remained state of the art – new pool, recovery centre, upgraded sports science facilities and accommodation.

Why is this funding important ? The AIS supports many Olympic and Paralympic sports that do not have the benefit of large revenue steams of fully professional sports such as the AFL and NRL and rely on government supported high performance sport centres for their international and national level athletes.

The AIS and state institute/academy of sport provide facilities that support a far greater number of athletes than the high performance centre of AFL and NRL club.

I often wonder how “professional” the AFL and NRL are when they seek government funding to support their high performance objectives.