- Former Collingwood boss thinks about the future
- Wants the MCG to be a truly multi-purpose venue
- Ground hosted Taylor Swift concerts in 2024
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Outspoken football identity Eddie McGuire has called for huge changes to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, including a retractable roof that would give the famous stadium a whole new look when deployed.
The former Collingwood president also wants the Great Southern Stand – now called the Shane Warne Stand – rebuilt and a retractable pitch added to make it much easier to host multiple events in a short space of time.
McGuire spoke on his Eddie and Jimmy Podcast with Geelong great Jimmy Bartel on Monday when he outlined his vision for the future of the field.
McGuire (pictured clapping in the Collingwood dressing room after a match) wants huge changes to be made to the MCG so it keeps pace with the most modern stadiums on the planet.
The MCG (pictured at last Saturday’s Essendon vs Hawthorn AFL match) currently holds 100,000 – but McGuire would like to accommodate another 20,000 spectators.
The 59-year-old was inspired by a recent conversation he had with Casey Wasserman, president and chief entertainment officer of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, who told him the future of the stadium had to revolve around its ability to become a versatile place.
McGuire revealed he once met Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots NFL team, and left him stunned when he told him the MCG could accommodate 100,000 people.
He sees this enormous capacity as the land’s biggest selling point – and one that should be built upon.
“That’s our big difference, the 100,000,” McGuire said.
“We need to replace this South Stand. There needs to be up to 120,000 here at the MCG.
Australia’s most famous ground needs retractable roof and removable pitch, says former Collingwood president
McGuire used Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium with its retractable covering (pictured) as an example of what the G should aim for
“We need to consider having a retractable roof, but also a retractable surface in the future.
“We need to look at the infrastructure that will move us forward, not backward.”
McGuire said a retractable roof would not only protect from rain, but could also be a solution to putting athletes and performers in a situation where they have to perform on very hot days.
He cited the Spanish football team’s Real Madrid Bernabeu Stadium, Canada’s BC Place and Germany’s Frankfurt Stadium – all with retractable roofs – as examples of what the MCG should aim for.
“NFL games are now being held in these locations for these reasons,” he said.
This is not the first time McGuire has called for a roof at the G, and the Victorian government has launched a feasibility study in 2022.
Last year, McGuire estimated the cost of adding the roof and rebuilding the Warne Stand at between $1.5 billion and $2 billion.
If McGuire’s recommendations become reality, it is certain that the famous ground will be much better placed to attract other high-profile events such as Taylor Swift’s (pictured) recent tour.
This does not include the retractable field option, which would allow playing surfaces to be quickly moved for AFL matches after huge events like the recent Taylor Swift concerts on the field, which required staff to scrambling to repair the turf in time for football season. .
Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas uses retractable pitches, with Australians getting a look at the system when it was used to install a new playing surface for the city’s NRL doubleheader at the start of the month.
Instead of taking days to bring the playing surface back up to standard, a new surface can be installed in the stadium in just 65 minutes.