The state government made a raft of significant announcements on Thurday night as part of their major stadium strategy - a key component of the May budget. Ikon Park in Carlton’s Princes Park is one of the big winners from the funding announcement after being allocated $20 million. On top of the $225 million for the Docklands stadium - which the AFL took full ownership of two years ago - the government also outlined $241.6 million to upgrade facilities at suburban venues, including $20 million to redevelop Ikon Park as the home of women’s football. The redevelopment of Etihad Stadium is expected to connect the precinct to the CBD while opening up the waterfront. The government said the deal to lock in the MCG as the home of the AFL grand final for the next 40 years would give the Melbourne Cricket Club Trust the financial security to undertake a major redevelopment of the MCG.

Ikon Park is set to receive $20 million. Credit:AAP Collingwood president Eddie McGuire welcomed the announcements and said negotiations between the government, the AFL and the Melbourne Cricket Club had been going on for some time. "It has been going for nearly two years, it will be signed in the next 24 hours. It is one of the biggest days in the history of AFL football," McGuire said. It has been reported that an MCG redevelopment would include building a new Great Southern Stand, but it’s unclear how that project would be funded. The current southern stand was only opened in 1992 and is the oldest part of the MCG. The Brownlow Medal ceremony will also stay in Victoria for the next 10 years.

The Andrews government cash splash also includes a $15 million Female Friendly Facilities Fund, $13 million for stage two of the Moorabbin Oval redevelopment and $10 million to improve playing conditions at Casey Fields in Cranbourne and the Whitten Oval for AFLW competition. Victorian clubs will also benefit, with increased match returns for home clubs at both Etihad Stadium and the MCG. Several AFL presidents and chief executives were summoned to a phone hook-up late on Thursday night where they were briefed on the funding details. The government is expected to reveal further details on Friday. Ikon Park has previously been touted as a future home of the burgeoning AFLW competition. Improved lighting may be one to be one of the upgrades revealed. The venue received significant criticism this AFLW season for inadequate lighting during one match, severely affecting the quality of the TV broadcast.

Ballarat’s Eureka Stadium is expected to be another beneficiary. The small venue hosted its first official AFL match last year when more than 10,000 fans watched a game between the Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide. Now the boutique location is set to host two AFL matches per year for the next decade. Both Ballarat and Geelong will be key battlegrounds in this year’s state election. With Caroline Wilson