Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle predicts Etihad Stadium will be gone in 20 years.

Doyle said the stadium cuts off the Docklands precinct from the CBD and it would be better to build an AFL-sized venue at nearby Western Park.

Etihad Stadium in 2009. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle says the stadium will be gone in 20 years' time. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

The AFL is due to take over ownership of the stadium in 2025.

"In the time-frame you're talking, Etihad Stadium will disappear," Doyle told radio station 3AW.