MELBOURNE Heart could be forced to leave La Trobe University if funding is not found for improved facilities.

The A-League club has called the university's Bundoora campus home since its beginning in 2008, but its training and administration facilities are modest by elite standards.

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The squad uses the lower playing fields for training, which are often declared unavailable due to heavy rain, and the Heart's administration is housed in academic buildings at the top of the campus.

A vision for improved ­facilities has long been on Heart's radar, but chief executive Scott Munn has conceded the club would be forced out if an agreement on funding was not reached by the end of the season.

Melbourne Heart has been approached as a potential suitor to take over Essendon's lease at Windy Hill as the AFL giant prepares to move to a high performance training base at Tullamarine, and Heart has more ­recently been training at Epping Stadium.

"There hasn't been any light at the end of the tunnel, but we'll continue to work hard with all involved,'' Munn said. "It's fair to say if we weren't able to achieve the infrastructure upgrades, we would have to move.

"We don't have a fixed timeline, but there's no question that we couldn't ­remain at La Trobe forever if the facilities weren't to be upgraded.

"We'd have to move to somewhere more appropriate for an elite team."

North Metropolitan state Liberal MP Craig Ondarchie, a supporter of the project, said the he and the university were exploring the possibility of a partnership, but needed to identify funding streams.

University vice-chancellor John Dewar said it was vital Melbourne Heart ­remained in Melbourne's north.

"We want Melbourne Heart to remain our tenant," Mr Dewar said. "We are looking at every option to ­assist with the upgrade of the training pitch."

Mr Ondarchie said he would welcome any discussions of Heart moving to Epping ­Stadium, but Munn said no such plans were in place.