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Melbourne's Junction Oval will be upgraded to provide a permanent home for Cricket Victoria and free up the MCG for round one AFL games at the start of future seasons.

When complete, the revamped venue will feature a high-performance training centre, medical and rehabilitation area, women's facilities, and capacity for up to 7,000 people.

The development, expected to be completed by 2017, has been fast-tracked by recently elected Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, with the new Victorian Government providing $25 million for the $40 million project.

Premier Andrews said upgrading the oval will mean Victoria will be better placed to bid for and attract major events such as extra matches during an ICC World Twenty20 held in Australia.

He stated "we'll always have the MCG, but a new Junction Oval will fill a void and help bring more major events to our state.

"Getting on with this project means the MCG will be available for blockbuster AFL games from round one of each and every season."

With the Victorian Government’s investment, Junction Oval will stand side-by-side with the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a first class cricket facility, capable of hosting Sheffield Shield matches and international events.

During Victoria’s recent election, the Labor Party backed the redevelopment of Junction Oval primarily for cricket, while the incumbent Liberal Govenment proposed a plan that would have seen the AFL and the St Kilda Football Club return to the venue.

The Liberal Government had committed to a facility that would have housed the Saints and Cricket Victoria, with St Kilda to train on the adjacent Ian Johnson Oval, with an administrative base also on site.

Cricket Victoria's preference, along with that of various local sporting clubs, is to keep the Saints out of the precinct that it left at the end of 1964.

However, St Kilda and the AFL have not given up hope of orchestrating a Saints return to the venue, issueing a statement that read "the AFL congratulates the Government on the announcement of the Junction Oval project ..., and looks forwards to continued discussions with them on the potential for the St Kilda Football Club to be part of the future at the Junction.”

Premier Andrews suggested that there might still be a possibility of AFL being included in the plan, stating “my door is always open - I am always happy to talk to the AFL and others and to continue discussions, but again there is no time to waste.”

Work on the facilty is expected to begin in the New Year.

26th November 2014 - LEISURE SPENDING AT FOREFRONT OF PARTY PROMISES IN VICTORIAN ELECTION

4th March 2014 - AWRA BACKS REDEVELOPMENT OF ALBERT PARK’S JUNCTION OVAL

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