June 16, 2010
THE State Government and North Melbourne Football Club are on a collision course with the AFL over plans to play matches in Ballarat.
Premier John Brumby trumpeted a $1 million upgrade of Ballarat's Eureka Stadium as the first step towards playing AFL matches there by 2013. An AFL spokesman said it had no intention to move matches from Etihad Stadium or the MCG.
But AFL clubs have raised concerns about an increase in poorly attended and unprofitable games at major stadiums with two new interstate teams joining the competition.
