Blues talking up AFL return to Visy Park

Carlton's home ground could be an AFL venue again by 2011 as the league tries to
increase the pressure on the MCG and Etihad Stadium.
At Thursday's club chief executives meeting, the AFL confirmed it is going ahead
with a feasibility study to revive Princes Park for senior regular-season matches.
Several Melbourne clubs continue to clamour for better deals with the two existing
AFL venues in the city.
It has been four years since Princes Park last hosted an AFL match and the venue is
in the midst of a major redevelopment.
Blues chief executive Greg Swann said the building work would be finished by November.
If the league pushes ahead with the Princes Park revival, the most likely scenario
is for the ground to be ready in time for Gold Coast's 2011 senior debut.
"Even if you ask the AFL, they'd be supportive of having a genuinely viable ground
as another venue for games," Swann said.
"It depends what the feasibility (study) comes up with, if it's a complete rebuild
or refurbishment, it will take a while.
"But if it's just cosmetic, it won't take long at all."
He added Princes Park would be a "vastly better" venue financially for some Carlton
matches, especially against non-Victorian teams.
This year, the Blues are playing six home games at Etihad Stadium, four at the MCG
and one on the Gold Coast.
The Blues are hoping for a seven-four home games split involving Princes Park, with
the majority at the MCG, and are hopeful it would provide a better financial return
than their current deal.
"You've got to be able to make $200,000 to $300,000 per home game, no matter who you
are," Swann said.
"The AFL raised it today at the CEO's conference, so they're looking at it."
Cash-strapped North Melbourne have also expressed an interest in playing home games
at the ground, but only if they can maximise their income from the venue.
"If it was under AFL control - a clean stadium - we would be one of the first in the
queue to look at hosting matches there against non-Victorian teams," said Kangaroos
chief executive Eugene Arocca.
The AFL has taken Etihad Stadium to court over the stadium deals issue.
The league has tried to put Etihad Stadium and the MCG under fierce public pressure
to alter the current deals with clubs, so far without success.
But the league and the MCG are apparently closing on a revised deal.
Earlier this year, the AFL rejected a revised offer from the MCG.