The MCG’s Shane Warne Stand could be TORN DOWN and completely rebuilt in monster $1BILLION upgrade

The Shane Warne Stand at the MCG could be torn down and completely rebuilt as part of a major revamp of Melbourne’s iconic ground.

The Melbourne Cricket Club, which operates the venue, put forward a proposal earlier this year that would increase the stadium’s capacity from 100,000 to 105,000.

According to the Herald Sun, the project would cost in the region of $1billion and could include a complete redevelopment of the Shane Warne Stand.

The Great Southern Stand was renamed the Shane Warne Stand back in March this year

Cricket Australia and AFL clubs who are currently among the MCG tenants have been involved in consultations, which the State Government has reportedly financed at a cost of $2million.

As part of the proposal, stakeholders are also assessing whether minor modifications would be preferable and more financially sensible than wholesale changes.

The proposed changes will also reportedly include new lighting built into the rooftops, while the facilities for the athletes will be modernised.

The State Government, however, is unlikely to sign off on a major redevelopment until after the Commonwealth Games, which Victoria will host in 2026.

The Great Southern Stand was originally built in time for the 1992 Cricket World Cup 

The MCG is currently scheduled to host the opening ceremony and, according to the Herald Sun, a major revamp of the Shane Warne Stand could take until the end of the decade.

Originally known as the Great Southern Stand, it was renamed after Australia’s late cricket legend shortly after his death in March this year.

A state service for Warne was held at the MCG, where the spin king took his 700th Test wicket against England during the Boxing Day Test in 2006.

The proposed renovation would increase the MCG’s capacity from 100,000 to 105,000

The MCG will host the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2026 

The then-Great Southern Stand was completed in time for the 1992 Cricket World Cup and further redeveloped between 2011 and 2013 to the tune of $55million.

‘The MCG is our most iconic stadium and we’re working with the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust to plan what’s needed for decades to come,’ former Sport Minister Martin Pakula said earlier this year. 

The proposed renovation of the MCG would also include a five-star hotel and a complete revamp of the precinct surrounding the stadium, in order to better connect the stadium with Melbourne Park.

Plans are also in place to improve the connection between the MCG and Melbourne’s sporting precinct (above right) which are currently separated by a railway line 

The cost of the connecting the two halves of the precinct was estimated at $1bn in 2018

A rail yard currently separates the latter from the MCG and back in 2018, it was estimated that connecting the two sides of the sporting precinct could cost in the region of $1billion.

However, with Perth, Adelaide and Sydney all either redeveloping existing grounds or building new, state-of-the-art facilities, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra said Melbourne should follow suit.

‘The MCG is truly the beating heart of our state and like anything we love, we need to protect, maintain and create opportunities for it to grow,’ he said.