When it comes to community engagement, no one does it better than North Melbourne.

“Gone are the days where you just build something for yourself,” Managing Director & CEO Carl Dilena stated. 

For Dilena, sporting clubs should be a vibrant hub within their communities and that position has never been more crucial than now. As Melbourne’s population continues to grow, space is becoming more valuable, so the Kangaroos are planning to open their doors like never before.

“The whole face of this area is going to change over the next 10 to 20 years with a massive increase in population,” Dilena added in a recent interview with News Corp.

“We would like to have North Melbourne as a football club that is the heart of this new suburb.”

Going forward, Dilena said locals can continue to expect the club to continue offering its grounds, resources, and goodwill in an effort to create a more united and healthy community.

The club currently shares its facilities with the Victorian Fencing Academy and the City of Melbourne with a conscious effort to provide space for the community to gather, exercise, and stay healthy.

The club’s Arden St headquarters also includes the award winning not-for-profit arm, The Huddle which works with young people between the ages of 12 and 25 to engage, support, and empower them to build on their strengths and participate in the community.

The Huddle delivers programs ranging from clinics on the oval, to career development in the classroom.

The club has forwarded a concept to the Victorian Planning Authority which could see its facilities triple in size as a result of the new $7 billion redevelopment planned for the precinct.

North hopes to expand along Macaulay Rd and build an indoor pool and two indoor centres; one with a synthetic oval and another with four multi-use courts. An outdoor synthetic oval and changerooms are also part of the proposal.