Essendon Football Club has defected to the new Docklands ground, and Seven Network's studios will be built at Docklands. If the Melbourne Cricket Club is unable to "lure" St Kilda Football Club from Docklands after 2000, the MCG will suffer another loss of face. The MCG has sought to gain television revenue from the Victorian Cricket Association and the Australia Football League (AFL). There is nothing in theory to stop the AFL Commission dividing TV rights in Melbourne to Seven Network-Docklands and Nine Network-MCG. If the MCG is to survive, it must win the TV war between Kerry Stokes (Seven) and Kerry Packer (Nine) in 1998. Whilst Stokes will spend $A100m on Docklands, Collingwood Football Club and the MCG should welcome Packer's interest.
Reuters
From 2000, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will no longer be the home of Australian Rules football in Melbourne.
