East Fremantle Football Club and South Fremantle Football announce business case for co-tenancy at Fremantle Oval

The Board of Directors of the East Fremantle Football Club announced to the members on Friday May 30th that the Club will investigate the opportunity to co-tenant Fremantle Oval with the South Fremantle Football Club.

The business case will involve investigating a range of different options which may include staying at East Fremantle Oval or co-locating with the SFFC at Fremantle Oval.  The advantages and disadvantages of these options along with the associated costs will be determined during the course of the business case.

The Club and SFFC have a proud history in the Fremantle community and this investigation recognizes the commitment of each Club to the greater Fremantle community and to Club members to assess whether co-tenancy is best for our long term future.  This decision to create a business case is for the sustainability of both clubs as well as ensuring Fremantle Oval continues to be an important community hub.

The opportunity for co-tenancy at Fremantle Oval, presented by the announcement that Fremantle Dockers would move their headquarters to Cockburn, is an opportunity that the Club must explore.  

The Club has been working with the Town of East Fremantle, Department of Sport and Recreation and West Australian Football Commission to secure our future at East Fremantle Oval but to this point have not been able to guarantee that our facility requirements can be met.  As explained to our members at our 2013 AGM we must explore any opportunity that can provide for our facility requirements.  

Fremantle Oval was our home from foundation in 1898 to the completion of the 1952 season, with the exception of 1906, when we played home games at East Fremantle Oval.  The SFFC, apart from 1906, has played home games at Fremantle Oval since its foundation in 1900.  Twenty one of the Club's twenty nine premierships were won whilst Fremantle Oval was the home of the Club.

The business case investigation recognizes the potential benefits of co-tenancy, including increased activity in the City of Fremantle, with the potential for a WAFL game being fixtured in Fremantle almost every week of the WAFL season, along with the capital and operational cost efficiencies associated by sharing facilities, access to the rail network and connectivity to Fremantle's hospitality and retail precinct.

The State Government, through the Department of Sport and Recreation, is helping facilitate the process of this investigation and the resultant business case.  The City of Fremantle and West Australian Football Commission have also shown support for this enquiry and will be involved as key stakeholders.

We acknowledge the cooperation that will be required through this investigation and welcome the opportunity to work with SFFC through this process and acknowledge that the process will require the cooperation and goodwill of all stakeholders of Fremantle Oval. The business case will not only define the possibilities but will provide some indication of the support we can expect for any recommended options’.    

It is anticipated the business case will be completed within 20 weeks from the date of appointing a consultant, with the report expected prior to the 2014 AGM.