Cricket Australia CEO Expresses Concerns Over AFL Stadium Roof

A significant hurdle has emerged for the AFL and its upcoming 19th club, as newly appointed Cricket Australia chief executive, Todd Greenberg, has voiced serious concerns regarding the proposed design of the Macquarie Point Stadium, particularly its fixed roof.

According to The Age, Greenberg, alongside Cricket Tasmania chief executive Dominic Baker, has co-signed a letter addressed to the Tasmanian government, warning that the current roof design could result in “unacceptable” conditions for players, impact venue operations, and diminish broadcast quality during daylight cricket matches.

Highlighting the potential implications of the current design, indicating specific concerns related to the pitch where parts could be in shade while others bask in sunlight, Nine’s chief AFL reporter, Tom Morris, said that this variation can become a health and safety issue.

He further stressed the gravity of the situation for the AFL: “As we know, without a roofed stadium, there’s no team. This is something they must resolve.”

The crux of the submission revolves around the issue of shadows cast on the cricket pitch during summer daylight hours due to the roof’s “grid-like” structure.

The cricketing bodies assert that this design would render the stadium unsuitable for hosting Test matches, and could also pose challenges for One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20) fixtures.

In light of these concerns, Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania have proposed either eliminating the roof altogether or opting for a retractable roof design that would mitigate shadowing issues.

The AFL has made the construction of a new roofed stadium in inner-city Hobart a prerequisite for granting a licence to the Tasmanian team slated to join the league in 2028.

If cricket matches are not feasible under the current roof design, this could jeopardise the stadium’s financial viability and adversely affect the Tasmanian government’s economic forecasts regarding the stadium’s projected benefits.

Reports indicate that Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania would prefer to remain at Bellerive Oval rather than relocate to the new stadium unless these concerns are adequately addressed.

In their submission, the cricketing bodies dismissed remedial measures suggested by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation as unworkable, insisting that an alternative solution must be pursued if the shadowing issues surrounding the design cannot be satisfactorily mitigated.

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