Melbourne Heart to establish La Trobe University Base

Melbourne Heart FC has announced the club will establish its administration and training base at La Trobe University’s Melbourne campus at Bundoora.

With the club set to commence pre-season training, Heart moved to finalise the identity of its definitive home, ensuring preparations for the club’s Hyundai A-League debut can take the next step.

Chief Executive Scott Munn revealed the club is excited to confirm its partnership with La Trobe University, saying the agreement marks an important step in Melbourne Heart FC history.

As Munn explained, “as a football club, there were a number of criteria which we considered to be of paramount importance when canvassing the options for the location of our training base.

“Most important of which was an ability to house both administrative and training arms of our club as well as provide ample access to various support services, including conditioning and medical facilities.

“We are thrilled to have established this partnership with La Trobe and hope to reveal more details of the enormity and magnitude of this very significant alliance in the coming weeks.”

La Trobe University Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Johnson welcomed the announcement stating “this partnership between La Trobe University and Melbourne Heart supports our strategy to engage with our communities in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

“La Trobe has played the key role in securing Melbourne Heart's move to our region and we warmly welcome them as part of our University community.

“We will upgrade our sports facilities and work with Melbourne Heart to achieve excellence. I am thrilled with the potential benefits La Trobe students will receive with Melbourne Heart on campus.”

La Trobe University was established in 1967 and currently has 30,000 students and 2,700 staff, including over 5000 international students from over 100 countries. The University has campuses in Melbourne (Bundoora and City), Bendigo, Shepparton, Albury-Wodonga, Mildura and Beechworth. The University offers course in five faculties: Education, Health Sciences, Humanities and Social Science, Law and Management and Science, Technology and Engineering.

La Trobe offers numerous sports related courses including: Sport and Leisure Management, Sports and Muscular Physiotherapy and is introducing a Bachelor of Sports Journalism.

Granted the 11th Hyundai A-League license midway through 2009, Melbourne Heart FC will make its competition debut this year, led by Coach and former Dutch international John van‘t Schip.