Melbourne should serve up a bold bid to steal tennis from Brisbane\u2019s 2032 Olympic Games to ensure the world\u2019s greatest players face off on Australia\u2019s best courts, Lord Mayor Nick Reece says. <\/p>\n
With Victoria boasting by far the nation\u2019s best tennis precinct at Melbourne Park \u2014 home to the Australian Open \u2014 calls are mounting for matches to be moved from Queensland to Rod Laver, Margaret Court and John Cain Arenas.<\/p>\n
Lord Mayor Nick Reece said moving the tennis from Brisbane to Melbourne during the Olympics was a no-brainer, suggesting Victoria could help the sunshine state \u201cbreak Olympic attendance records\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelbourne Park is the world\u2019s best tennis complex \u2013 I think it would be the perfect venue to host Olympic tennis,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe recent FIFA World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico showed how you can share a global event across multiple cities and actually create a bigger and better event.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no doubt Brisbane will pull off an incredible Olympic Games, and from a Melbourne perspective, we stand ready to help.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
MCC chief executive Stuart Fox said the MCG and Melbourne\u2019s iconic sporting precinct were willing and able to host events during the Brisbane Olympics.<\/p>\n
All Games organisers need to do is ask. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve not been asked to be part of the Brisbane Olympics, if we were I\u2019m sure we would have an open conversation,\u2019\u2019 Mr Fox said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure not only us but the whole precinct would be open to supporting any sort of usage or celebration.\u2019\u2019 <\/p>\n
It is believed leaders at the highest levels in Canberra support Melbourne hosting key tennis matches during Brisbane 2032, including finals, at the expense of Queensland.<\/p>\n
There is also a precedent for Melbourne to host Olympics action, with soccer matches played at the MCG at Sydney 2000.<\/p>\n
Outgoing Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley agreed Melbourne Park could be used in some capacity during the Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe may have Olympic activations, you never know,\u2019\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI will be a spectator in 2032 and I hope when I\u2019m a spectator during the Olympics I come onto the precinct and everything\u2019s happening on every court, in every open space because we\u2019re reactivating it better.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
But while Melbourne\u2019s tennis precinct was peerless, he said an upgraded Queensland Tennis Centre at Tennyson should stage the sport at Brisbane 2032.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Olympics in Brisbane are going to be great and the Olympics at the Brisbane Tennis Center and the Pat Rafter Arena are going to be fantastic,\u2019\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf we go by any of the plans that I\u2019ve seen so far from a tennis perspective it\u2019s gonna be a magnificent tennis event. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo I fully support the tennis in Brisbane, the Olympics are in Brisbane, and it\u2019s great for tennis that the facility is going to be upgraded for the long term as well.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
As Brisbane considers building an Aussie Olympic museum as part of its signature Games stadium, Mr Fox declared Australia already had one \u2014 in Melbourne where it belonged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best museum in Australia for sport sits in the MCG and is really well patronised and recognised around the world and we\u2019ve got some of the most incredible memorabilia,\u2019\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWithin the museum we have the Sport Australia Hall of Fame exhibition and they\u2019ve been with us for many years and we are really proud to have an association with them. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the value add to our museum has been incredible with Olympians coming through to talk to kids and show off some of their memorabilia. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty special. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo we would love for that to continue.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
He said Brisbane should leave celebrating Australia’s\u2019s Olympic history to the nation\u2019s sporting capital.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe may get some competitive tension up from Queensland, but I still believe we\u2019ve got the best sports museum in Australia, and if not the world,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think it belongs at the \u2019G. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe should never forget that the \u201956 Games were held here, as were the 2006 Commonwealth Games. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019ve got a huge amount of heritage and we\u2019re always taking calls from athletes, Olympians to house memorabilia here, which we\u2019re really proud to do.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Melbourne should serve up a bold bid to steal tennis from Brisbane\u2019s 2032 Olympic Games to ensure 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