Marvel Stadium's boss insists a decision to pivot to entertainment events won't lead to lacklustre BBL pitches, as the Melbourne Renegades weigh up their future at the ground.
The state of AFL-owned Marvel Stadium has remained a talking point in recent summers, with just three matches played at the venue among a myriad of events.
The Renegades' current deal with the venue will end this season, with former Australian captain Aaron Finch last year calling for the club to abandon it after a win over the Scorchers was overshadowed by a patchy-looking outfield - the result of a number of concerts and a university graduation ceremony.
GMHBA Stadium in Geelong is an option for the Renegades next season, having been used as a secondary home since 2017.
After hosting sold-out crowds for the Oasis tour this year, Marvel Stadium will next hold the AusX Supercross Championship and two Lady Gaga concerts.
The stadium grounds team will at least be given more time to prepare the field for cricket, with four weeks between the final Lady Gaga concert and the Renegades' first game there on January 1 against the Sydney Sixers.
"By the time the Renegades get here, it'll be great," stadium general manger Scott Fitzgerald said on Thursday.
"We've got the hardest-working and one of the best grounds teams in the world. This is what we do. We're very good at it."
The Renegades will also play two games in December at GMHBA Stadium, leaving the remaining three of five home matches at Marvel Stadium.
Asked if Marvel Stadium were expecting the BBL club to extend its contract at the Docklands venue, Fitzgerald said the negotiation remained ongoing.
"That's a conversation we're excited to continue with the Renegades over the coming weeks and months," Fitzgerald said.
"I love cricket. I love what cricket does not only for this venue but also for the community at large."
The venue, which also hosts 46 AFL games, is unlikely to cut back on entertainment events.
"We've made a very deliberate pivot into entertainment," Fitzgerald said.
"It's difficult at times, but ... we push really, really hard to deliver performance services for athletes - be that football or for cricket. "It's a balancing act, but we work really hard at it, and we've got a great team that underpins all of that activity."
