The AFL has agreed to purchase Etihad Stadium in a deal reported to be worth about $200 million.
The long-anticipated buyout, expected to be confirmed on Friday, is likely to boost gate returns for the ground’s tenant clubs, including the Western Bulldogs, Essendon, Carlton, St Kilda and North Melbourne.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has previously outlined plans for major upgrades of the 54,000-capacity ground, which opened in 2000.