King & Wood Mallesons has advised Melbourne Stadiums Group, owners and operators of the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, on the sale of the stadium to the AFL.

Under the deal terms, management rights and freehold ownership will transfer to the AFL who will formally take over the stadium in early November. The transaction will accelerate the AFL’s ownership of the stadium, with the AFL originally entitled to acquire the stadium land in 2025 under an option granted when the stadium was developed in the late 1990s.

Evie Bruce, KWM M&A Partner, said, “We are delighted to have assisted our client on the sale of this landmark asset. The sale process involved complex commercial and legal issues which concerned a range of stakeholders. Throughout the process we were able to leverage our market-leading capabilities and experience across a range of practice groups to help execute the transaction and deliver a positive outcome for our client and the future of the stadium.”

The KWM team was led by Evie Bruce who was supported by Special Counsel Andrew Phillipson and Solicitors Luke Mulcahy and John Arthur, with Partner Claire Rogers and Senior Associate Chris Allfrey advising on financing arrangements, Partner Simone Menz and Senior Associate Kate George advising on real estate issues and Partner Darren McClafferty and Senior Associate Greg Protektor advising on tax.