St Kilda's return to Junction Oval in doubt as Labor backs cricket base Daniel Andrews: "It's all about making sure cricket has a first-class home and that blockbuster AFL footy can be back on the MCG from Round 1 of every single season, that is what's most important." Labor's pledge to build a new home for Victorian cricket at Junction Oval and free up the MCG for early-season blockbusters could leave St Kilda Football Club out in the cold. Both Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia welcomed the state opposition's promise to inject $25 million to redevelop the historic ground to host Sheffield Shield games if it won this month's election. The redevelopment would include modern administration, training and playing facilities for men's and women's cricket, new turf and restored heritage grandstands. But a proposal for the Saints to move their training base from Seaford to the club's former heartland at Junction Oval, masterminded by AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and backed by the Napthine government, could be scrapped if Labor wins office on November 29. Opposition leader Daniel Andrews left the door open for more talks with the AFL, but also emphasised that Labor's priority was for Victorian cricket to have year-round access to elite facilities and that the AFL would benefit from the MCG being available to host big games of football from round 1. At the moment, the MCG belongs to cricket throughout March because there is no other first-class venue in the state, leading to a ludicrous situation that will see Victoria play home games in Alice Springs this summer when the MCG is in World Cup mode. Mr Andrews vowed to do "everything I can" to ensure the ground is ready for the 2016-17 cricket season and the 2017 football season, if he becomes premier. "It's all about making sure cricket has a first-class home and that blockbuster AFL footy can be back on the MCG from Round 1 of every single season, that is what's most important," he said. My door is always open to talk about other partners that could become part of this great vision, but I want to be very clear, I have always seen this ... first and foremost an opportunity to give cricket for the first time ever a dedicated home of its own and then to free up the MCG so we don't ever again have this situation where you almost feel like the AFL season is half over before you get a blockbuster game at the 'G'. Cricket bosses were only told about Labor's commitment on Saturday morning, and quickly rustled up Australian captains Aaron Finch and Meg Lanning, along with national indigenous squad captain Ben Abbatangelo to be present for the announcement. The cost of the project backed by Labor is estimated at $40 million, while the proposal for a shared base that would see the Saints train across the road at Ian Johnson Oval would cost up to $74 million, with $10 million from the AFL. Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia have earmarked $10 million in total for the project and CV boss Tony Dodemaide said he was confident the remaining $5 million could be found. "We believe it will underpin the future of our sport in this state," he said, adding that CV would continue to work with both sides of politics to end the saga that has surrounded the dilapidated ground since the Brumby Labor government was voted out in 2010. An AFL spokesman said the league was open to talks with Labor. A St Kilda spokesman said the club looked forward to "further discussions about football's presence in this heartland area for the Saints." St Kilda's footballers called the Junction home between 1901 and 1941 and again from 1944 to 1964, when the club relocated to Moorabbin.