Potential stakeholders — including sporting and community groups — can today express interest in being part of the precinct at a planning meeting.

North Melbourne Football Club yesterday reinforced its long-term commitment to the redevelopment and its desire to be playing AFL home and away matches in Ballarat by 2020.

North Melbourne chief executive officer Eugene Arocca and head coach Brad Scott said the AFL was right behind having the Kangaroos playing in Ballarat.

They said if Ballarat had the facilities, North Melbourne would be playing in the city now.

Talks held last week between Ballarat City Council and Cricket Victoria are also believed to revolve around the stadium hosting first-class cricket games and possibly housing a new state cricket centre after the proposed Shane Warne Centre of Excellence at the Junction Oval was axed in 2010.

Eureka Stadium is also tipped to have a substantial sports medicine focus, with several other major sports expressing interest in moving to the Creswick Road precinct, which could cater for up to 10,000 fans once upgraded.

Both the state government and Cricket Victoria have confirmed preliminary talks about the stadium’s future have been held.

And Ballarat mayor Mark Harris said today’s meeting was aimed at gauging which groups wanted to be involved.

“It really needs to be a consortium,” Cr Harris said.

“We’re just putting it all together at the moment.

“It’s a bit like the concept of ‘build it and they will come’.”

He said a council delegation travelled to North Melbourne’s complex last week, which Cr Harris said had a big community focus.

“It’s a very successful model.”

Mr Arocca said he would support anything that would help the Kangaroos play AFL games in Ballarat.