THE cash-strapped Melbourne Football Club has made a bold bid for a $500,000 package of land at Casey Fields in exchange for its commitment to its potential new home.

Recently appointed chief executive Paul McNamee two nights ago led coach Dean Bailey and a football delegation to an informal meeting at the club's nominated new training facility and is understood to have pleaded with the Casey Council to move quickly in approving the nomadic Demons' move to the south east outskirts of Melbourne.

McNamee's audacious bid for land was being debated last night at a late and lengthy City of Casey council meeting.

Melbourne, bereft of assets and without a permanent home for more than two decades, is making the push as part of its new business plan that will also include a $1.5 million bid for special-assistance funding to the AFL and the Melbourne Cricket Club for 2009.

The Demons' CEO confirmed to The Age that Melbourne had told Casey it needed to know "almost immediately" whether or not it would have a new training base by October this year.

"We hope to know sometime this week whether or not Casey is keen to negotiate with us," said McNamee, who denied the club would look at a permanent relocation from the MCG-Olympic Park precinct. The club also indicated it would not push to share a training ground with Collingwood at the Olympic Park site once the new rectangular stadium was completed but would more likely train at Gosch's Paddock No. 2, the Magpies' current venue.

"Otherwise we'll have to start looking elsewhere. If we're going to put in more money than we had planned then we would like to get something in return which we can develop. That's why the goalposts have moved."

With the Demons pushing for a new $1.5 million sports facility within six months at Casey, McNamee confirmed that his debt-ridden club would have to fund an estimated $500,000 towards the new building, which would include an extended gym and football offices alongside the club's potential new MCG-size training ground.

Having unsuccessfully wooed St Kilda and more recently held talks with the Kangaroos, the Casey council has continued to attempt to persuade the Demons to consider a permanent move to the home of VFL club the Scorpions, currently aligned with the Saints but likely to join forces with Melbourne by 2010.

McNamee, Bailey, football operations manager Chris Connolly and new football director Andrew Leoncelli toured Casey Fields on Monday and over dinner put forward plans to spend at least 18 months training full-time at Casey, moving the club's AusKick and community programs there along with adopting the grounds as its summer training base once the new stadium at Olympic Park is completed.

Casey chief executive Mike Tyler last night refuted the claim by Demons chairman Paul Gardner that the move from the Junction Oval to Casey was a "done deal". Confirming Melbourne's bid for land ownership at the new venue, Tyler added: "The AFL mantra is that clubs must have assets and Melbourne is no different.

"But it remains highly speculative and a lot of water has to pass under the bridge for that to happen. We do need to make a decision soon, plans have to be made and work needs to start on the new building if the club is to move here by November. There is no time to be lost."

Melbourne's thrilling first win of the season over Fremantle on Sunday has seen the club reach its revised membership target of 27,000, signing 500 new members since the win.