VFL twilight and night matches at Punt Road Oval could become reality as soon as next season with new lighting to be erected at the ground.

Work to install the lights will begin shortly and will allow for greater use of Punt Road Oval. The Richmond VFL team will be the first beneficiary with twilight and early evening training sessions possible in the second half of this season.

The installation of the lighting will necessitate the removal of the cricket scoreboard – a process which is already underway. A new digital scoreboard will be installed as part of the works.

“This is another important step forward as we continue to develop a facility that supports our football team and gives them the best chance of success,” Richmond CEO Brendon Gale said.

“We had always identified the establishment of a Richmond VFL side as strategically important and these lights will certainly support their program.

“It also means we can consider further community use. This always has to be balanced against the amount of traffic on the oval and protecting the surface, but it gives us more options.”

The removal of the cricket scoreboard – which was built in the mid-1990s - was initially flagged as a result of the safety concerns following the re-levelling of the playing surface.

“When we re-levelled the ground it eliminated a 1.4 metre drop on the south-east side of the ground, but it also created a steep incline at the base of the scoreboard that was considered significant enough to be deemed unsafe for pedestrian traffic,” Richmond chief operating officer Michael Stahl said.

“Having to fence that area off limited the viewing space on the Brunton Avenue side of the ground and it also significantly inconvenienced patrons’ access to other amenities.”

Beyond this, should the cricket scoreboard have remained in place, the only means of installing and servicing the relevant light tower would have been through the temporary closure of Brunton Avenue.

“To close Brunton Avenue is a logistically challenging and expensive undertaking. Given the light tower will also require periodic maintenance, it would not be a one-off, so when everything was taken into consideration, it made sense to remove the cricket scoreboard,” Stahl said.

Demolition of the scoreboard has commenced and has been approved by the relevant representatives of the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning.