Expansion ANZ Stadium ground availability

[littleduck]

Nobody has yet discussed this issue.

It seems Stadium Australia Management are desperate for business and offer good terms for teams to host matches there and in recent times a fair few NRL clubs have switched some home games there, some teams having switched all of them.

So the issue arises as to ground availability.

In favour of AFL is the draw being out at the start of the season. This might give AFL first crack and the NRL and its broadcast partners will have to fit in around it.

But the venue can only host so many matches per weekend, ie three.

 

[Doctor Jolly]

By 2012, not many NRL teams may be there if they keep b1tching about the place.

If, as suspected the WS Wangos play at Blacktown and Homebush, and the swans may reduce from 4 to 3 the Homebush games, the AFL requirements for homebush would only be around 10 games per year. I'm sure they could fit that in very easily.

 

[zero]

well its a long way off... the situation could be quite different by then. NRL games arent popular at ANZ, will all the teams currently playing there still be there then?

i would expect that the code's history of getting big crowds would have the stadium australia people salivating, and good business sense would see them try to accomodate that.

i dont know, i guess it depends on the profitibility...they are currently paying NRL clubs big bucks to play there (dont the rabbitohs get 700k a year or something), combined with low NRL sized crowds that certainly makes for slim profit margins.

if WS can get modest (AFL) crowds, and stadium australia dont have to pay them, combined with the fixture being available at the start of the year, could make them better more profitable tenants than any of their NRL teams.

depends how the new side draws the crowds, really

 

[zero]

By 2012, not many NRL teams may be there if they keep b1tching about the place.

If, as suspected the WS Wangos play at Blacktown and Homebush, and the swans may reduce from 4 to 3 the Homebush games, the AFL requirements for homebush would only be around 10 games per year. I'm sure they could fit that in very easily.

actually its anticipated that the new side wont play any H+A fixtures at blacktown, just preseason games...their whole home season of 11 games will be at stadium australia.

the swans will continue to have at least have their home derby and 2 or perhaps 3 other blockbusters out there as well.

 

[gostk86]

Souths, Bulldogs and West Tigers are all contracted to ANZ for at least 6 more years.

ALL codes, NRL, AFL and Union will have to sit down and plan how to work it out, nrl friday, union sat and alf sun would be probably we way it goes.

Dragons will go, Parra will take 'blockbusters' away, talk is wests tigers will move full time campbelltown, so that leaves souths (10 yr contract) Bulldogs (7 year)

 

[zero]

Souths, Bulldogs and West Tigers are all contracted to ANZ for at least 6 more years.

ALL codes, NRL, AFL and Union will have to sit down and plan how to work it out, nrl friday, union sat and alf sun would be probably we way it goes.

it just wont work like that, the AFL has a long standing preference for saturdays in sydney, union only runs till half way through the NRL and AFL seasons, and the NRL wont want every friday night at the stadium

 

[THRILLHO]

I doubt that the Swans will play at ANZ Stadium, apart from the blockbuster. The SCG, when finished, should fit 47 000 people. That's plenty of seats, plus wont the AFL be trying to get the whole working class west versus the silvertail easts rivalry going?

 

[gostk86]

it just wont work like that, the AFL has a long standing preference for saturdays in sydney, union only runs till half way through the NRL and AFL seasons, and the NRL wont want every friday night at the stadium[/qutoe]

With the nrl likely to be going it will be easier, for all teams to use the ground. Wallabies in june/july, thats when the busy time will be.

 

[gostk86]

I doubt that the Swans will play at ANZ Stadium, apart from the blockbuster. The SCG, when finished, should fit 47 000 people. That's plenty of seats, plus wont the AFL be trying to get the whole working class west versus the silvertail easts rivalry going?

I dont think so, otherwise they would call them the Blacktown somethings.
West Sydney seems nicer and more attractive for people, more open for people from anywhere in sydney to goto their games.

 

[Ricardo]

Not sure about the NRL teams contracts but i am sure the AFL, Union and the NRL could work out a decent schedule, ANZ stadium though would want (and i'm sure the AFL would want) the Swans to keep at least 3 Blockbuster games at ANZ.

The Swans should keep their Collingwood blockbuster and of course Western Sydney will play the Swans every year, twice, one home and one away.

The third game depends on form of course, the AFL write up the draw in August (? Maybe earlier) and its a tough one to schedule.

West Coast worked in 2007 but not as much this season, its a tough one but i am sure in the coming years Essendon and Carlton could draw 55-65k at ANZ stadium, i think St.kilda, Geelong and Brisbane are in the mix also.

If the new WS team is to play 11 home games at ANZ then it may be a tough schedule to work out with the other codes, 11-14 games is tough to fit in, unless they are a bit flexible and include a couple of FN, Sat Arvo and Sun Arvo matches.


What I would've liked to have seen would have been for the Blacktown stadium to increase to 15-18k capacity, making it perfect for the smaller drawing matches (there will be plenty in the first 10 years).

Have 3 Swans 'blockbusters', have the WS team play Collingwood, Sydney as definite and possibly 2-3 of Carlton, Essendon, St.kilda, Richmond, Brisbane....all depends on form the previous season really.

That is around 7 matches to schedule in, only an increase of 3 matches on this years draw....but i think i might have underestimated how many they (both the Swans and WS) will play at ANZ Stadium.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

This page gives you a list of what games are left to play at Stadium Australia for the rest of the year. Click the past events link and you will see how and who has used it in the past.

http://www.anzstadium.com.au/index.aspx?link_id=4.132

Edit this link is for all of 2008.
http://www.anzstadium.com.au/upload/file/file_2008512859525281.pdf

There is plenty of flexibility in the schedule.

 

[Hawkk]

Im sure a few Souths games - which draw less then 8000 anyway, would hardly be a concern for the AFL

Really

 

[AngelEyes]

It wont hurt the AFL in the slightest bit. The AFL has a rock solid schedule that doesn't change. It can "book" the ground alot earlier than the NRL can.

The NRL's approximate date will be the one in trouble. If the AFL says we are playing on 2 May and NRL says we are playing on 1-4 May, I wonder who is going to be the winner is ANZ Stadium's eyes? Its not like ANZ Stadium will make the AFL change its schedule.

The NRL will be the loser, instead, they will then have to exclude the day the AFL plays on. The NRL will be the loser as its broadcast schedule will start to lack a bit of it's current flexibility.

 

[littleduck]

Im sure a few Souths games - which draw less then 8000 anyway, would hardly be a concern for the AFL

Really

Wait 'til they start winning..

 

[Giants FC]

I wouldn't think it would be a major problem.

In the NRL, the Bulldogs and Souths use it full-time; while Wests Tigers and St George/Illawarra play half their games there. So it's equivalent to 3 teams playing there, or 1 1/2 games per weekend - on average, half the weekends there'll be 1 game and the other half there'll be 2 games.
If the AFL games are scheduled on weekends when there's only 1 NRL game, it's a non-issue.

I would guess that the Swans will play 3 home games there per season - their home derby, Collingwood and one other. West Sydney would probably play 4-5 games out there, including their home derby - so we're looking at about 8 AFL games there.
That could easily be accommodated around the NRL; and still leave enough empty dates in the calendar for 2 rugby union internationals and maybe a couple of soccer internationals.
And there's always the option for NRL to play Friday or Monday nights there. I doubt AFL would be played there on a Friday night - depends who has the TV rights by then, but I can't see Ch 7 or Ch 9 taking the ratings hit to play a Sydney team on a Friday night. Ch 10 might, if they become the sole FTA TV rights holder in the next round of rights; but the others won't.

 

[Hawkk]

Wait 'til they start winning..

From 10-15000 up to 20-25000?

Fact is, the West Sydney clubs will guarntee the Homebush administration at least 3 30000+ crowds - vs. Collingwood, Sydney and Essendon.

No NRL club can make such a guarntee to the Homebush staff

 

[gostk86]

From 10-15000 up to 20-25000?

Fact is, the West Sydney clubs will guarntee the Homebush administration at least 3 30000+ crowds - vs. Collingwood, Sydney and Essendon.

No NRL club can make such a guarntee to the Homebush staff

NSW blues can , also the Bulldogs have pulled good crowds out their against souths and roosters.

But anz is a shite ground for nrl, also homebush staff dont care, otherwise they wouldnt be splashing out the cash to nrl and afl

 

[Father Jack]

NSW blues can , also the Bulldogs have pulled good crowds out their against souths and roosters.

But anz is a shite ground for nrl, also homebush staff dont care, otherwise they wouldnt be splashing out the cash to nrl and afl

I dare say the Qld Maroons would have something to say about playing all three games at ANZ ...

Thing is also that you would get bigger crowds at a smaller ground.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

Western Sydney will play 11 games there (as far as I know the Blacktown oval will be used as the training ground and have pre-season matches but no Premiership matches will be played there) with the Swans probably having 3 there (their 'home' derby, Collingwood, someone else). That is 14 games, plus prospective finals (for both clubs). Hardly seems like too much of a hassle to me.

The AFL will schedule Western Sydney's games (much like they do now with the Swans) to be on Saturdays and early Sunday afternoons so as to not conflict with the FTA NRL games on NSW TV on Friday night and late Sunday afternoon. This means Friday nights will always be open for the NRL.

The NRL will lose a bit of it's flexibility at the venue as the AFL finalises it's schedule and times by October where as the NRL waits until about 6 weeks before each round before giving the matches days and times. Unless the NRL is willing to change (doubtful) then there's not really much they could do about it, and even if they really kicked up a stick about it I imagine the AFL would just pay Stadium Australia more.

As for the rugby union - the Wallabies only play two matches there a year and the Waratahs (the NSW Super 14 side) only play if they make the final final and are the higher ranked team, the rest of the time they play all their games as the SFS. Rugby union only has 2-3 matches there a year.

I don't foresee any hassles really. The NRL will certainly lose some flexibility but I don't foresee any major problems.

If both Western Sydney and the Swans make the AFL finals and all the Stadium Australia NRL clubs make the NRL finals though then yes there might be hassles but given the money Stadium Australia would make off all those finals I'm sure they'd generally find a way to make it work but if they couldn't they'd probably give right of way to which ever organisation (AFL or NRL) had paid more at the start of the year for finals access.

Edit: Oh I also forgot that the Socceroos play a couple of games there a year but I imagine that wouldn't present huge hassles either.

NSW blues can

Rugby league State of Origin is played on Wednesday nights, so there's absolutely no conflict with AFL games.

 

[greenhat]

Maybe I am wrong on this, but I thought they didn't usually play AFL games there on the same weekends as NRL games because it took too long to change the stadium around.
If thats the case it'd complicate things a bit.

Personally I hope the AFL team being there forces NRL teams to go back to using their own stadiums. It is a truly shit place to watch Rugby League.

 

[gostk86]

Maybe I am wrong on this, but I thought they didn't usually play AFL games there on the same weekends as NRL games because it took too long to change the stadium around.
If thats the case it'd complicate things a bit.

Personally I hope the AFL team being there forces NRL teams to go back to using their own stadiums. It is a truly shit place to watch Rugby League.

Most teams are contracted there for many years yet

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Maybe I am wrong on this, but I thought they didn't usually play AFL games there on the same weekends as NRL games because it took too long to change the stadium around.
If thats the case it'd complicate things a bit.

Personally I hope the AFL team being there forces NRL teams to go back to using their own stadiums. It is a truly shit place to watch Rugby League.

St George played Melbourne Storm played there on Saturday night and then the Swans played only their second ever Sunday arvo game at the stadium last weekend. The change over has become routine and well rehearsed.

 

[Doctor Jolly]

During the week the ground stays in AFL mode to let the grass grow.

Its the NRL who force the change to make it rectangular.

Far better to have the AFL use it on Friday night, then change it over for the league for the rest of the weekend.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

During the week the ground stays in AFL mode to let the grass grow.

Its the NRL who force the change to make it rectangular.

Far better to have the AFL use it on Friday night, then change it over for the league for the rest of the weekend.

Unfortunately Dr J Sydney wont get a Friday night home game for a long long time. It's all got to do with TV ratings. I was surprised Brisbane got the experiment game against Collingwood a few weeks ago. But the TV ratings will suggest it wont be repeated. I enjoyed going to the SCG for Friday night games a couple of times a year that occurred prior to the 2002-06 TV deal.

 

[Doctor Jolly]

That is true. Maybe they can work it that Western Sydney play on Saturday afternoon, then reconfigure the ground for NRL for sat night, sunday and monday.
ie. WS play most games on sat arvo, on days when the NRL dont use it for Friday night footy.