News Gabba Upgrade & Olympics News

[Squizz89]

Basically all these options are telling me one thing. We basically have 2 years to snare that flag we’re after. It’s going to get awfully hard after that for the best part of 5+ years.

 

[Fatcat08]

Rooting is a yank term. Prefer the oz way i.e.barracking

If Rip thinks extensive Rooting is the best way he can contribute then who are we to argue!

 

[Fatcat08]

Whatever happens, if they need to build anything before the end of 2025 they are almost out of time to hit that target. Otherwise is could very well be year 1 is thsi and then ongoing years are different after that. I'd say most of the holdup is getting cricket and afl to agree on one proposal together. There will be zero appetite from the government for a solution for each. Not much love lost between those organisations. And stupidly they're going to shoot themselves in the foot if they don't start working together.

As an aside, there are already Edu Dept plans in existence for moving the school, well before the olympics announcement. Have been a number of future feasibility studies into this, so the school moving was always going to be on the cards eventually.

 

[Viceregal]

Whatever happens, if they need to build anything before the end of 2025 they are almost out of time to hit that target. Otherwise is could very well be year 1 is thsi and then ongoing years are different after that. I'd say most of the holdup is getting cricket and afl to agree on one proposal together. There will be zero appetite from the government for a solution for each. Not much love lost between those organisations. And stupidly they're going to shoot themselves in the foot if they don't start working together.

As an aside, there are already Edu Dept plans in existence for moving the school, well before the olympics announcement. Have been a number of future feasibility studies into this, so the school moving was always going to be on the cards eventually.

I suppose a whole year of away games while we don't have the thing quite built yet then a whole year of home games where everyone comes to our places wouldn't work?

 

[Mighty Lions]

Feel like this is a great way to haemorrhage members and the support they’ve built up over the last 5-6 years.

Not to mention expanding Springfield to >20,000 (or even close to that) is either impossible or insane, with no inbetween. It currently holds what, 1/10th of that? And it is an absolute nightmare to get to, on game days already the highway is turned into a carpark as people fight to get off. Train is better, but the infrastructure quite literally isn’t there to support 20,000 people trying to take the train from Springfield station

Respect your opinion but dis agree with it in almost everything you say as a negative.

 

[jjami15]

Can't see how Springfield is a feasible option tbh. Hemmed in by a creek, a road and an admin building. Even if you extracted every square centimetre available for temp seating, it's hard to imagine a capacity boost to any more than 15-18,000. And when you take its limited accessibility into account, you might as well just go to Carrara - as unpalatable as that is.

Rooting for a redeveloped showgrounds miracle.

It’s called engineering.

 

[Mighty Lions]

Can't see how Springfield is a feasible option tbh. Hemmed in by a creek, a road and an admin building. Even if you extracted every square centimetre available for temp seating, it's hard to imagine a capacity boost to any more than 15-18,000. And when you take its limited accessibility into account, you might as well just go to Carrara - as unpalatable as that is.

Rooting for a redeveloped showgrounds miracle.

Well Rip, I guess they have already got some pretty smart people looking at that and talking with councils on how to manage all that and lots more. if you think they can do 18,000, i am sure another 2,000 wont be a problem.
Showgrounds is an option but limited in what they are willing to change to get it where it needs to be to play there along with accomodating supporters...either way, I'm confident they will work out a solution thats best for the club and its on-going success long term. The AFL will need to support the club as well while this dis-ruption causes everyone pain.

Be careful what you "root" for.

 

[briztoon]

Respect your opinion but dis agree with it in almost everything you say as a negative.

You can’t disagree with his comments about lack of infrastructure.

I’ve been out to Springfield at least a dozen times to watch the men train, and to watch the preseason games.

It’s a friggin nightmare to drive to, particularly the last 2-3 kilometres of highway, and then to find parking.

And those preseason games were what, 4000-5000 attendances.

Without widening the highway, adding more off ramps, and accessible parking, the thought of 20,000 fans heading out there for a Friday or Saturday night game is near unthinkable.

Of course that’s going to impact membership.


I remember you were very anti Springfield before we made the move, and possibly after as well, and were commenting that members of the playing group and administration, disliked the commute a lot.

Imagine how fans will feel, when it takes 30 minutes to travel the last 2kms to the off ramp in to Springfield.

 

[briztoon]

It’s called engineering.

It’s going to take some significant engineering, building over the kids entertainment area, as well as demolishing the current stand for a new one.

It’s not like they have the space around the whole ground to build seating for 20,000.

Most likely two thirds of the circumference, and there’s impediments behind all that area.

Creek on one side, roads on another two.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Relying on anything towards the end of a rail line to move a large amount of people is going to be ugly.

That said, I don't think there's going to be a perfect solution, just a least shit one.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

It’s going to take some significant engineering, building over the kids entertainment area, as well as demolishing the current stand for a new one.

I don't know how much was added to Carrara with the temporary stands for the Commonwealth Games in the gap at the Northern end, but it's not out of the realms of possibility.

 

[Billy ray]

I don't know how much was added to Carrara with the temporary stands for the Commonwealth Games in the gap at the Northern end, but it's not out of the realms of possibility.

got it to 40,000 from memory

 

[SpecialBruce]

Rooting is a yank term. Prefer the oz way i.e.barracking

This is why we are sending him to the Collingwood board

 

[SpecialBruce]

To be honest, I prefer rooting.

Don't we all

 

[Mr Ripper]

Rooting is a yank term. Prefer the oz way i.e.barracking

What makes you think I was using it in the American sense?

 

[Mr Ripper]

It’s called engineering.

It’s called square pegs and round holes - unless you’re prepared to spend mountains of cash on something that’ll only be temporary.

Also, thanks for the condescension, champ.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Ideally what the club want to do while the Gabba is unavailable is to have a facility that will seat 20,000 minimum (1st Priority is Springfield) to call home. For the big home games (such where the crowd would be 30,000 and upwards) they would like to play at the MCG. I see this as a good suggestion because it still keeps most members/supporters going to games and also gives our members in Melbourne more opportunities to watch our boys down there at the MCG where we desperately want and need to play more. I hope they get the support from the AFL.

So we'd play our home finals at the MCG if we were good enough to earn any?

Courageous, Minister!

 

[HereIam86]

Do you think this will happen to the Gabba?

Madness at Camp Nou: Some fans stole chairs, posters and other pieces from the stadium

The fans of FC Barcelona said goodbye to the Spotify Camp Nou after 66 years of uninterrupted action to make way for the remodeling works. On Sunday, during the Barça-Mallorca game, some fans chose to steal pieces from the culé temple

www.fcbarcelonanoticias.com

 

[Mighty Lions]

So we'd play our home finals at the MCG if we were good enough to earn any?

Courageous, Minister!

Take it the way you want to mate.
Your normally a man of many words so why don't you add something positive with your thoughts on how they should best handle the issue while the Gabba is out of action?

 

[Viceregal]

So we'd play our home finals at the MCG if we were good enough to earn any?

Courageous, Minister!

Fortunately Sir Mighty of the Lions does not need to seek re-election (or maintain his position in the party past next Friday) so the default Hacker response to that phrase might be a tad different!

Home games at the MCG, away games at BHA?

 

[Grasshopper17]

Take it the way you want to mate.
Your normally a man of many words so why don't you add something positive with your thoughts on how they should best handle the issue while the Gabba is out of action?

I genuinely have no great (informed) opinion... I have only lived in Brisbane for 18 months, never been to the Ekka, never been to QE II, so I feel like any input I gave would have very little basis in reality.

My concern about playing home games interstate is that it would only further exacerbate the travel imposed on our players, and I wonder if there is a better solution

 

[Dalions]

I genuinely have no great (informed) opinion... I have only lived in Brisbane for 18 months, never been to the Ekka, never been to QE II, so I feel like any input I gave would have very little basis in reality.

My concern about playing home games interstate is that it would only further exacerbate the travel imposed on our players, and I wonder if there is a better solution

Especially when we are coming to the third and fourth years without the Gabba.
It would really be wearing thin.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

Especially when we are coming to the third and fourth years without the Gabba.
It would really be wearing thin.

Wonder if we could not have a so-called “permanent” home ground then and play at different cities and towns around Queensland to build support for the club, outside of the Brisbane metro and Western Corridor region.

Obviously, would still prefer the majority of our home games against VIC sides + Gold Coast to be played in either Brisbane (Showgrounds) or Ipswich (Springfield), but we could sell out games with small-drawing teams in places like Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville and could also strike an agreement with the NT government to play a match or two in Darwin if it was to return a positive financially for us.

Sure it might cause some short-term pain for the club, but it could help build the club’s brand and participation rates for the sport in cities and towns not usually accounted for in AFL heartland in the long-run.

Only serious issue it could have would be the players/coaches preparation and recovery throughout each week of the season, but just like the Giants have shown this year, they should adapt the “win everywhere” mentally in their motto.

 

[Mighty Lions]

I genuinely have no great (informed) opinion... I have only lived in Brisbane for 18 months, never been to the Ekka, never been to QE II, so I feel like any input I gave would have very little basis in reality.

My concern about playing home games interstate is that it would only further exacerbate the travel imposed on our players, and I wonder if there is a better solution

They dont plan on playing ALL home games interstate & the ones they do play in Melbourne they want to be at the MCG which gives us more game time at a venue we rarely get to play...I see that as a big advantage.
As for the venue up in Brisbane while the Gabba is re-developed, I dont think there will be an ideal venue that please's everyone so the complaints will come thick and fast once a decision has been announced.

 

[Mighty Lions]

Wonder if we could not have a so-called “permanent” home ground then and play at different cities and towns around Queensland to build support for the club, outside of the Brisbane metro and Western Corridor region.

Obviously, would still prefer the majority of our home games against VIC sides + Gold Coast to be played in either Brisbane (Showgrounds) or Ipswich (Springfield), but we could sell out games with small-drawing teams in places like Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville and could also strike an agreement with the NT government to play a match or two in Darwin if it was to return a positive financially for us.

Sure it might cause some short-term pain for the club, but it could help build the club’s brand and participation rates for the sport in cities and towns not usually accounted for in AFL heartland in the long-run.

Only serious issue it could have would be the players/coaches preparation and recovery throughout each week of the season, but just like the Giants have shown this year, they should adapt the “win everywhere” mentally in their motto.

My opinion would be not to travel all over Australia for home games. We need a home in Brisbane and make it our fortress as much like we have the Gabba now. Dis-advantage would be having significantly less members being able to attend but i dont see how we get around that no matter what the decision might be. At present the club wants a stadium to hold 20,000 for home games...thats the real challenge right now.
At least playing some blockbuster home games at the MCG will allow our Victorian member base to enjoy what they have been missing for a long time now. Lets hope they all get on board with membership if we end up playing more games in Melbourne. I am sure we will need every member we can get along with some sort of financial assistance from the AFL while all this goes on.