Old Vfa grounds

[footyfan1978]

Where did Geelong West play their football ?
For some reason I remember a dog track or something outside the playing area.
Remember Fraser Murphy playing for them and eventually ending up at Carlton around 1984 season. Ended up playing in our 1987 premiership team.
Do Geelong West still exist as a club ?

 

[Educate_Savages]

Great memories.. Back when I lived in Melbourne before moving to Germany I had some of the best times when living on Montague street. One of the best grounds to watch the footy at, period

Sold out for the money. Pathetic.

 

[Jane Doe]

Where did Geelong West play their football ?
For some reason I remember a dog track or something outside the playing area.
Remember Fraser Murphy playing for them and eventually ending up at Carlton around 1984 season. Ended up playing in our 1987 premiership team.
Do Geelong West still exist as a club ?

I believe they are know known as Geelong West St Peters

 

[footyfan1978]

I believe they are know known as Geelong West St Peters

Does that mean they merged with a private school club ?
Sounding like it.

 

[Jane Doe]

Does that mean they merged with a private school club ?
Sounding like it.

St Peters merged with Geelong West when Geelong West left the VFA

 

[footyfan1978]

St Peters merged with Geelong West when Geelong West left the VFA

Thanks.
Cool, that was type of thing I wanted to know.
So was some time back.

 

[Jane Doe]

Thanks.
Cool, that was type of thing I wanted to know.
So was some time back.

Late 80's I think

 

[footyfan1978]

Where did Geelong West play their football ?
For some reason I remember a dog track or something outside the playing area.

Just found this picture which answers my curiosity of the concrete just beyond the playing area.
West Oval it was called.

 

[footyfan1978]

Just reading up on this.
They are going to become Geelong West Giants as of next season.

From local paper below earlier this month.

GEELONG West Cheetahs members have voted to proceed with a joint venture with Geelong West St-Peter’s.

The overwhelming majority of Cheetahs members in attendance at Bakers Oval on Thursday night agreed to the landmark decision that will see the two clubs playing under one Geelong West Giants banner from next season.

The Giants moniker is a nod to the GWS Giants, who will play a significant role in the alignment between the clubs, including providing off-field support in the form of sportsman’s nights, coaching, player availability for clinics and developing pathways to the Giants’ NEAFL and AFL lists.

Cheetahs’ executive chairman Paul Westcott described the mood in the clubrooms on Thursday as inquisitive and positive, and said it was a historic night for his club.

“There is no club in the entire area that has a side in the GFL and a side in the GDFL,” Westcott said.

“It is quite unique, it is quite special, and it will only benefit the Geelong West community by being able to have a pathway for the juniors to progress through.

“I can’t see a negative with this. It’s a positive thing, it’s not a negative thing, we’re not seeing a club disappearing, what we’re seeing is two clubs actually coming together and combining their resources.”

Next season the Giants will field teams in both the GFL and GDFL, with the plan to continue that arrangement when the AFL Barwon restructure comes into place in 2019.

Both Bakers Oval and West Oval will be available for both teams to use for training and events, and Westcott said while player movement between the two teams would be allowed, there would be limitations.

“We will be utilising Bakers oval fully, we’ll be utilising the Western Oval fully. The lights have just been upgraded at Bakers Oval so realistically there is a genuine second training facility for either side,” he said.


“It will be a super club that has seniors and reserves in division one, seniors and reserves in division three, and the same for all the netball.

“The next step is that it needs to be carefully planned and orchestrated so there is a meeting of members from Red and Blue next week to discuss planning and the executive, and the forming of positions to start to manage things from here on in.”

 

[pazza]

Think the only other VFA ground that had a bike track around it was when Traralgon were in the competition in the 1990's.

 

[Garlic muncher]

Frankston Oval is quite possibly one of the best grounds in the country to watch footy at. Top surface, great views of the bay, just awesome.

North Freo, they used to have a team in the WAFL prior to about WW1.

Right beside the beautiful Swan River and the oldest Grandstand in WA.

Yes that is boat moorings on the Swan at the back of the oval

 

[BILC]

Not a VFA ground, but Wangaratta Showgrounds where they've played a few NAB cup games recently has a bike track around the outside also.

 

[The BIG X]

Was a VFA Boundary Ump for the period 1970 to very early 80's.
Umpired all grounds except Geelong West in that time

Some of the grounds (below) were in 2 divisions - think 12 Clubs Div 1 and 10 Clubs Div 2
Camberwell, Waverley, Port Melb, Oakleigh, Preston, Brunswick, Dandenong, Prahran, Werribee, Frankston (best ground to run on by a mile) and Sandringham came 2nd. Mordialloc, Williamstown, Yarraville, Northcote,

My memory has run out

Moorabbin, Brighton .... ceased prior 1970 VFA era

Will come back to it again

 

[The BIG X]

Of course Box Hill - how can I forget that

 

[Grrr]

Playing for Mordialloc U19's in I think it was Preston, somewhere north where the housing commission flats are pretty close to the ground, and some sniper with a slug gun was having some fun keeping us Mordi boys on our toes. Back in the glory days.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Playing for Mordialloc U19's in I think it was Preston, somewhere north where the housing commission flats are pretty close to the ground, and some sniper with a slug gun was having some fun keeping us Mordi boys on our toes. Back in the glory days.

Dad told me the weeks before the chelsea vs mordi games used to be "interesting" in the sixties

One year an all in caused the game between asy tech and mordi-chelsea to be cancelled. Next day chelsea (basically the full asy tech side) played mordi (basically the mordi chelsea side).

Dad told me the two sides ran out, looked at each other, and resumed the punch on with gusto. Poor ump didnt know about the day before, and had no idea wtf was going on

 

[Stiubhart]

Was a VFA Boundary Ump for the period 1970 to very early 80's.
Umpired all grounds except Geelong West in that time

Some of the grounds (below) were in 2 divisions - think 12 Clubs Div 1 and 10 Clubs Div 2
Camberwell, Waverley, Port Melb, Oakleigh, Preston, Brunswick, Dandenong, Prahran, Werribee, Frankston (best ground to run on by a mile) and Sandringham came 2nd. Mordialloc, Williamstown, Yarraville, Northcote,

My memory has run out

Moorabbin, Brighton .... ceased prior 1970 VFA era

Will come back to it again

Prior to 1982 , 10 teams in each Div. , Coburg , Caulfield and Sunshine are the one's not listed

 

[Grrr]

Dad told me the weeks before the chelsea vs mordi games used to be "interesting" in the sixties

One year an all in caused the game between asy tech and mordi-chelsea to be cancelled. Next day chelsea (basically the full asy tech side) played mordi (basically the mordi chelsea side).

Dad told me the two sides ran out, looked at each other, and resumed the punch on with gusto. Poor ump didnt know about the day before, and had no idea wtf was going on

Yup, Chelsea were a dirty mob! We only played them in practice matches when I played, as Mordi were VFA, but there was still plenty on the table. The Chelsea Hotel wasn't for the feint hearted.

 

[Stiubhart]

Yup, Chelsea were a dirty mob! We only played them in practice matches when I played, as Mordi were VFA, but there was still plenty on the table. The Chelsea Hotel wasn't for the feint hearted.

Leigh and Kelvin Matthews were originally from Chelsea weren't they ?

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Yup, Chelsea were a dirty mob! We only played them in practice matches when I played, as Mordi were VFA, but there was still plenty on the table. The Chelsea Hotel wasn't for the feint hearted.

Dad was a back pocket for chelsea....

 

[Grrr]

Dad was a back pocket for chelsea....

Back pockets are notoriously fair.

 

[Grrr]

Leigh and Kelvin Matthews were originally from Chelsea weren't they ?

Yes I think so. Leigh took a little Chelsea with him....

 

[The BIG X]

Prior to 1982 , 10 teams in each Div. , Coburg , Caulfield and Sunshine are the one's not listed

Thanks for that Stiubhart - cannot believe I missed those Clubs. Much appreciated.

That makes the 20 Clubs in the 70's

 

[Stiubhart]

Thanks for that Stiubhart - cannot believe I missed those Clubs. Much appreciated.

That makes the 20 Clubs in the 70's

No probs at all

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Playing for Mordialloc U19's in I think it was Preston, somewhere north where the housing commission flats are pretty close to the ground, and some sniper with a slug gun was having some fun keeping us Mordi boys on our toes. Back in the glory days.

Would've been Westgarth Street Oval (Northcote's ground), the Heidelberg Rd flats literally overlook the ground.