Analysis Should we be pursuing a secondary market post-Hobart? If yes, then where?

[Mr north man]

Keep selling games and people will wonder why our club died.

We go 4 weeks + without a Melbourne home games at times.
With ppl it’s about routine and if our home games are that far apart ppl lose interest and find other things to do.
We are dying a slow death of living on our knees.
We aren’t gaining fans by whoring ourselves all over the place - we’re losing fans.

Bring the games back to our heartland and get back to being innovators to make up the shortfall

Reason for this club dying is simple our supporters won’t attend games plain and simple

 

[domiroo]

Albury Wodonga. You would pack it out every time.

 

[MrSlippyFist]

People calling for a new stadium in Melbourne must be very young or new to the area and don't have any memory of the ugly years when Docklands Stadium was owned by the fund managers who paid to build it. A third stadium in Melbourne would have to be privately funded and it would cost clubs far more to play games there than Docklands or the MCG.

A third stadium won't be happening for at least 20 years, and by then attendances will naturally swell and there won't be an appetite for a third boutique stadium.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

A third stadium won't be happening for at least 20 years, and by then attendances will naturally swell and there won't be an appetite for a third boutique stadium.

This. Also, most Melbourne clubs will have refurbished their home grounds to better accommodate AFLW and VFL games including limited undercover and spectator seating.

 

[shintemaster]

A smaller 3rd boutique stadium in Melbourne with a 20,000-30,000 capacity would be ideal for AFLW, smaller AFL games, and VFL games.

Unfortunately the cost/benefit numbers just don't add up, especially with construction and land costs bloody sky-rocketing in the last 5 years.

Yep. Ship has sailed - for now.

 

[tazaa]

Makes no sense.

Whilst having 11 home games in Melbourne is desirable for us, have you been to Princes Park lately? It would need to be completely bulldozed and rebuilt to get it fit for AFL matches. The AFL just aren't going to torch that sort of money for something that has no benefit for them, taking games away from the stadium they own and not growing the game at all.

I went to the AFLW grand final last year and regularly go for runs around Princes Park.
The Lygon Street side of the ground is in a world of hurt and even the grand stand is barely up to scratch.

The renovations have also recently been completed on the new admin and ground facilities.
All that money spent and jobs half done.

 

[tazaa]

Might be time revisit this...

Proposed E-Gate Stadium | Austadiums

Information about the proposed E-Gate Stadium on the Austadiums website.

www.austadiums.com

E-Gate Stadium​

Rejected Proposal

E-Gate Stadium was a proposed new Australian football ground located on rail yards next to North Melbourne station. The stadium was first mooted around 2009 as a solution for third 'boutique' AFL stadium in Melbourne capable of hosting lower-drawing matches. Its seating capacity was planned to be around 27,000. There was also talk it could be modified into a 44,000-capacity rectangular stadium for Australia's FIFA World Cup bid - freeing Docklands for the AFL. The concept designs showed the majority of seating on one side of the field with a three-tier grandstand and a single tier of seating on the other side of the ground. Talk of the new stadium went quiet and it never proceeded.

Location Melbourne, Victoria
Status Rejected
Capacity 27,000
Seats 27,000 (100% of capacity)
Proposed Sports Australian Football
Proposed Tennants

Too late

Part of the land has now been used for the new WestGate Tunnel

 

[Marstermind]

I went to the AFLW grand final last year and regularly go for runs around Princes Park.
The Lygon Street side of the ground is in a world of hurt and even the grand stand is barely up to scratch.

The renovations have also recently been completed on the new admin and ground facilities.
All that money spent and jobs half done.

It's a dump. Carlton's renovation of the entire Royal Pde end into an admin and training facility means it accommodates for zero spectators. The Ald Gardiner stand is still there but a condemned fire trap. The old Elliott stand only caters for non-existent corporates and the Legend Stand is probably the worst designed stand in the history of sport. Aside from being built at a ground that was destined for the scrap-heap, it has no elevation and sitting anywhere near the back has you a mile away from the action. It wasn't even suitable for the AFLW Grand Final. Literally all of it would need to be bulldozed.

 

[shintemaster]

Too late

Part of the land has now been used for the new East-West link Tunnel

There is no EW Link tunnel. The land is used for the above ground westgate tunnel.

 

[amaz199]

No way they can put a third stadium. I mean, FFS we need to think of more innovative ways to bring in $$$.

I think I know one, becoming half-decent on the footy field.

 

[krakouers]

It would need to be completely bulldozed and rebuilt to get it fit for AFL matches.

would anyone mind if we bulldoze the current club there as well?

 

[Dan]

I went to the AFLW grand final last year and regularly go for runs around Princes Park.
The Lygon Street side of the ground is in a world of hurt and even the grand stand is barely up to scratch.

The renovations have also recently been completed on the new admin and ground facilities.
All that money spent and jobs half done.

So why is it ok (safe) to host AFLW games but North can't play a game there against suns/freo/gws?

 

[tazaa]

There is no EW Link tunnel. The land is used for the above ground westgate tunnel.

My bad
Correct Westgate is that side of town
Half of the city freeways are under construction at the moment hard to know whats going where

 

[tazaa]

So why is it ok (safe) to host AFLW games but North can play a game there against suns/freo/gws?

Good question
No idea

AFL designated stadia?

 

[WesternRoo]

I’m not a fan of selling games full stop, but I don’t think the Perth option is that bad.

We have tried forever to build a second market when there is really a massive one in Perth already.

If 3 games a year were played here, local members could be offered a 3 game membership as part of the deal with the WAFC.

There would be 20k supporters atleast here who wouldn’t even think to buy a membership or see any value in it. Not saying we would get 20k new members, but there would be a significant jump I feel.

Playing the extra game and the two others we play each year anyway gives it some value.

I’d suggest we should play back to back games here in the first month of the season (maybe a Saturday game followed by a Friday night game then straight back home) and then a trip back over later in the year.

 

[MrSlippyFist]

It's a dump. Carlton's renovation of the entire Royal Pde end into an admin and training facility means it accommodates for zero spectators. The Ald Gardiner stand is still there but a condemned fire trap. The old Elliott stand only caters for non-existent corporates and the Legend Stand is probably the worst designed stand in the history of sport. Aside from being built at a ground that was destined for the scrap-heap, it has no elevation and sitting anywhere near the back has you a mile away from the action. It wasn't even suitable for the AFLW Grand Final. Literally all of it would need to be bulldozed.

I definitely recall sitting in the legends stand at the AFLW grand final thinking, as i stared at the dilapidated Gardiner stand - god this is a shit hole.

They really should bulldoze half the stands there and open it up - would actually make it far nicer.

 

[MrSlippyFist]

If you are a keen follower of West Australian football, there is a reasonable chance that North Melbourne would have been your team in the VFL if you were around before 1987.

North retain a strong WA following 28 years after West Coast entered the competition and 20 years following the admission of Fremantle.

Why? Because of the parade of WA champions that were running around for them from the time that Barry Cable crossed the Nullarbor to play for the Kangaroos in 1970, until the period Ross Glendinning returned from North to lead West Coast in their inaugural season in 1987.

West Australians have remained strong contributors at the Kangaroos since.

More than any other single VFL team of the 1970s and 1980s, the Kangaroos plucked the cream of the WAFL for almost 20 years before the advent of the Eagles.

And they got serious bang for their buck.

The team we picked of West Australians who represented the Kangaroos includes players who account for eight Sandover Medals — Cable (three), Peter Spencer and Phil Kelly (two each) and Graham Melrose (one). There would have been a ninth, but Derek Kickett was ineligible when he dominated the 1988 vote count.

There is also a Brownlow medallist in there as well, thanks to Glendinning’s super 1983 campaign.

He was also runner-up the previous year. Cable finished fourth in 1970 and 1976.

West Australians account for 10 best and fairests at North Melbourne from 1970 to the present day. Cable won in 1970, Glendining in 1982 and 1983, Jim Krakouer in 1986, Peter Bell in 2000, Andrew Swallow in 2009, Daniel Wells and Swallow in 2011, Swallow in 2012 and Wells, who shared the gong with Scott Thompson in 2013.

The WA contingent also account for several All-Australian jumpers and team-of-the-year honours. Cable was a multiple All-Australian, ditto Glendinning. Bell was an All-Australian in 1999.

Krakouer was named in the VFL team of the year in 1986 and 1987, a side Glendinning was also named in for three successive seasons in the 1980s.

Every North Melbourne premiership team has contained at least one West Australian — Cable in 1975, Cable and Stephen McCann in 1977, Bell and Dean Laidley in 1996 and Bell and Winston Abraham in 1999. Melrose was desperately unlucky to miss the 1975 flag through injury.

Two West Australians have coached North — Cable from 1981 to 1983 and Laidley from 2003 to 2009, highlighted by a preliminary final in 2007.

Swallow has captained the club the past three seasons.

Great write up from the AFL board. I think it's a great opportunity.

 

[LB2Snake]

Great write up from the AFL board. I think it's a great opportunity.

Geez Phil Kelly was a good player......so unlucky with injuries when with us.

We'd have a fairly large role call of SA's too I'd reckon

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

So why is it ok (safe) to host AFLW games but North can't play a game there against suns/freo/gws?

Have you been to an AFLW game there? The joint isn't the way you remember it from the 1990s. It fits a maximum of 13,000. And there are no corporate facilities. I'd say it is a long way behind other suburban and regional ovals in terms of being able to host AFL games in the future.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

I definitely recall sitting in the legends stand at the AFLW grand final thinking, as i stared at the dilapidated Gardiner stand - god this is a shit hole.

They really should bulldoze half the stands there and open it up - would actually make it far nicer.

Exactly what I was thinking. Knock those condemned stands down and at least allow uncovered terrace viewing on that wing.

Aside from the game result, the other crappy thing about the AFLW grand final was the pregame entertainment played to the largely vacant and condemned stands rather than to where the crowd was sitting. But at least the TV cameras got a good view of it.

 

[MrSlippyFist]

Exactly what I was thinking. Knock those condemned stands down and at least allow uncovered terrace viewing on that wing.

Aside from the game result, the other crappy thing about the AFLW grand final was the pregame entertainment played to the largely vacant and condemned stands rather than to where the crowd was sitting. But at least the TV cameras got a good view of it.

The local council did a superb job of opening up Victoria Park whilst still retaining (and actually restoring) some heritage. Should be the model. I wish the old grand stand was still at Arden St.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

The local council did a superb job of opening up Victoria Park whilst still retaining (and actually restoring) some heritage. Should be the model. I wish the old grand stand was still at Arden St.

Yes Victoria Park is an excellent model and largely in spite of Collingwood. I don't know if the local council would allow it, but I think it would be far better placed in every sense to redevelop that ground as the main AFLW finals venue. Western Oval has had some excellent work done but it is not ideally located and let's be honest, it is hardly appropriate to make a place named after that man the home of women's football.

 

[mightymouse75]

WA has just hit 3 million people.
VIC has reached 6.5 mill.

There is a hunger for more footy over here and a massive market for it.

In Perth, the Roos would have the biggest representation of non West Oz team supporters. You could really do something with that..
Grab it by the horns and see where it takes you.
There are plenty of people over here in a 2 team town screaming for options.
Plus you can fly over for the week and have sun and nice beaches

Then sit back and watch St Kilda sink into obscurity..

 

[year of the roo]

WA has just hit 3 million people.
VIC has reached 6.5 mill.

There is a hunger for more footy over here and a massive market for it.

In Perth, the Roos would have the biggest representation of non West Oz team supporters. You could really do something with that..
Grab it by the horns and see where it takes you.
There are plenty of people over here in a 2 team town screaming for options.
Plus you can fly over for the week and have sun and nice beaches

Then sit back and watch St Kilda sink into obscurity..

You seem keen on it. Great. Buy a 3 game membership and turn up to watch us play GWS, gold Coast and Tassie.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Sorry if I intrude, and I haven't heard anything official, but I honestly don't think it's going to be Perth, I honestly think it'll be Busselton. It makes too much sense.

• You can avoid perceptions of competition unfairness by the other team having a true 12th home game. While WCE/Freo would have a HGA in Busselton, it won't be as strong as Optus, and more palatable. It's arguably no different than North and Dogs playing in Canberra vs. Sydney back in the day when a lot of AFL fans in Canberra at the time were Sydney supporters.
• There's an airport there, you can charter a flight.
• Lets just assume with local government money or something North would be making the same money either way.
• It's still accessible for North and Perth fans who want to drive down. You could still give priority ticketing to WA based North fans ahead of locals, and still have enough tickets for locals.
• There's a model to temporarily upgrade a stadium for not that expensive an amount with what they've done with Mt Barker in Gather Round. They're looking to do it for the Barossa for future Gather Round events. This doesn't have to be a large infrastructure investment
• It is the fastest growing area of WA and the AFL will want to have a presence there strategically. Counting the Bunbury and wider Margaret River region, it's going to be far more critical that, if one or the other, this region (population 200,000 and growing faster in % terms than Perth) gets 1 AFL game as opposed to the 2.2 million population of Perth gets a 23rd game from the 22 it already hosts.
• I would assume that Busselton as a city council would actually want this game, as it justifies their spend in "activating" the region such as investing in the airport in the first place.
• WA government may actually prefer it to simply buying a Perth game, it encourages WA residents to spend their toursim dollars within WA by giving them a reason do drive down or stick around rather than flying off to Bali or whatever.
• If not in Busselton (though this is the more relevant tourism region) a lot of the arguments hold true for flying into Busselton, then driving 45 mins north to Bunbury to play the game there (with a bigger local population).