News Simonds Stadium stage 3 redevelopment - Players Stand, big screen and new lights

[couchy555]

Poor old Melbourne coming back again. Id imagine they'll be a few Demon players having nightmares that week

 

[SJ]

According to a CatsInsider tweet replying to our BigFooty account, Bernie Leen Demolition now owns all the materials from the Wade Stand.

 

[CatAttack84]

According to a CatsInsider tweet replying to our BigFooty account, Bernie Leen Demolition now owns all the materials from the Wade Stand.

That's a mistake on the club's part if you ask me. They could've negotiated to obtain a certain percentage, and sell the pieces at a reasonable rate with a little certificate to say it was from the old stand. Every dollar in the club helps.

 

[newcs]

Is it true that there are people who bought seats in the Wade/Hickey stand when it was built in the 70's and kept that seat every year until now ?

 

[JUBJUB]

Is it true that there are people who bought seats in the Wade/Hickey stand when it was built in the 70's and kept that seat every year until now ?

I don't see why it wouldn't be true

 

[tiredcat]

From training session 20/1/2012 Street stand down most of seating removed from the Doug Wade stand

 

[The rabbi]

Is the stand going to change substantially in form considering the budget cuts and change of materials?

Will it look substantially different to the images first proposed?

When the Eastern Stand was built there were drawings of it on the "Australian stadiums" web page. I have seen nothing on the new budget stand.

 

[Geelong2k9]

Is it true that there are people who bought seats in the Wade/Hickey stand when it was built in the 70's and kept that seat every year until now ?

There would be.....in the Wade stand, the person I had my seat next to had been in the same seat since the late 80's.....as we had out last game there, she asked me to take a photo of her seat for her (seat #5 - Gary Ablett Sr. nut, would not give up the seat for that fact, despite her being part of the cheersquad for 20+ years as well). I printed it and sent it to her as a memento. I had 6 pretty good years in Bay 2 in the Wade Stand, will miss definately miss it.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Is the stand going to change substantially in form considering the budget cuts and change of materials?

Will it look substantially different to the images first proposed?

When the Eastern Stand was built there were drawings of it on the "Australian stadiums" web page. I have seen nothing on the new budget stand.

From what I've read I don't think the look is going to change just the bones of the stand will. Instead of being made from steel it is now going to be made of the cheaper concrete and it has lost 1000 seats

 

[HappyChappy35]

Instead of being made from steel it is now going to be made of the cheaper concrete and it has lost 1000 seats

Yep, doubt the design will be altered too drastically.
Regarding the shortfall of 1000 seats in the new stand, I have an idea- put more standing room in at KP and it could be accounted for (in fact, it may even boost the capacity by several thousand). Replace the 1000 or so 'free' seats in the Ablett terrace with standing room, make the southern terrace entirely standing area, and it could be done. A section in the new stand could then be set aside for those wanting the General Admission seats. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

 

[The rabbi]

Yep, doubt the design will be altered too drastically.
Regarding the shortfall of 1000 seats in the new stand, I have an idea- put more standing room in at KP and it could be accounted for (in fact, it may even boost the capacity by several thousand). Replace the 1000 or so 'free' seats in the Ablett terrace with standing room, make the southern terrace entirely standing area, and it could be done. A section in the new stand could then be set aside for those wanting the General Admission seats. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

I am sure that would make the members who hold those seats very happy.

 

[HappyChappy35]

I am sure that would make the members who hold those seats very happy.

Aren't there still 500-1000 or so seats they set aside in the Ablett/southern terrace for non-seat holders though (the General Admission seats you can get if you rock up early)? Although I haven't sat in the GA seats for about 7-8 years now I'm 100% certain they're still around, and if they aren't already used by seat holders they could just be converted into standing room (which actually means more could fit in).

 

[Russcats]

I am sure that would make the members who hold those seats very happy.

What about the displaced members from the Doug Wade Stand. What are the majority of them going to do this year. Take the year off and get foxtel?
I know at this point in Geelongs History, I would be loath to miss 2 seasons of what could be the greatest era of any team ever. They should have done the remaining stands when the Cats started falling down the ladder in 3 or 4 years time and considered the supporters who will miss this team in it's last tilts at immortality.

 

[vinum coupe]

You are kidding right?
You make hay while the sun shines.

As for Chappy, they'll never remove seats.

I'd love for the last stand (stage 4) to have standing room under it ala the great southern stand, but they'll never do it.

 

[HappyChappy35]

What about the displaced members from the Doug Wade Stand. What are the majority of them going to do this year. Take the year off and get foxtel?

I was talking about making more standing room for next season onwards (when the capacity will be increased), not this year with the reduced capacity.
Nonetheless, the outer needs to be retained IMO, even if it is only a small fraction of what it once was. Unfortunately I don't see this occurring, give it 5 years or so and it could be gone completely.
Still, if redevelopments etc. had never taken place, Kardinia Park would've gone the way of the dodo like all the other suburban grounds.

 

[CatAttack84]

Still, if redevelopments etc. had never taken place, Kardinia Park would've gone the way of the dodo like all the other suburban grounds.

Bingo! While I miss the old black scoreboard with yellow letters, and now the original RJ Hickey stand (my first VFL experience when i was kid I sat in there) etc. I know and accept that any changes/upgrades are for the good of the club and ground for the future of it down in Geelong.

I'll never forget that period when it was thrown around about us moving to the then Colonial Stadium when we were in a pretty bad state.

 

[HappyChappy35]

Bingo! While I miss the old black scoreboard with yellow letters, and now the original RJ Hickey stand (my first VFL experience when i was kid I sat in there) etc. I know and accept that any changes/upgrades are for the good of the club and ground for the future of it down in Geelong.

I'll never forget that period when it was thrown around about us moving to the then Colonial Stadium when we were in a pretty bad state.

In hindsight, staying at Kardinia Park whilst other Melbourne teams (notably Carlton, Footscray etc., who are now being screwed by dud stadium deals) ditched their home grounds and sold themselves out to Docklands/MCG; was not only a superb move from a business point of view, but it helped us grow and ensured our viability and future as a club. Personally I never believed for one second moving to Docklands would be a smart move, so good on the club (Cooky, Costa in particular) for keeping us in Geelong and growing us to where we are today.

 

[Monniehawk]

In hindsight, staying at Kardinia Park whilst other Melbourne teams (notably Carlton, Footscray etc., who are now being screwed by dud stadium deals) ditched their home grounds and sold themselves out to Docklands/MCG; was not only a superb move from a business point of view, but it helped us grow and ensured our viability and future as a club. Personally I never believed for one second moving to Docklands would be a smart move, so good on the club (Cooky, Costa in particular) for keeping us in Geelong and growing us to where we are today.

True!
And the irony is that the AFL, which sold Waverly and convinced all but The Cats to move, now has a free-agent stadium with the potential to lever better deals from the commercial stadium moguls who are screwing them at the moment.
They really have no option but to get behind the KP development or they will lose complete sovereignty of venues.
(Quiet s******....)

 

[kriso182]

CatsInsider posted this image on Twitter today;

 

[JUBJUB]

Looks like a concrete standing area now

 

[SJ]

Looks like a concrete standing area now

If we left it as is now, we'd save a lot of money and could fit even more people in.

 

[you pick one]

If we left it as is now, we'd save a lot of money and could fit even more people in.

That's still 200% better than when I first started going there the Fifties.

 

[Turbocat]

If we left it as is now, we'd save a lot of money and could fit even more people in.

If we left it as is now, we'd lose a lot of money because of no Platinum seat money.

 

[winty]

CatsInsider posted this image on Twitter today;

That looks like an old pic. Went past the ground this morning and the entire roof had been removed.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Wonder how having the Wade stand will effect game style. It did provide a little shelter against the wind at that end will be interesting to see how the games go this year