AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Spot on!
The figures justify a third Oval stadium for Melbourne. And if you're talking about Waverley, successive state governments stymied the AFL's attempts to develop it's own ground and forced them back to the MCG, and eventually Etihad.
No mate. The new rectangular stadium is a beauty and as others have said caps off a fantastic sporting precinct right next to the Melbourne CBD.
I do however totally agree that not being compatible for the soccer World Cup is a bloody disgrace of the highest order.
This debate is about government funding for stadiums. If full government funding is justified for a stadium for 4 teams drawing average 15000 crowds, then full government funding is certainly justified for 3 stadiums for 9 teams averaging 40000 crowds. However the government contributed less than one sixth of the cost of the MCG and nil to Docklands, the rest being paid by our game. To square things up and make it fair. the government would need to pay off the MCG debt, buy out Etihad and build a new 30000 seat oval stadium ( preferably where Olympic Park now stands), but it's not as if our game will ever be treated fairly.
With the seats configured for soccer, the views at Etihad are apparently fantastic, according to Kevin Muscat http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/being-close-to-fans-a-real-thrill-20091128-jy1m.html. So soccer gets to choose between one stadium paid for by the government and another paid for by the AFL and get subsidised rates at both.
These are all small bickies in comparison- under $10m for training facilities and all up about $20m for Kardinia Park, compared with $280m for the new soccer and rugby stadium - are you getting the picture?
But still better than the main soccer stadiums of many European and South American countries that share their facilities with athletics tracks. Nevertheless, in Victoria we had to build theTaj Mahal of soccer stadiums to satisfy the arrogant demands of the shrieking minority who follow that sport (and its private owners).
I am quite happy to enjoy a diversity of sports including rugby (union) and soccer am very happy for others to do so as well, but I want those sports to pay a fair share of their own way and not get a free taxpayer funded ride when my preferred sport of football is dudded left right and centre when it comes to government funding.
I'm hardly a union man - I've been to 3 tests. What has always amused me is the cannibalistic way rugby people of both codes hate each other with such a passion. I certainly don't hate league the way you hate union, but it does seem to me to be "rugby lite" or "rugby for dummies".
Jesus mate fair go ....rational posts are frowned upon by the insular AFL fans.Mmmm. so the current millions that all level of governments are pumping into training facilities at North Melbourne, Carlton or the Western Bulldogs is not a fair share?
Not to mention a donation of a prime peice of land in the Docklands to build a stadium that will ultimately be owned by the AFL without outlaying a cent.
Rugby League, Union and Soccer were entitled to receive funding for a purpose built stadium just like the AFL clubs have been happy to put their hands out for funds to improve their training facilities.
DST
If it was a rational post. You can't compare docklands a fully private funded stadium that needed the AFL on board before it was to be built, to a free tax-payer funded stadium with cosy deals for the tenants. You could add up all the funding by state government on the the AFL clubs over the last 10 years and it would not come close to the $300m this stadium costs
