The Eternal Telstra Dome Question.

[Kerr=God]

Telstra Dome has been under the pump since day one for one thing or another.

Getting into the joint, the surface, the food, the surface, half the ground being invisible on tv when the roofs down for day games, the hardness of the turf, the surface...

Surely though, with blokes slipping over into contests and snapping limbs, the time has come for the players to stand up at the end of this season and say 'Thats it, do something to permanantly fix the situation, or we wont be playing there in 2007'.

And thats the worrying part. From my understanding of the situation, short of bulldozing the entire venue and starting again, there is very little that can be done to permantly fix the surface problems.

* What do you see as solutions?
* Who should be ultimately held accountable for this situation?
* Should the AFL of just upgraded the facilities at Waverley?
* Should the players play on the Dome in 2007?

 

[GoBackToVFL]

2000w halogens

rows and rows of them

on wheels

computer controlled

problem solved.

 

[raikkonen]

Telstra Dome has been under the pump since day one for one thing or another.

Getting into the joint, the surface, the food, the surface, half the ground being invisible on tv when the roofs down for day games, the hardness of the turf, the surface...

Surely though, with blokes slipping over into contests and snapping limbs, the time has come for the players to stand up at the end of this season and say 'Thats it, do something to permanantly fix the situation, or we wont be playing there in 2007'.

And thats the worrying part. From my understanding of the situation, short of bulldozing the entire venue and starting again, there is very little that can be done to permantly fix the surface problems.

* What do you see as solutions?
* Who should be ultimately held accountable for this situation?
* Should the AFL of just upgraded the facilities at Waverley?
* Should the players play on the Dome in 2007?

I know plenty of people that would love to play at Telstra Dome infront of 30,000+. Players will have to deal with it, they have no choice really.

 

[Kerr=God]

I know plenty of people that would love to play at Telstra Dome infront of 30,000+. Players will have to deal with it, they have no choice really.

Id love to play there too.

But not at the risk of breaking my leg, never playing again, and losing my source of income.

The players are professionals and have a right to expect a safe workplace as much as anyone else in the community.

Imagine if Matt Maguire was never able to play again, or lost his leg because of complications from the initial injury? The 'deal with it' defense wouldnt wash then im afraid. Its surely only a matter of time before a player is seriously injured and takes the Dome and the League to the cleaners.

 

[Embers]

Blow it up, we can use the ice rink Eddie made for Dancing with Ice, it appears a safer surface

 

[raikkonen]

Id love to play there too.

But not at the risk of breaking my leg, never playing again, and losing my source of income.

The players are professionals and have a right to expect a safe workplace as much as anyone else in the community.

Imagine if Matt Maguire was never able to play again, or lost his leg because of complications from the initial injury? The 'deal with it' defense wouldnt wash then im afraid. Its surely only a matter of time before a player is seriously injured and takes the Dome and the League to the cleaners.

True. The same argument could be made for any ground though... Shaun Rehn took SANFL and AFC to court for slipping on the centrecircle patch that has since been removed. But yeah, how hard could it have been to figure out whether the grass would grow well enough for AFL football in the arena's figuration when it was still in blue print stage. Some designer/architects hey???

 

[Kerr=God]

True. The same argument could be made for any ground though... Shaun Rehn took SANFL and AFC to court for slipping on the centrecircle patch that has since been removed. But yeah, how hard could it have been to figure out whether the grass would grow well enough for AFL football in the arena's figuration when it was still in blue print stage. Some designer/architects hey???

And thats where the buck should stop.

The desicion to approve the configuration had to be rubber stamped by someone.

 

[Brad-clare]

Telstra Dome is here to stay that is pretty obvious!

With modern technology surely there is someone out there who can solve the issues? That shold be the AFL biggest priority.

 

[Zesers]

Overseas they've got around the grass growing problem by using an artificial surface:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FieldTurf

 

[G-Mo77]

Telstra Dome has been under the pump since day one for one thing or another.

the food,

What the hell is wrong with the food? Nando's, Subway, Eagle Boys Pizza are all outside the ground and give you an option of buying a meal without the ludicrous inflation on it. So I don't buy from inside the ground.

Unlike the MCG the only option is buying it inside the ground or at those crappy Caravan's outside the ground, the food from there I wouldn't feed my dog. I went to Collingwood/Melbourne and had to pay $14 for a Burger/Chips and a Coke at the Red Rooster stall. I'll take food in there from now on.

I miss Princess Park/Optus Oval went there a few times and the sold Bratwurst's for $5 worth every cent!

 

[dodgyJim]

So Browny broke his leg.
IIRC, When he did it, he appeared to kick the back of his other leg and that threw him off balance, then Whelan(?) fell on his leg. Wouldn't say this is the fault of the dome surface.

Goose, busts his leg.
Did this have anything to do with the surface? I thought it was from Stenglein sliding into him in a contest situation.

Anyone got vid's of these two examples, I can't be ar$ed searching for them.

 

[sross]

Telstra Dome has been under the pump since day one for one thing or another.

Getting into the joint, the surface, the food, the surface, half the ground being invisible on tv when the roofs down for day games, the hardness of the turf, the surface...

Surely though, with blokes slipping over into contests and snapping limbs, the time has come for the players to stand up at the end of this season and say 'Thats it, do something to permanantly fix the situation, or we wont be playing there in 2007'.

And thats the worrying part. From my understanding of the situation, short of bulldozing the entire venue and starting again, there is very little that can be done to permantly fix the surface problems.

* What do you see as solutions?
* Who should be ultimately held accountable for this situation?
* Should the AFL of just upgraded the facilities at Waverley?
* Should the players play on the Dome in 2007?

I am sick of interstate supporters bagging Telstra Dome. Have you ever been there? If so how does it compare to Subiaco or AAMI stadium? Fair enough the surface needs fixing but the there are plenty of supporters who prefer Telstra Dome.
Getting in is a problem everywhere if you get there late and more so when the bottom 2 levels require a designated seat.
What's wrong with the food, no different to the MCG including prices and there is probably more variety, especially if you include the food shops on the concourse.
I fail to see what you mean by "half the ground being invisible on tv when the roofs down for day games". I have never had a problem not being able to see the ground on TV.
If you are at the ground you are much closer to the action than at the MCG. I am not trying to knock the MCG but TD is nowhere near what most people make it out to be.

Here is a post I put on the North board this week after our game at the MCG on Sunday. Most replies favoured the Dome over the MCG.

We have just had our one and only home game at the MCG, so what do the North supporters prefer. Forget the surface as we know that argument, which is better to watch the footy and for facilities.

I have had the same reserved seat at the MCG on level 2 between the forward pocket and the 50 metre line in the Southern stand, 4 rows from the front since we started having reserved seats at the G. My reserved seat at TD is on level 2 2 rows from the front on the 50 metre line. So they are pretty comparable.
1. Went into the Hassett bar, usually the meeting point for North supporters, the beer was warm.
2. The sun was directly in my eyes all day.
3. With the shade from the new stand on the northern side is was nearly impossible to tell one player from the other.
4. Went in the Hassett bar for one quick one at half time and was told, the only beer available was in the plastics pots instead of glass. Price $5.40 instead of $3.50, but we get a liitle more beer.
5. There was only one person working the bar. One was picking up glasses and the other was still on a break and returned 5 minutes into half time to find a long queue for drinks.
6. Sat down at a table to drink it only to be told to move outside as they wanted to set up for an after game function. They could not wait until after half time?
7. Two young guys sitting the front row near us had their feet on the concrete in front of them and were told by the black suited gestapo to take their feet down. I thought that was only banned on trains.
8. The same gestapo told a lady near us to pull her scarf off the front rail as it would be covering ground advertising. 9. At TD you are much closer to the game.
10. No food at all on that level you have to go downstairs.
11. The food prices at TD and the G are about the same, this has been a negative of TD put forward by some.


Maybe it was a lot better in the new stand but the G certainly does not match Telstra Dome from where I sit.

I would be interested to hear comments from other supporters who were there.

 

[Docc03]

I know blokes who can grow grass in a cupboard, so it cant be that hard

 

[Beckers]

2000w halogens

rows and rows of them

on wheels

computer controlled

problem solved.

Close! Might work on your hyge but not at TD!!!!
You need to get the soil to approx 14Deg celcius for the hybernating grass to grow (yes, grass hybernates in winter!).

So perhaps the halogens in combination with hydronic heating between the soil and the concrete??

 

[dodgyJim]

I know blokes who can grow grass in a cupboard, so it cant be that hard

 

[DonsRule]

So Browny broke his leg.
IIRC, When he did it, he appeared to kick the back of his other leg and that threw him off balance, then Whelan(?) fell on his leg. Wouldn't say this is the fault of the dome surface.

Goose, busts his leg.
Did this have anything to do with the surface? I thought it was from Stenglein sliding into him in a contest situation.

Anyone got vid's of these two examples, I can't be ar$ed searching for them.

Nathan Brown


Matt Maguire