The Hawks At Princes Park

[Bluelegs]

I've always been fascinated by the fact that Bob Menzies had his own ramp at Princes Park so he could park his Bentley on it and watch the footy in comfort.

Do you reckon he honked his horn when the Blues kicked a goal?

 

[Goggin Our Best]

One thing i allways like about Princess Park ( because i didnt see one single victory their - even Fitzroy beat us their a couple of times 89 and 91 from memory )

But going to the ground - and i wasnt familiar with the area - so i never had a good look around etc - but just walking briskly to the ground - it was a lovely parkland setting - with plenty of trees - and in that setting there was another oval - because i can remember one time i went - there was another game in progress on that oval

 

[Father Jack]

Do you reckon he honked his horn when the Blues kicked a goal?

I bet if he did it would've played God Save The Queen

 

[windyhill]

I miss the experience of travelling to real homegrounds of clubs here. I treasure I caught the period before it all ended in ground rationalisation where the sameness of it all now has it reduced to only be able to treasure the walk to MCG through the very parks where they game was created.

Going to Windy Hill, Moorabin, Arden Street, Junction Oval, Western Oval, Victoria Park, Kardinia Park and VFL Park was not always comfortable or cozy but the actual experience of each ground with each it's own nuances, quirks and character was full of football community character too that just do not have anymore. Even went to The Parade in Norwood in early 80's with the same experience that it had it's own feel that each club used to have

Agreed. You would even have your own spots at the away grounds. I remember the scoreboard at Princes Park, each team in their team colours and the scoreboard bloke was lightning quick, he’d have the score up while the ball was in mid air.

 

[raymond35]

One thing i allways like about Princess Park ( because i didnt see one single victory their - even Fitzroy beat us their a couple of times 89 and 91 from memory )

But going to the ground - and i wasnt familiar with the area - so i never had a good look around etc - but just walking briskly to the ground - it was a lovely parkland setting - with plenty of trees - and in that setting there was another oval - because i can remember one time i went - there was another game in progress on that oval

It was a graveyard for opposing teams alright.
I saw 1 win and 6 losses for the Pies there.
Similarly I have never seen my team win a game at Marvel.

 

[raymond35]

I miss the experience of travelling to real homegrounds of clubs here. I treasure I caught the period before it all ended in ground rationalisation where the sameness of it all now has it reduced to only be able to treasure the walk to MCG through the very parks where they game was created.

Going to Windy Hill, Moorabin, Arden Street, Junction Oval, Western Oval, Victoria Park, Kardinia Park and VFL Park was not always comfortable or cozy but the actual experience of each ground with each it's own nuances, quirks and character was full of football community character too that just do not have anymore. Even went to The Parade in Norwood in early 80's with the same experience that it had it's own feel that each club used to have

It was fantastic stuff growing up in that 70s and 80s era, there were still 11 vfl grounds going, and we only just missed Glenferrie, Punt road and Brunswick Street .
Went to Brunswick Street for the first time ever recently, it's so hard to believe it was a vfl venue relatively recently.

 

[footyfan1978]

It was fantastic stuff growing up in that 70s and 80s era, there were still 11 vfl grounds going, and we only just missed Glenferrie, Punt road and Brunswick Street .
Went to Brunswick Street for the first time ever recently, it's so hard to believe it was a vfl venue relatively recently.

I missed out on seeing Lake Oval as Swans already relocated before I started going to matches. That is one I wish I had found a way of seeing what it was like. The other three you mentioned were long gone so never was even close but walked around Glenferrie oval last year to see what it like. It has some connection to old East Melbourne Football Ground from reading but cannot remember what it was right now. I think one of old stands might have been relocated to there. I will have to visit Brunswick Street Oval and see what it like soon.

 

[What else we can do]

Agreed. You would even have your own spots at the away grounds. I remember the scoreboard at Princes Park, each team in their team colours and the scoreboard bloke was lightning quick, he’d have the score up while the ball was in mid air.

Yes I remember that lol

 

[Hoops]

I think that was a very nice gesture by Carlton. This was Carltons number one ticket holder, and he served his country for many years as prime minister as well.

It was Carltons own way of paying tribute to a great Carlton man and great Australian imo.

A bit elitist if you ask me.

 

[Hoops]

Would love to see AFL footy in Bendigo region at some point.

I'm not sure the QEO is up to it. it would have similar shape to Kardinia Park, but little parking. They would have to play it out in Strathfieldsaye way

 

[footyfan1978]

I'm not sure the QEO is up to it. it would have similar shape to Kardinia Park, but little parking. They would have to play it out in Strathfieldsaye way

I do not know where but they need to find a suitable venue to develop in the region to host some big football matches.
There a lot of football goers in that region and around Shepparton and the Murray River towns like Echuca that would travel there to see matches.
Massive potential in my eyes.

 

[footyfan1978]

Agreed. You would even have your own spots at the away grounds. I remember the scoreboard at Princes Park, each team in their team colours and the scoreboard bloke was lightning quick, he’d have the score up while the ball was in mid air.

yeah, that was nuts how quickly they could adjust the scores. Almost eerie.

 

[master bate]

I actually think a smaller version of Adelaide Oval - 30-35k with a grass hill at one end based in Melbourne would be an incredible venue for footy. And incredibly well supported by the public.

Princess Park would work perfectly given the bushy surrounds and the long running public transport problems to that area are about to be solved with the new underground rail loop station servicing Melbourne Uni. You could just imagine a modern two sided stand with bars onto the park precinct right next to Melbourne Uni etc...

Arden St would also work fantastically given it has it's own $400m underground station and they are about to spend billions redeveloping the general precinct.

They are the two obvious sites of a 3rd boutique Melbourne Stadium imo given the $12b that's been spent on the Underground Rail loop and about to be completed in the next 18 months.

The new Melb Uni train station doesn't really solve the Princes Park transport issue. That station is still a fairly long walk from the ground. Royal Park station is much closer already. But I guess it does help. Means packed trams only have to go a few stops rather than all the way back to the city.

It does make sense as the 3rd biggest stadium though and it's absolutely ridiculous that they built the new training facilities out in to what should be fans viewing areas. Especially on the North West side which is the best angle to watch footy from.

If they didn't decide they needed 5 different changerooms, a crazy number of office spaces and a fancy board room they could already be more advanced in actually knocking down some of the crappy old stands and replacing them with a nice hill and some smaller more modern stands.

Ardern St is an option but the current oval is too landlocked to really get a good sized boutique ground. And then if you're taking from the community space in the expansion you're kind of ruining the value of the expansion.

 

[Sphynx]

The new Melb Uni train station doesn't really solve the Princes Park transport issue. That station is still a fairly long walk from the ground. Royal Park station is much closer already. But I guess it does help. Means packed trams only have to go a few stops rather than all the way back to the city.

It does make sense as the 3rd biggest stadium though and it's absolutely ridiculous that they built the new training facilities out in to what should be fans viewing areas. Especially on the North West side which is the best angle to watch footy from.

If they didn't decide they needed 5 different changerooms, a crazy number of office spaces and a fancy board room they could already be more advanced in actually knocking down some of the crappy old stands and replacing them with a nice hill and some smaller more modern stands.

Ardern St is an option but the current oval is too landlocked to really get a good sized boutique ground. And then if you're taking from the community space in the expansion you're kind of ruining the value of the expansion.

It’s not really landlocked.

The current draft plan of the government Arden Precinct development is the compulsory acquisition of about 20 business’ the deletion of multiple streets to combine the oval into one large park precinct.

There’s definitely issues on the Macaulay Road side regarding room to the wing, but there’s many similar examples of world stadiums overcoming similar issues, they have built multiple stages over Warrunjuri way and half of the level crossing removal projects station redevelopments are built on structural decks that are over/abutting roads.

 

[footyfan1978]

Where is the old scoreboard now?

I remember the old MCG scoreboard went to Canberra at Manuka Oval but have no idea where this one is.

 

[Breretonisahood]

I missed out on seeing Lake Oval as Swans already relocated before I started going to matches. That is one I wish I had found a way of seeing what it was like. The other three you mentioned were long gone so never was even close but walked around Glenferrie oval last year to see what it like. It has some connection to old East Melbourne Football Ground from reading but cannot remember what it was right now. I think one of old stands might have been relocated to there. I will have to visit Brunswick Street Oval and see what it like soon.

Lake Oval was full of embittered old South supporters jaded by years of their team being rubbish. Once an old bloke threatened to drop a hot dog boiler over my head because I yelled out that Graham Teasdale was an overrated umpires pet.

 

[Blues177]

A Glenferrie Oval game played the year before the Hawks moved to Princes Park.

 

[Blues177]

Lake Oval was full of embittered old South supporters jaded by years of their team being rubbish. Once an old bloke threatened to drop a hot dog boiler over my head because I yelled out that Graham Teasdale was an overrated umpires pet.

Wes Lofts wanted to recruit him.

Jezza said "no"

 

[master bate]

It’s not really landlocked.

The current draft plan of the government Arden Precinct development is the compulsory acquisition of about 20 business’ the deletion of multiple streets to combine the oval into one large park precinct.

There’s definitely issues on the Macaulay Road side regarding room to the wing, but there’s many similar examples of world stadiums overcoming similar issues, they have built multiple stages over Warrunjuri way and half of the level crossing removal projects station redevelopments are built on structural decks that are over/abutting roads.

The new oval seems very much designed to be a community facility though. I don't think it would be looked on as favourably if it suddenly had 20k seats around it. The big selling point to allow North to access that land is that they are going to use it respectfully as a community asset when tens of thousands of new apartments spring up in that area.

The current oval you've got your mostly new facilities on one side which would have to be torn down or build over/around. The natural treed embankments at either end that people wouldn't be happy to see go. Which then leaves the Macaulay road wing. Yes it's possible to build up and over but that's a lot of money and a lot of angry residents who just went from a lovely view across the oval to staring at the backside of a stadium stand.

Carlton already has stands to refurbish and a pathway to getting back to a boutique stadium if they stop stuffing around by building facilities that take up boundary space.

I don't think there's any capacity to expand big enough to start talking men's games but the Saints have done a fantastic job at Linton St and have probably set the baseline for Victorian clubs for new AFLW venues.

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

A good article here on John Boyd aka The Peanut Man. John was a Carlton fan but he would be seen at Victoria Park, and the other footy grounds around Melbourne as well.

The Peanut Man, Carlton and me

For years he graced the terraces of virtually every inner-city footy ground and he remains, to those of us old enough to remember, a football icon.

www.carltonfc.com.au

 

[windyhill]

A good article here on John Boyd aka The Peanut Man. John was a Carlton fan but he would be seen at Victoria Park, and the other footy grounds around Melbourne as well.

The Peanut Man, Carlton and me

For years he graced the terraces of virtually every inner-city footy ground and he remains, to those of us old enough to remember, a football icon.

www.carltonfc.com.au

Every game before Dad and I left for Windyhill, Mum would hand me 20 cents to bring her a bag of peanuts home.

 

[Breretonisahood]

A Glenferrie Oval game played the year before the Hawks moved to Princes Park.

Great game to watch even after all these years. 1973 was the year a 21 yo Lethal really announced himself. 41 possies and 11.3 against Essendon earlier in 73 and a great performance in this game against the reigning premier Carlton.

 

[footyfan1978]

Great game to watch even after all these years. 1973 was the year a 21 yo Lethal really announced himself. 41 possies and 11.3 against Essendon earlier in 73 and a great performance in this game against the reigning premier Carlton.

Boooo...Terrible result but fun to see all the same. A time with no interchange at all. Just Reserves come on and whom off it out of the match.
Also, sounds like they used the same football from start to finish desite mud etc.

 

[qman]

Princess park had the title of Melbournes or the leagues second biggest ground after the MCG as well.

Nice ground.

Famous for the Egypian Aiyda that was held at Princess park in 1989 and 1990.

Along with that drawn boxing match Fenech and Nelson way back in 1990.

Nice place there just needs some work on the heros stand and gardner stand in which i feel is heritage listed just needs some work on to it.

The rest of the ground is great now a days.

Easy to get around and a heap of food and drink outlets too.

Like to see an AFL match for points played there.

Be a great ground in 2 years time if they canf ix up the other half of the ground.

Wish Collingwood had the same at Vic Park in which that too has improved alot as well.

Still like Vic Park to be more full time venue now a days its bit here and there and looks depressing when nothing is on there during the week and a bit derilict.

Still Pies have the $ then they can invest into it i guess.

I really like Ikon myself been a Pies man the staff there are friendly and easy.

Nelson stopped Fenech at Princes Park. I was there. The draw was their previous meeting in Vegas.

 

[windyhill]

Nelson stopped Fenech at Princes Park. I was there. The draw was their previous meeting in Vegas.

Yes, spot on. Kosta Tszyu on the undercard.