Waverley Park 40 years on.

[newcs]

It's 40 years since Waverley Park first opened when Geelong played Fitzroy on 18th April 1970. I think what's now left of the place was actually built some time after this opening.
Here's a 1970 photo of the place.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/21895325
Looks like the place is somewhere way out in the sticks, things have changed a lot since then.

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

I wonder if there many/any other 80k+ seater stadiums in the world that only lasted 30 odd years before being pulled down?

 

[Dennis]

geez, the freeway wasnt even built!

 

[Turkey Tom]

I was there that day. Can't remember too much about it though, besides Geelong winning (although I think Fitzroy won the Reserves game before hand).

There was a short article in the Age on the weekend that Doug Wade kicked 7 goals including the first goal of the game.

Wonder if the u/19s played before the Reserves, and who kicked the first ever goal there?

My main memory is just the vast size of it....and concrete, such a huge amount of concrete. Most of the seating was open to the weather (as can be seen by the OP's photo).

 

[Joelong]

A little off topic but I was just looking at the OP's link and I zoomed into the Google Images picture and I noticed that some of the new streets around Waverely all have Soccer names (Old Trafford Way, Tottenham Gr, Elland Pl, Manchester Pl, etc.) does anyone know why?

 

[The Swert]

A little off topic but I was just looking at the OP's link and I zoomed into the Google Images picture and I noticed that some of the new streets around Waverely all have Soccer names (Old Trafford Way, Tottenham Gr, Elland Pl, Manchester Pl, etc.) does anyone know why?

I think they are named after british stadiums, not just soccer eg Lords, Trent Bridge. Not sure why.

 

[memberforever]

Worst ground design ever, and worst place to watch a match in the history of the AFL. Glad it was pulled down.

 

[Sidebottom2Beams]

You never went to Windy Hill then, you froze your ass off at that place.But Waverley should have been built alot closer to the city but was a good money earner for the AFL

 

[Madtiger2006]

Worst ground design ever, and worst place to watch a match in the history of the AFL. Glad it was pulled down.

It was alot better than Western oval, Victoria park and Princess park

 

[Maddhew]

I remember seeing a few hawthorn games there with my uncle, hard wooden seats, cold concrete, massive grass car park and a dodgy video screen with a vfl logo above it

 

[ULTIMATE_WARRIOR]

Still miss the old days. There was a designated spot for St. Kilda members on the wing without having to pay an arm and leg for a reserved seat.....ah those were the days!!

Plus still miss the big V scoreboard. Was just a shame it was so far out of the city, took about an hour and a half to get there for me.

 

[galindez]

It was alot better than Western oval, Victoria park and Princess park

it was 100 times worse than princess and victoria parks. it was an ugly, barren dump way out in the boonies. i actually caught pneumonia after watching the saints beat the pies there on a viscously cold afternoon in the early nineties

 

[IanPurpie]

I remember seeing a few hawthorn games there with my uncle, hard wooden seats, cold concrete, massive grass car park and a dodgy video screen with a vfl logo above it

Sounds like Subiaco...

 

[Ant85]

Remember going there as a kid quite often.

It was a heck of a trip, but if the Pies were playing, we were there.

Good memories.

 

[kwame]

last time i was there was the essendon richmond night grand final........cat fight 2 rows behind me, was only young at the time

 

[tandino]

I think they are named after british stadiums, not just soccer eg Lords, Trent Bridge. Not sure why.

Because they were meant to be named after a selection of VFL/AFL champions, but the ponytailed marketing types thought that this move might have a negative impact on potential buyers (Essendon supporters living on "Daicos Avenue" or what have you)

There is a lot of nostalgia about VFL/Waverley Park, and I think it is pretty justified. In many respects, it's the backbone on which the successful national competition was built. It's a throwback to a simpler (better?) time, and despite it's drawbacks, it was sold before it's time was up. The recent shitfight with Collo and the push for a third Melbourne stadium proves that as fact.

Tinge of sadness that it's gone, but she ain't coming back. In many ways, the new estate is a great tribute to what was pulled down. A lot of concrete, and generally ugly.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

The AFL was wise to leave.

 

[DidakDelight]

It had a magnigicent atmosphere.

I remember the last time Collingwood and Calrton played there in Round 23 1992. The supporters were sitting in the aisles. It was windy and cold and the pies put the blues away in the last quarter after a tight struggle all day to deny them any chance of making the finals.

I also remember Daicos kicking 7 there to bury the blues in a final

 

[dan warna]

Was too cost effective to run.

St Kilda and Hawthorn were making comfortable revenue there and Vlad didn't like it.

Now we have Jihad Stadium which manages to make a loss even when full, and a surface that you might as well put land mines in, that the players hate to run on.

In the end handed a billion dollar block of land for a pittance.

 

[NQTIGER]

If the labour govt at the time had allowed sunday footy and built a light rail line from the waverley station, the VFL would have completed the stadium to its proposed 160,000 capacity, with the completed second tier across the outer side it would have been a magnificent stadium.

And we wouldnt be held to ransom by collins and co.

John Cain Allan Aylet have alot to answer for........

But the kiddies on here would probably be too young to remember, if we still had wavereley we wouldnt be so paranoid about the FIFA world cup

 

[who_let_the_dogs_out]

I remember seeing some old Footscray v Saints games out there... was always blowing a gale from memory. I was only a kid at the time.

Wasn't far from us at Clayton North... those were the days

 

[doodlefeatures]

I wonder if there many/any other 80k+ seater stadiums in the world that only lasted 30 odd years before being pulled down?

A lot of football/'cookie cutter' stadiums in the States didn't last much longer than 30 years: Giants Stadium, Riverfront Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, the Kingdome, the Hoosier Dome, Foxboro, The Vet, Texas Stadium

 

[Bell Ringer]

If the labour govt at the time had allowed sunday footy and built a light rail line from the waverley station, the VFL would have completed the stadium to its proposed 160,000 capacity, with the completed second tier across the outer side it would have been a magnificent stadium.

And we wouldnt be held to ransom by collins and co.

John Cain Allan Aylet have alot to answer for........

But the kiddies on here would probably be too young to remember, if we still had wavereley we wouldnt be so paranoid about the FIFA world cup

The train line was supposed to run down North rd/Wellington Rd from Huntingdale Station, past Monash Uni and on to Waverley - Still a slim a chance it might get built, but doubtful at this stage.

And blame Cain not Aylett. Cain didn't want the GF moving from the G cos he was a big supporter of the MCC, so did everything in his power to stop Waverley becoming a bigger and better stadium.

Also, is the main photo in the link a mirror image?? Seems to me the big reservoir and freeway (under construction) are facing the wrong way.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

A little off topic but I was just looking at the OP's link and I zoomed into the Google Images picture and I noticed that some of the new streets around Waverely all have Soccer names (Old Trafford Way, Tottenham Gr, Elland Pl, Manchester Pl, etc.) does anyone know why?

I think they are named after british stadiums, not just soccer eg Lords, Trent Bridge. Not sure why.

Named After sporting stdiums. Was originally going to be named after Hawtorn players, however, Mirvac was uncertain to whether or not it might make potential customers look elsewhere.

It is much like mirvac's other major estate The Heath (next door to Kingston Heath Golf Club). Names Such as St Andrews Drive

 

[DamoESP]

I've only ever been to Waverley once when I was about 6 and don't remember anything of it, but from looking at that photo, it looks like it was originaly built into the ground? So the Oval was lower than the carpark around it etc?