Western Bulldogs and their partnership with Ballarat a success

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West of Ballarat is the entire southern hemisphere, until you come around and hit Footscray again. That's the catchment area we should be aiming for. Mauritius, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Polynesia. Potential Bulldog supporters ripe for the picking. Need a marketing poster campaign in South America of Pele and Maradona portraits crossed out and Bont standing in front of them, arms folded.

Or maybe this:

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The Mayor of Ballarat, Councilor Des Hudson recently was reported in the Herald Sun two days ago stating that the planning for the next stage development of Mars Stadium was now well advanced with work set to start in the middle of this year. This seems to fit with my response that I gave to another forumer a few weeks ago on another thread about when we would likely see the expansion of the ground commence. I stated to him that it wouldn't occur at least until after the May State Budget. This seems to have now been confirmed. It seems that I was also accurate with my prediction that the stadium will be expanded in its next stage of development from a capacity of 11,000 to 16,000. This means that we will most likely see the loss of about two thirds of the existing main hill to a new stand and the shifting of the earth from the existing hill to create a new Southern standing hill in place of where the existing video score board is that will join up with the existing old score board hill. I do hope that they will address two key issues during this major upgrade. The first would be to fully upgrade the lighting to something akin to Ikon Park or the VU Whitten Oval, and secondly that they will finally address the railway platform which every major business group and the council in Ballarat have been advocating for since the stadium was first established in 2017.

I am informed that the Ballarat Council have been secretly sitting on the current plans for the stadium for some time since the Comm Games were cancelled last July. The CEO of the "Committee for Ballarat" Michael Poulton reluctantly admitted this a few months ago during a Senate Estimates enquiry into the Cancellation of the Commonwealth Games, stating that he had seen the plans for the stadium for both during and after the Games and that they were big and that he had seriously doubted that both could be achieved within the $150 million budget allocated for the Games.

Of course Athletics Victoria are also pushing for a "Level 1 Competition" athletics venue to be established at the old Showgrounds and this will be part of the overall build. It seems that Athletics Victoria aren't completely happy with the existing facility at Albert Park which they get locked out of for four weeks every year when the area is closed off during the Grand Prix.

We can expect all to be revealed around the middle of the year when the next stage is finally announced and funded.

Mars Stadium Ballarat after the 2026 Comm Games (Concept) (1).PNG
Above: It's an old drawing that I created over 12 months ago on how I predicted that MS would look after Comm Games ... provided they get the gold plating of beefed up lights and a railway platform. It is likely that the new stand will now be built on the other side of the ground around where the scoreboards are. Obviously the Midland Highway won't be widened for some time and the train platform is very much still up in the air.:think:


A copy of the HS report is as follows:

January 11, 2024 - 10:00AM​

Mars Stadium set to have work started in the middle of year and it won’t impact sport​

City of Ballarat mayor Des Hudson has revealed where the upgrades on Mars Stadium now sit after the Commonwealth Games were cancelled. And there’s good news for local AFL fans.

The proposed upgrades to Ballarat’s Mars Stadium promised by the Victorian Government could start by the end of this year.
City of Ballarat mayor Des Hudson told Herald Sun that works will still be completed despite the state government withdrawing its hosting rights for the 2026 Commonwealth Games across regional Victoria.

As part of the deal, Mars Stadium will have 5000 seats built, extending the capacity from 11,000 to 16,000.

There will also be an athletics track built on the Ballarat Showgrounds site.

Other projects include upgrading Ballarat’s train station, building 60km of mountain bike trails in Creswick and the new sporting facility at Miners Rest and upgrading the showcourt at Selkirk Stadium.

Hudson said all projects were on track to be finished by 2026.

“My expectation is that it will be delivered by 2026 as planned,” he said. “Our commitment with the state government and their commitment to us is the infrastructure will be built within exactly the same timeline (as the Commonwealth Games).”

He also has his word from new Premier Jacinta Allen.

“From my conversation with the Premier, prior to her being the Premier when she was still Deputy Premier, I met her over in Bendigo and we were talking candidly about the Commonwealth Games,” he said. “Her commitment to me and she looked me in the eye was we will absolutely deliver those infrastructure projects.”

Mars Stadium is expected to start being upgraded this year.

“We expect from the end of June, Development Victoria will take over management of the site to begin construction of the athletics facility and also the 5000-seat extension,” Hudson said. Hudson revealed the previous design of the stadium, to accommodate the Commonwealth Games, would have forced the Western Bulldogs to play elsewhere for at least a season.

But it is now not the case. "There will now be very little disruptions with the build in terms of the playing surface,” Hudson said. “Unlike in preparation for the Commonwealth Games where a track would have had to he played on the surface, that would have disrupted pretty much a whole season, there should be no disruption to the AFL, AFLW schedule and even Western United when they come to play.”

The Western Bulldogs will play two matches at Ballarat this upcoming AFL season against Gold Coast and GWS in rounds two and 24 respectively
 
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Roogal said:
2023 was essentially the fifth season in Ballarat (with crowds allowed). The broader mood is positive and there was a strong positive reaction by supporters to the recent stadium upgrades that were done during the pandemic when full crowds were allowed back for the 2022 season. Nobody is expecting any serious announcements on the next major upgrade until at least next year's State Budget. 2025 will likely be when you will see the next round of significant upgrading in Ballarat begin (12-18 months out before the next State election). The State Government have lost a lot of credibility in the country by cancelling the Comm Games and each of the major regional cities will hold the government to their word of delivering the facility upgrades that they promised. Nobody is more aware of that than the State Member for East Bendigo (The Premier herself). :think: To put it kindly, they have a lot of promises to make good on by the November 2026 State election.

Anybody of influence in Ballarat is advocating for the construction of the train station adjacent to Mars (Eureka) Stadium and are insisting that the promised construction of an international standard level 1 athletics competition field at the old Showgrounds and the expansion of Mars Stadium to 16,000 must be accompanied by a vital piece of public transport infrastructure. i.e. The Events Platform at Mars Stadium. :thumbsu:

I maintain to all of those who insist that the Western Bulldogs should play all of their home games in Melbourne that you need to get a grip of reality. Your team is not an AFL powerhouse. It's not a Collingwood, Richmond, Carlton or Essendon. Like all of the smaller teams in Melbourne (Saint Kilda, North Melbourne and Melbourne) the Bulldogs have to sell two or three home games per season in order to make money. The reality for the Bulldogs is that you have been blessed by not having to sell your games interstate where there is significant travel and accommodation expense for those "Die Hards" who commit to travel. Your "Die Hards" only have to travel an hour and a half out of Melbourne twice a year and can do so by easily with little expense car or train. As a North Melbourne supporter I honestly wish that I had your problem. Your "Die Hards" aren't paying expensive air fares or hotel/motel fees to see the two home games that you aren't playing in Melbourne. Heavens, our club plays three, sometimes four home games in bloody Hobart every season. At most we only get to see eight home games in Melbourne every season, and most of those are at bloody 5 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. :( Trust me, you lot have nothing at all to whinge about.

Consider, it could be a damn sight worse. Think instead about how lucky your club is. :thumbsu::)

Anyway, enough said on that. I wish all forumers here a happy, safe and prosperous new year. I wish your team every on field success (Except against my team ;)) and I look forward to engaging with you all throughout 2024.

Peace and love everyone Roogal :north:
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Absolutely agree, having an easily day trippable road trip there and back is far superior to cairns darwin and hobart and canberra, and seemingly lands us in a better financial position. Yknow you're pretty switched on for a North fan?
 

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Option B makes most sense I think
 

Western Bulldogs set to unleash their support across Ballarat​

Ballarat Courier:
By Melanie Whelan
Updated February 20 2024 - 4:24pm

WESTERN Bulldogs will keep training to their spiritual kennel in Footscray in a bid to pack in as much community time as they can in Ballarat. The Bulldogs' men's playing squad is set to arrive in town after completing a morning training session at Whitten Oval on Wednesday, February 21. They have a practice hit-out scheduled against Hawthorn, back at Whitten Oval as part of a season launch party on Friday.

This means Ballarat must wait another month to see the Bulldogs in action on our turf. The first of two Bulldogs AFL premiership season games on Mars Stadium will be against the now Damien Hardwick-led Gold Coast Suns on March 24. Season 2024 is the last year of the existing Western Bulldogs partnership with City of Ballarat but Dogs' chief executive Ameet Bains has continued to assure ongoing development for the Bulldogs' community programs in the region, focusing on youth leadership, children's literacy and men's and women's health.

As has become a pre-season tradition, the Bulldogs will launch the Ballarat-exclusive literacy program Bulldogs Read while in town. The program, run via Ballarat Libraries, will boast a record nine schools and more than 160 children sharing book reviews with participating players.

Football coaches from across the region will have a chance to learn from the Dogs in an interactive drills session on City Oval with the help of Greater Western Victoria Rebels. Bulldogs' football operations general manager Matthew Egan, a former Cat, and backline coach Daniel Pratt, West Coast's former AFLW coach, will lead the free session alongside AFL Goldfields for coaches of junior and senior ranks.

Bulldogs' players will be sharing their skills with packs of junior footballers across the region with more than 250 Auskickers signed up for a super clinic with about a dozen Bulldogs at City Oval on Wednesday. A further 11 junior clubs will have player visits for training on the same night.

Some AFLW footballers will also join school visits on Thursday to ensure the Bulldogs can reach 36 primary schools and seven secondary schools across the city. At least three Bulldogs will also make the trip along the Western Freeway for clinics in Ararat.

Ballarat members, supporters and those merely intrigued can also attend a free, live panel discussion with Bulldogs' chief executive Ameet Bains, head coach Luke Beveridge and captain Marcus Bontempelli at The Goods Shed (Below) on Wednesday evening. The trio will be in conversation with Committee for Ballarat chief executive Michael Poulton.

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I was led to believe numbers were limited and we had to register for the event at the goods shed tonight🤷‍♂️
 

'Productive talks' underway to keep Ballarat a Bulldogs city beyond 2024​

Melanie Whelan

By Melanie Whelan (Ballarat Courier)
February 21 2024 - 5:34pm

Western Bulldogs head coach Luke Beveridge says his list is shaping up well and he can hardly wait to show this in round two action at Mars Stadium. Inset, six-year-old Zach Wilson tests his skills ahead of an Auskick Super Clinic at City Oval on February 21, 2024. Pictures by Lachlan Bence

Western Bulldogs head coach Luke Beveridge says his list is shaping up well and he can hardly wait to show this in round two action at Mars Stadium. Inset, six-year-old Zach Wilson tests his skills ahead of an Auskick Super Clinic at City Oval on February 21, 2024. Pictures by Lachlan Bence

WESTERN Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains says the club has an "unflinching intention" to be in Ballarat beyond 2024.
The Bulldogs are in the final year of a contract extension with City of Ballarat and the Victorian Government to claim Ballarat as 'Dogs' territory, including hosting duties for at least two AFL games on Mars Stadium each season. Mr Bains said "productive discussions" to stay in town had already begun and he expected to locked these down more formally in coming weeks.
He said this does not change, given the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games for regional Victoria.

Ballarat's Mars Stadium had been pegged to house the Games' athletics program. This was to bring an extra 5000 seats to Mars Stadium - a promise expected to still stand, despite deadlines being less clear. Mr Bains said the Bulldogs' had long-term commitment to playing in Ballarat and, while disappointing for the city to not host the Games, said this should make for less disruptions to AFL plans.

The 2024 season marks the Bulldogs' ninth year of staking their claim in Ballarat and eighth season playing for premiership points on Mars. At the same time, Mr Bains has long maintained the partnership was far greater than an adopted kennel to use a couple of times a year during the AFL premiership season.

The Bulldogs have a suit of community development programs, from children's literacy, youth and Indigenous leadership to holistic well-being and business networking events. "We have an unflinching intention to be in Ballarat and we want it to feel genuine," Mr Bains said.

Western Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains says the club has an 'unflinching intention' to be in Ballarat. Picture by Lachlan Bence

Western Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains says the club has an 'unflinching intention' to be in Ballarat. Picture by Lachlan Bence

The Bulldogs are based in Ballarat for a two-day AFL Community Camp. Players arrived after a training session at their Whitten Oval base in Footscray. While the club will not host a training session or intra-club hit-out in town, players will be kept busy with school and community visits. This included a hospital visit on Wednesday, while Indigenous stars Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Arthur Jones spent a low-key afternoon hanging out with St Patrick's College's Indigenous students.

More than 260 children took part in an AFL Auskick super clinic at City Oval on Wednesday afternoon. "It looks tremendous," Mr Bains said. "Obviously being a country boy myself [from Bendigo] I know young kids live for their heroes to come to town and the opportunity to interact with players."

Western Bulldogs will officially launch their 2024 AFL season at Whitten Oval on Friday, February 23. This will include the Bulldogs' first inter-club hit-out for the summer against Hawthorn. The Bulldogs will open their season against Melbourne at the MCG on March 17. They will land on Mars a week later, March 24, to host Gold Coast Suns.

The 'Dogs are also set to return later this year to Mars for a final round clash against Greater Western Sydney in August.
 

Western Bulldogs visit has young 'tales' wagging for exclusive event​

Melanie Whelan

By Melanie Whelan (Ballarat Courier)
Updated February 22 2024 - 5:36pm

Napoleons grade two pupil Summer outmarks Western Bulldog [PLAYERCARD]Laitham Vandermeer[/PLAYERCARD] at her school on Thursday, February 22. Picture by Lachlan Bence

Napoleons grade two pupil Summer outmarks Western Bulldog Laitham Vandermeer at her school on Thursday, February 22. Picture by Lachlan Bence

WESTERN Bulldogs star Adam Treloar enjoys a good book and says it is an important skill to share a good tale with others.
Treloar was one of five Bulldogs taking centre stage for the annual Bulldogs Read launch, which boasts a record nine schools and 161 pupils set to share book reviews. There was plenty of footy talk and Taylor Swift chat - children were quick to note Treloar and teammate Jason Johannisen were sporting Swift-trend friendship bracelets.

For the child who wanted to check if they were a Weetbix Kid - Johannisen prefers coffee in the morning and Treloar is all about Fruit Loops. But the program launch was primarily about getting participants excited to read. Turns out, Treloar is a lectiophile, too.

Sebastopol grade five Brock has a chat with Bulldogs' star [PLAYERCARD]Adam Treloar[/PLAYERCARD], who says it is great to chat more individually with young fans. Picture by Melanie Whelan

Sebastopol grade five Brock has a chat with Bulldogs' star Adam Treloar, who says it is great to chat more individually with young fans. Picture by Melanie Whelan

"I just think being able to come out here and speak to kids is great," Treloar said. "A lot of the time when an individual comes and talks it's to a big group. It's nice to speak more one-on-one. "In my experience at school, I liked reading and socialising about books. Personally, I think it's really important."

This is Treloar's second season in the Bulldogs Read program. Johannisen is a new recruit to the program in which players will share video calls with participants to talk about what they are reading.

Bulldogs Read is exclusive to Ballarat.

Sebastopol primary's grade 5/6 class literacy levels improved in 2023, the school's first year in the program, from only one-quarter of the class reading and writing at level or above to only two children working below level by the year's end. When The Courier visited the class, most pupils had been surprised that footballers read books.

Western Bulldogs footballers Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Rylie Wilcox, Heidi Woodley and [PLAYERCARD]Jason Johannisen[/PLAYERCARD] talk books with more than 150 pupils on February 22, 2024. Picture by Lachlan Bence

Western Bulldogs footballers Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Rylie Wilcox, Heidi Woodley and Jason Johannisen talk books with more than 150 pupils on February 22, 2024. Picture by Lachlan Bence

Sebastopol Primary School principal Michelle Wilson said seeing role models up close and reading books was so important for children and she was proud Sebastopol was back in the program for a second year. "This is great promotion for sustained reading, without judgement," Ms Wilson said. "This promotes picking up a book and relaxing a bit - a book can take you to another world."

Western Bulldogs AFL players Kristie-Lee Weston-Tuner, Rylie Wilcox and Heidi Woodley meet St Alipius readers Goldie, Summer and Norah at the Bulldogs Read launch on February 22, 2024. Picture by Melanie Whelan

Western Bulldogs AFL players Kristie-Lee Weston-Tuner, Rylie Wilcox and Heidi Woodley meet St Alipius readers Goldie, Summer and Norah at the Bulldogs Read launch on February 22, 2024. Picture by Melanie Whelan

Western Bulldogs' AFLW recruit Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner has plenty of reading ahead of her while juggling year 12 with her football. "My school is really flexible...I'm blessed. The club is aware of my school work and my school is aware of football so in the pre-season I am where I need to be," Weston-Turner said.

"It's great meeting all the kids here and they're so excited. "I do have a lot of reading when I'm at school and it's hard to find time to read for fun but I enjoyed reading growing up." Weston-Turner was joined by AFLW teammates Rylie Wilcox and Heidi Woodley for the launch.

Bulldogs Read launch was part of a two-day AFL Community Camp in Ballarat. This featured a bumper program of school visits on Thursday, February 22.
 

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I attended the Q&A on Wed night with Bains, Beveridge and Bont. It was a q&a in the sense that the presenter asked curated questions that were a mandatory requirement to register.
Mine wasn't one of them, suspect because it was too specific to game plan.
Look they all spoke well, Bevo seems back in his 2016 Groove, Bont is possibly the most impressive public speaker we've ever had as a player.
Ultimately though, a lot of it was just what people want to hear.
Exceptions were Bont referring to how he manages pre-game "arousal" - I know what he was trying to say, but he said the word arousal about half a dozen times, which I thought was funny. He certainly seemed to enjoy using the word a lot!
Also a question to Bevo regarding which opponent will be the biggest challenge this year - he gave a long-winded answer that was basically "Brisbane", which then extended into a long tangent about working with Fagan at Hawthorn, why Fagan is such a great bloke, blah, blah, blah. I had to check at that stage I was still in Ballarat and hadn't been transported to a Brions preseason launch!

Anyway, sorry for the delay in mentioning this, had a few things on, especially late yesterday with debris from nearby fires falling at home, so footy wasn't high on my agenda the past 12-15 hours.
 
geoffjennings79 said:
I attended the Q&A on Wed night with Bains, Beveridge and Bont. It was a q&a in the sense that the presenter asked curated questions that were a mandatory requirement to register.
Mine wasn't one of them, suspect because it was too specific to game plan.
Look they all spoke well, Bevo seems back in his 2016 Groove, Bont is possibly the most impressive public speaker we've ever had as a player.
Ultimately though, a lot of it was just what people want to hear.
Exceptions were Bont referring to how he manages pre-game "arousal" - I know what he was trying to say, but he said the word arousal about half a dozen times, which I thought was funny. He certainly seemed to enjoy using the word a lot!
Also a question to Bevo regarding which opponent will be the biggest challenge this year - he gave a long-winded answer that was basically "Brisbane", which then extended into a long tangent about working with Fagan at Hawthorn, why Fagan is such a great bloke, blah, blah, blah. I had to check at that stage I was still in Ballarat and hadn't been transported to a Brions preseason launch!

Anyway, sorry for the delay in mentioning this, had a few things on, especially late yesterday with debris from nearby fires falling at home, so footy wasn't high on my agenda the past 12-15 hours.
Click to expand...
Thought Bevo telling a long story about a raunchy encounter he experienced in the sauna when he was 8 years old was a little odd..
 
Doggiesfan14 said:
Thought Bevo telling a long story about a raunchy encounter he experienced in the sauna when he was 8 years old was a little odd..
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Well it obviously made an impression :whistle: ... At least he didn't admit to liking gladiator movies :)

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Roogal said:

Western Bulldogs visit has young 'tales' wagging for exclusive event​

Melanie Whelan

By Melanie Whelan (Ballarat Courier)
Updated February 22 2024 - 5:36pm

Napoleons grade two pupil Summer outmarks Western Bulldog Laitham Vandermeer at her school on Thursday, February 22. Picture by Lachlan Bence

Napoleons grade two pupil Summer outmarks Western Bulldog Laitham Vandermeer at her school on Thursday, February 22. Picture by Lachlan Bence

WESTERN Bulldogs star Adam Treloar enjoys a good book and says it is an important skill to share a good tale with others.
Treloar was one of five Bulldogs taking centre stage for the annual Bulldogs Read launch, which boasts a record nine schools and 161 pupils set to share book reviews. There was plenty of footy talk and Taylor Swift chat - children were quick to note Treloar and teammate Jason Johannisen were sporting Swift-trend friendship bracelets.

For the child who wanted to check if they were a Weetbix Kid - Johannisen prefers coffee in the morning and Treloar is all about Fruit Loops. But the program launch was primarily about getting participants excited to read. Turns out, Treloar is a lectiophile, too.

Sebastopol grade five Brock has a chat with Bulldogs' star Adam Treloar, who says it is great to chat more individually with young fans. Picture by Melanie Whelan' star Adam Treloar, who says it is great to chat more individually with young fans. Picture by Melanie Whelan

Sebastopol grade five Brock has a chat with Bulldogs' star Adam Treloar, who says it is great to chat more individually with young fans. Picture by Melanie Whelan

"I just think being able to come out here and speak to kids is great," Treloar said. "A lot of the time when an individual comes and talks it's to a big group. It's nice to speak more one-on-one. "In my experience at school, I liked reading and socialising about books. Personally, I think it's really important."

This is Treloar's second season in the Bulldogs Read program. Johannisen is a new recruit to the program in which players will share video calls with participants to talk about what they are reading.

Bulldogs Read is exclusive to Ballarat.

Sebastopol primary's grade 5/6 class literacy levels improved in 2023, the school's first year in the program, from only one-quarter of the class reading and writing at level or above to only two children working below level by the year's end. When The Courier visited the class, most pupils had been surprised that footballers read books.

Western Bulldogs footballers Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Rylie Wilcox, Heidi Woodley and Jason Johannisen talk books with more than 150 pupils on February 22, 2024. Picture by Lachlan Bence

Western Bulldogs footballers Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Rylie Wilcox, Heidi Woodley and Jason Johannisen talk books with more than 150 pupils on February 22, 2024. Picture by Lachlan Bence

Sebastopol Primary School principal Michelle Wilson said seeing role models up close and reading books was so important for children and she was proud Sebastopol was back in the program for a second year. "This is great promotion for sustained reading, without judgement," Ms Wilson said. "This promotes picking up a book and relaxing a bit - a book can take you to another world."

Western Bulldogs AFL players Kristie-Lee Weston-Tuner, Rylie Wilcox and Heidi Woodley meet St Alipius readers Goldie, Summer and Norah at the Bulldogs Read launch on February 22, 2024. Picture by Melanie Whelan

Western Bulldogs AFL players Kristie-Lee Weston-Tuner, Rylie Wilcox and Heidi Woodley meet St Alipius readers Goldie, Summer and Norah at the Bulldogs Read launch on February 22, 2024. Picture by Melanie Whelan

Western Bulldogs' AFLW recruit Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner has plenty of reading ahead of her while juggling year 12 with her football. "My school is really flexible...I'm blessed. The club is aware of my school work and my school is aware of football so in the pre-season I am where I need to be," Weston-Turner said.

"It's great meeting all the kids here and they're so excited. "I do have a lot of reading when I'm at school and it's hard to find time to read for fun but I enjoyed reading growing up." Weston-Turner was joined by AFLW teammates Rylie Wilcox and Heidi Woodley for the launch.

Bulldogs Read launch was part of a two-day AFL Community Camp in Ballarat. This featured a bumper program of school visits on Thursday, February 22.
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Did they hand out free copies of the Bont’s books?

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Mars Stadium plans to be revealed by Easter

Well that's according to the Ballarat Courier website this morning.

DETAILS for upgrades to the city's biggest outdoor stadium are set to emerge by Easter in a pivot from a cancelled Commonwealth Games fall-out. The Victorian Government has put out an advanced tender notice seeking expressions of interest from contractors keen to work in the Eureka Stadium precinct. This includes a promised extra 5000 permanent seats to the stadium, commonly known as Mars Stadium, bringing seated capacity to 10,000 fans.

Time will reveal all.
 
Easter eh?

Maybe incoming sponsorship from a slowly diminishing English comedy troupe, new stadium to be referred to as Mars Brian Cohen Monty Python Stadium. And restyled as a Roman Colosseum?
 
I know there are a few who disagree with me, maybe more than a few, but I know we do make some coin from this venture but really should we be looking at extending it.

Next week is our first home game, and the reality is 80 to 90% of our membership, let alone supporters, would not be able to go if they wanted too due to capacity. Most of that cohort do not want to go anyway.

Do we need the money from these games? Is it enough to devalue the home membership package for over 50,000 members when at best we get 9 home games?

Have we explored the option of playing home games against say Essendon and Collingwood at the G? You know where finals are played and we rarely get games there. The 9 other games can be at Marvel. Or worst case 11 home games at Marvel.

We seem to be trying to attract at best a couple of thousand new fans whilst offering nothing back to those who are current fans.

I have been to games at Ballarat. A small % of our supporters do enjoy it.

I will not be there next week. I will be watching it Melbourne with members who would be at the game if it was in Melbourne and have talked to many members and supporters who are not happy and will not be attending.

When do we want to become a middle tier club, with 60,000 members and an average of at least 35,000 maybe more at home games?

I understood why we had this agreement but there is no justification for it to continue as there is no evidence other than what was once financial that any goals have been achieved. Hopefully with the State government now watching their pennies there will be no extension to the current agreement



On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Why would we hold home games at the MCG… Too far way. Travel is expensive, would be outnumbered by teams that actually play at the MCG and therefore have plenty of supporters in AFL and MCC reserve and live closer to the stadium. Its location is not fit for a western suburbs supporter base to attend for home games.
 
CarnTheScray said:
Why would we hold home games at the MCG… Too far way. Travel is expensive, would be outnumbered by teams that actually play at the MCG and therefore have plenty of supporters in AFL and MCC reserve and live closer to the stadium. Its location is not fit for a western suburbs supporter base to attend for home games.
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So playing more games at the ground where finals are played and we get to see less than interstate teams is a bad idea as it is too far away??? Less than 5km's from our home ground and 20 minutes from our base. Yet Ballarat is appropriate?

Also if we are the higher placed team it is our home ground in finals

We are outnumbered at Docklands against the bigger clubs often.

That is a different view

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
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lachy said:
So playing more games at the ground where finals are played and we get to see less than interstate teams is a bad idea as it is too far away??? Less than 5km's from our home ground and 20 minutes from our base. Yet Ballarat is appropriate?

Also if we are the higher placed team it is out home ground in finals

We are outnumbered at Docklands against the biggers clubs often.

That is a different view

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app
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We are already having trouble winning games, how is the location of VIC finals (which we aren’t currently making or even being competitive in) the main concern?

Willing to bet a lot of supporters that complain about the Ballarat games would not even attend those same match ups at Marvel, considering that it is fact that the teams we play in Ballarat are matchups that would rank as our lowest attended matches, usually around 20,000. Not sure “80-90%” of our supporters are missing out if they’re not attending these games in Melbourne anyway.

Sick to death of people complaining about playing 2 games in Ballarat. One of the best decisions the club has made. Means we do not have to play in Cairns, or Darwin, or Tasmania, or ****ing Shanghai.
 
CarnTheScray said:
We are already having trouble winning games, how is the location of VIC finals (which we aren’t currently making or even being competitive in) the main concern?

Willing to bet a lot of supporters that complain about the Ballarat games would not even attend those same match ups at Marvel, considering that it is fact that the teams we play in Ballarat are matchups that would rank as our lowest attended matches, usually around 20,000. Not sure “80-90%” of our supporters are missing out if they’re not attending these games in Melbourne anyway.

Sick to death of people complaining about playing 2 games in Ballarat. One of the best decisions the club has made. Means we do not have to play in Cairns, or Darwin, or Tasmania, or ******* Shanghai.
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We played in Darwin and Tasmania last year with the 2 Ballarat games
 

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