One absurd thing about last Sunday was the fact that the top deck of the 'G was open all the way around the ground, each with security personnel and ticket checkers who had to be paid a wage for the day. It was fairly obvious that at the very best the crowd would not have been above 25k and given the weather report the MCG knew it would be considerably less than that. So why call in so many staff, open up so many areas, and have to pay so many ground staff and catering companies for such a poor crowd?

It has been a long bad day!

Good on ya son for owning up-it took me a couple of minutes of looking-The Power of the mind"!!! We knew what you were meaning to say....

I hope they didn't spell the Big banner that way all those years ago, maybe thats the reason behind the 45 year drought

Stuff that, I can't stand the place, or going there. Hate that ground.

I would definitely prefer Casey or even Moorabbin, or the Junction.

PS: Playing games at Princes Park will shoot ourselves in the foot re establishing Casey as a Boutique ground for our future.

This will be the only opportunity to get Casey as an AFL venue. If Princes Park gets a toehold we can forget about Casey Fields. There won't be a 4th AFL venue operated in Melbourne because any available games will be scheduled at the other 3.

It just depends on the scale of the 3rd venue. The only way Casey will get off the ground is as a small-scale venue and only if the E Gate proposal is just an AFL negotiating tool to get a better deal out of the MCC and Etihad management.

IMO it would certainly be a waste of hundreds of millions of dollars to build another elite stadium in central Melbourne, and a smaller stadium is all that is needed.

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IMO it would certainly be a waste of hundreds of millions of dollars to build another elite stadium in central Melbourne, and a smaller stadium is all that is needed.

I concur 110% These Govs are all over the place with regards to understanding what is really needed. With bubble dome they intially made it too small.. with any "3rd" stadium a capacity of 20-25(thou) tops is all thats needed Like grounds of old its only needs to be "capacity' not seating.. Seating of 10-15000 would be fine. Casey could certainly be morphed into such a venue.

If Casey can have a larger seating capacity (greater than 10,000) then it would be the best option by far.

We are the oldest Club in the world, we need to have some respect. Eddiewood will not even change their jumper.

We are now part of the MCC, We are "THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB", not Casey, not Dock lands. the MCG was our home and fortress many years ago.

Im not sure why the gov proposes 40000. All of this situation arises because of current and probable attendences at games of or around the 12-15000 mark. If attendances are over 20000 then the dilemma whilst not good is at least not a 'cost' If you were going to get 40000 to a game..then we would want to be a the G anyways.

A boutique ground is wholly ( in my mind ) to cater to the low attendences that occur when a Melbourne based team plays an interstater and especialy at an unsocial time. With GC comingto the mix..and the likelyhood of an 18th ( and dont you just wanna bet Tassie comes back into the mix now as West Syd has as much chance as I have with Elle ) to even out the comp then the increase in games will NEED another venue anyway.

If they build a 40000 areana then much of the time it will still be half empty...accomplishing just what I ask ??..other than money spent (needlessly ) Some may propsoe that that a nother stadium could cater to those other funny games as well, but isnt that the purpose of the Multi Purpose Stadium aka Bubbledome !! Or is there an agenda ( sneakily ) of the Gov to appease the second franchise of that round ball pastime ?

Isnt it curious , if not hilarious that all the right minds go around closing things , because they "know it all' only to have to re-enter the scene with a product to just exactly that that they thought un-needed !! Clever huh

Heres another idea..not necessarily a preference.. they could throw a few dollars at the Junction oval , increase seating and facilities and hey presto..a third Footy Ground !!

20000 at the 'G and we lose money.

20000 at Shell Stadium and the Cats make $500,000. Thats the difference between having a good stadium deal and a bad one.

Frank Costa was on 3AW last night.

Skilled Stadium has a capacity of 27K, and 2-3K with reserved seats don't show up to home games every week, so they get about 25K to home games.

Their break even point is 12K, and off a crowd of 25K the GFC make a profit of 650,000 clean. They own all the food stalls as well.

NO.

Start moving games away from the G to interstate/Princes Park/the moon and you alienate your supporters, get smaller crowds, less exposure, smaller chance of victory. Just terrible. Our home is the G and we need to be strengthening our ties with the ground, not vice versa. Close the top section of the ground, but moving games away from the G is only going to lead to our downfall.

Yep!!

Once we are a force again, it is going to be hell for interstate clubs to come and play the Demons at the G. Once we start winning games, we start winning more hearts.....and the circle continues.

so..short of a new deal or sweethearter from the MCC are you guys going to open your chequebooks for the club ??

We are the oldest Club in the world, we need to have some respect. Eddiewood will not even change their jumper.

We are now part of the MCC, We are "THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB", not Casey, not Dock lands. the MCG was our home and fortress many years ago.

Two choices.

1) Melbourne keeps playing all of its home games at the MCG where they continue to lose money playing in a stadium where the fixed costs are extremely high in an area where the supporter base is hardly growing.

2) Melbourne fully embrace the move to Casey (which to me is still part of the Melbourne area) and if there are developments there that allow for greater seating capacity, play one, two or three games at Casey Fields against low drawing opposition teams, in an area where the supporter base can be grown and losses can be turned into profits.

Two choices.

1) Melbourne keeps playing all of its home games at the MCG where they continue to lose money playing in a stadium where the fixed costs are extremely high in an area where the supporter base is hardly growing.

2) Melbourne fully embrace the move to Casey (which to me is still part of the Melbourne area) and if there are developments there that allow for greater seating capacity, play one, two or three games at Casey Fields against low drawing opposition teams, in an area where the supporter base can be grown and losses can be turned into profits.

If there are any truly astute and forward thinking leaders amongst the Casey Council and its think tanks then THIS is the time to lobby the State Gov with some sort of proposal to ( for the gov ) embrace Casey as the new heartland of expansion and the perfect site fore a new People's Park. A home for sport including Footy that is more in keeping with the traditions and values of old. Now is the time to do this and in a manner which allows the State to develop the city site as an eco suburb ( whatever that translates into....lol ) and still participate in the growth of our INDIGENOUS game. I put it in those terms because its the sort of stuff pollies like. And we know how dumb and buzz-struck these idiots can get so any help we can offer can surely be to our advantage. Yes Brumby you can have your cake ( green of course ) and eat it to !!

It wouldnt take a Kings ransom to Manuka like Casey Fields. Hey stick the trains there too and Dumby's on a winner. Hey Casey Folk...go vist uncle Kev..he has oodles of money to stimulate

There is much logic and upcase with a further development at Casey..however logic and common sense arent the strong suits of those with the purse strings. Go Casey people...go lobby !!!..squeeky wheel and all that !!

"Their break even point is 12K, and off a crowd of 25K the GFC make a profit of 650,000 clean."

That's even more impressive than I thought. By my calcs, under that deal, we would have made $100k with our 14k crowd.

The AFL have been trying to get better stadium deals. The Vic deals are crap compared to SA and WA teams. The stadiums forget without the AFL they have nothing. In part the AFL should have kept waverly. Anyway, if we were all on a level playing field, all gate takings should be bundled each week and split 16 ways. This would help lop sided draws.

"Their break even point is 12K, and off a crowd of 25K the GFC make a profit of 650,000 clean."

That's even more impressive than I thought. By my calcs, under that deal, we would have made $100k with our 14k crowd.

Interesting that this all of a sudden was on the radio last night. Another interesting fact is that GFC are prepared to give a plain stadium (no sponsor signage, empty corporate) etc. so the potential is extreemly high for a good profit for any one want to "use" the ground

Two choices.

1) Melbourne keeps playing all of its home games at the MCG where they continue to lose money playing in a stadium where the fixed costs are extremely high in an area where the supporter base is hardly growing.

2) Melbourne fully embrace the move to Casey (which to me is still part of the Melbourne area) and if there are developments there that allow for greater seating capacity, play one, two or three games at Casey Fields against low drawing opposition teams, in an area where the supporter base can be grown and losses can be turned into profits.

I like Point No.2 for games vs Port A, Fremantle, Brisbane.

Then we can let Nth Melb and Bulldogs play at our ground. Pay up Smorgo, Brayshaw.... :D

so..short of a new deal or sweethearter from the MCC are you guys going to open your chequebooks for the club ??

That is exactly what we must do Belz, sit down with the MCC, now we are partners again & work out a deal that Helps both parties to prosper. It can be done, just depends on how much each are prepared to compromise for the long term betterment.

I hope this is the way Stynesy & C.S are thinking.