[Franky_31]

8 minutes ago, Franky_31 said:

I live about 5 minutes walk from there - How'd you guess?

Franky_31

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• Location:Elsternwick Park
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22 hours ago, praha said:

We had an opportunity to take over Olympic Park but baulked at the price. This was during the Gardner years I believe.

Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity by the MFC, compounded by what the takeover by the CFC. 

But I guess at the time, we had little or no money......or not enough.

52 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity by the MFC, compounded by what the takeover by the CFC. 

But I guess at the time, we had little or no money......or not enough.

We still should have done it

Huge mistake at the time

Yep we really need a base, but at the same time we need to make Casey work whilst we've got it.

I think PJ explored moving away from Casey and the numbers didn't add up without a base. 

Soldier on with what we have for now and constantly be on the lookout for something like Elsternwick.

I still think a public-private partnership with a council and a private school might be the best bet, particularly around women's football. If you look at the Melbourne private schools that are located in our heartland area the boys schools all have footy ovals either on campus or located at a sports precinct. The girls schools - St Caths, Lauriston, MLC, MGGS etc are lucky to have more than just a grass space. They have the ability to raise money, they have political influence and if women's football takes off they are going to need facilities and well maintained ovals. 

The one we have now is the best we have ever had since getting the boot from the G. It's gotta be either the G or as near to the G as poss. So I would be in favour of taking over more of the AAMI park facility where we are now......if that was a possibility. Things were so bad prior to AAMI that Gosch's seems like heaven......I wouldn't want a big development like Hawthorn world or Essendon world out in the burbs. We are as close to the G now as we are ever going to get and that's where we belong. Collingwood will be relocated to Darwin soon so we can have that bit as well.

What seems to be the issue with this every year is that options are put forward but there's always a "but" which makes us realise our current situation is the best we have available. 

There's been plenty of thoughts on it. Years ago it was Trevor Barker Oval being redeveloped and re-sized to suit the MCG dimensions, coupled with state of the art facilities and community centre. Funding seemed to be the biggest issue with that and our relationship with Sandy was on a bit of rocky ground. 

Docklands was another, the Vic government wanted to create a residential park land area with a permanent training base for us. That ended up being all talk though. 

Wasn't there another a couple of years ago with Melbourne university? I can't remember the details but I think the response on here was pretty lukewarm. 

Sadly we are still paying for our club being stuck in the mud for decades. Gosche's paddock isn't perfect, but it's still the best available for right now. Olympic park will always be the one that got away, but in fairness our club was treading water at that stage so I don't think it could've been done even if we wanted it. 

Elwood park would be pretty amazing, but isn't it the home of the VFA? Might get us in the bad books with local footy fans. 

EDIT: change Elsternwick to Elwood

On 20/02/2017 at 11:51 AM, praha said:

We had an opportunity to take over Olympic Park but baulked at the price. This was during the Gardner years I believe.

That's not correct. Gutnick knocked back the Olympic Park site. The Gardner Board signed the MOU to develop our current training and FD precinct at Olympic Park in 2004. 

22 hours ago, Vogon Poetry said:

That's not correct. Gutnick knocked back the Olympic Park site. The Gardner Board signed the MOU to develop our current training and FD precinct at Olympic Park in 2004. 

To be fair it probably would have been Gutnick that would have had to pay for it personally. But he could have changed the club in ways no one before or since could. I always wished he could have been more like Pratt was at the blues. He's broke now anyway . The Melbourne lament isnt it. " what might have been" 

We need a base....and the longer we dont have one the more precarious things get imo. 

34 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

We need a base....and the longer we dont have one the more precarious things get imo. 

I think that's a bit dramatic, we're not the club we were 5 years ago. While I agree that we need to get ourselves a base we can't just fly into it out of desperation, it needs to be the right fit for long term. 

I have no doubt this is an issue that PJ is looking to solve before he calls time on his tenure with us, but there are a lot of boxes to be ticked and one of the main (and hardest) ones is finding a way to still be geographically close to the city/MCG. 

For now the club has world class facilities at AAMI park and we're across the road from the MCG. When the right opportunity comes along we need to take it. 

1 hour ago, Wells 11 said:

To be fair it probably would have been Gutnick that would have had to pay for it personally. But he could have changed the club in ways no one before or since could. I always wished he could have been more like Pratt was at the blues. He's broke now anyway . The Melbourne lament isnt it. " what might have been" 

We need a base....and the longer we dont have one the more precarious things get imo. 

I wasn't having a crack at Joe, I was just correcting an inaccuracy. 

On ‎20‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 5:44 PM, Rusty Nails said:

Should be on our original home oval at least once a week.

Is Waverley Park an option once the Hawks shift? The training facility (inside) is quite run down now apparently but IF a reasonably cost effective fix was viable it might make a decent option and a pretty good social club venue also. Been out there a few times for functions and has a nice friendly feel to it not unlike Whitten Oval or Kardinia Park

Hawk supporters have whinged to me about  limited visitor parking .

On ‎21‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 4:31 PM, special robert said:

The one we have now is the best we have ever had since getting the boot from the G. It's gotta be either the G or as near to the G as poss. So I would be in favour of taking over more of the AAMI park facility where we are now......if that was a possibility. Things were so bad prior to AAMI that Gosch's seems like heaven......I wouldn't want a big development like Hawthorn world or Essendon world out in the burbs. We are as close to the G now as we are ever going to get and that's where we belong. Collingwood will be relocated to Darwin soon so we can have that bit as well.

There's just a chance Olympic Park may become available if Eddie has further delusions of grandeur and follows the Hawks with a multi oval complex on one of our rapidly disappearing golf courses .

22 hours ago, dee-eee said:

Hawk supporters have whinged to me about  limited visitor parking .

Just catch the 900 smart bus from Chaddy or Caulfield dee-dee ....or even from the other end (Stud Park S.C) if you're game! Hop off at Waverley Park stop. No need to worry about being breathalysed afterwards either! Plenty of friendly passengers you can chat to along the way  You could even go on a recruiting drive while you're at it.

P.S. Hawk supporters are renowned for their whining!

On 20 February 2017 at 7:19 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

After 1987 i don't think Waverley is a good idea. 

Surely you aren't still suffering from the scars of that prelim SWY? Oh wait.... ? ?

At least anyone under the age of 35 will have no recollection. Then again how many MFC supporters are there under 35 i wonder? Better stop there. Think I am losing this argument ?

Just now, Rusty Nails said:

Surely you aren't still suffering from the scars of that prelim SWY? Oh wait.... ? ?

At least anyone under the age of 35 will have no recollection. Then again how many MFC supporters are there under 35 i wonder? Better stop there. Think I am losing this argument ?

Beautifully put RN!!

How about we just fill in Albert Park lake and build there.  You think anyone will notice?

Thought I would bump this while we're looking for answers. Do think training facilities are part of the problem and know (I'm involved in elite sport) that money does buy improved success (through the ability to afford every possible thing that contributes a percent here and a percent there to success).

What about Fawkner Park, heaps of space, a wider oval than Goshes and close to MCG? Would take some investment on our/AFL/state government behalf but if others can do it why can't we?