Training Ground?

[Demonsone 2,037]

8 hours ago, dpositive said:

Nearly every argument ,discussion point, can be answered with the one solution.

DOCKLANDS/PORT MELBOURNE.

A new and emerging population base attracted to a new local entertainment and sporting facility with large outdoor and ndoor spaces has been approved by the MFC, which is putting a considerable amount of capital into this proposal. We appreciate that the MCG precinct our tradional home is already over utilised and Port Melbourne which will welcome the next generation of Migrants will benefit from a similar space said the new president. The premier said such an innovative and progressive use of the site was totally supported by the government to utilise the area as an example of building a total community, something that few previous governments had considered when the West gate docklands area was created.

Source my imagination 

Theres plenty more just work on it.

Stole my thunder, Ive lived in Port Melb all my life and the VFL club is as old as the MFC same theme song, same colours almost.  The Nort Port Ground is in need of a massive redevelopment and could be start of the art, along with the expected  20K in population growth with Fishermens bend project and all the apartment towers going up, new high school etc etc, we don't need to be around the MCG

[bandicoot 1,395]

Is Keysborough an option?

There is currently an underutilized part of Melbourne that would suite both sporting grounds and facilities.  There are vast amounts of land for sale particularly on Pillars Road which would be ideal for a MFC base.  

The land is currently not zoned for residential purposes which makes it extremely affordable. 

It could easily accommodate MCG sized oval, training and social facilities. 

A straight forward member and supporter fundraising would allow MFC to own the land and facilities outright without needing to compromise. 

The land will also appreciate in the long term which would also give the club financial stability.

Understandably this isn't within the MCG precinct however it is a compelling option.  

Thoughts? 

 

[monoccular 17,430]

16 hours ago, Rusty Nails said:

Chicken and egg LN.  I think its the reverse.  Had we had that base i think there may have actually been a GF party or two at said base already and we would probably not be talking about the need for a base or the lack of any silverware since 64.

I'm not changing the point at all.  The base is a must, not just for training & admin, for the fans as well.  Without fans and without considering them in the picture, the club in its own right (having no real face to face connection with fans at any point, outside of game day) effectively is running itself in isolation and for what purpose?  To please the people in positions of power, the coaches and FD, the players and the media?

Without the fans there is no point in the club existing at a professional level.

Even a small country club eg; Barnawartha Tigers has a raison d'etre, a soul, a base and possibly a better connection with its fan base at this point as a result of having a place to call home.  It's part of the fabric, the essence of any half decent club imv...

 

You (and i'm sure a number of others on here) therefore must feel there is no need to connect / please the fans at all.  Just take their $$ and continue on continuing on no matter what happens on or off the field.

Rust .... are you suggesting that we relocate to Barnawartha? Would upset more than a few.  ??

10 hours ago, whelan45 said:

I think the most important part of any new training facility is it needs to be super attractive to players and staff. That means the space needs to be large enough to house all facilities with room to grow and in a location where it's attractive for players and staff to live nearby or that it's an easy commute.

Any facilities for fans in my opinion are secondary. However honestly if it has the above, it basically covers fans needs also. Players and staff also want access to good coffee and food, either onsite or nearby.

If the MCG precinct can provide this then great. Otherwise in my opinion we should not be wedded to it

 

10 hours ago, Mickey said:

This is why we need to be careful about settling for Casey. Players might be happy to travel while we are winning, but if we drop down the table again it's going to be hard to attract players.

The last thing we need is to fall in to a St Kilda/Seaford situation (acknowledging the facilities were apparently crap). 

I think that is an issue - trace,king from maybe the inner city to Casey mid winter especially is most unattractive.

And of course Chri$$$$ Judd used this as at least one of his excuses for not choosing melbourne. 

7 hours ago, dpositive said:

Nearly every argument ,discussion point, can be answered with the one solution.

DOCKLANDS/PORT MELBOURNE.

A new and emerging population base attracted to a new local entertainment and sporting facility with large outdoor and ndoor spaces has been approved by the MFC, which is putting a considerable amount of capital into this proposal. We appreciate that the MCG precinct our tradional home is already over utilised and Port Melbourne which will welcome the next generation of Migrants will benefit from a similar space said the new president. The premier said such an innovative and progressive use of the site was totally supported by the government to utilise the area as an example of building a total community, something that few previous governments had considered when the West gate docklands area was created.

Source my imagination 

Theres plenty more just work on it.

dpositive - are you a government spin writer?

1 minute ago, bandicoot said:

Is Keysborough an option?

There is currently an underutilized part of Melbourne that would suite both sporting grounds and facilities.  There are vast amounts of land for sale particularly on Pillars Road which would be ideal for a MFC base.  

The land is currently not zoned for residential purposes which makes it extremely affordable. 

It could easily accommodate MCG sized oval, training and social facilities. 

A straight forward member and supporter fundraising would allow MFC to own the land and facilities outright without needing to compromise. 

The land will also appreciate in the long term which would also give the club financial stability.

Understandably this isn't within the MCG precinct however it is a compelling option.  

Thoughts? 

 

Reasonable road access from southern and bayside areas but almost no  public transport.  Somewhat akin to Dingley I guess. 
Not as remote as Casey but perhaps worryingly close to Seaford. 

[Diamond_Jim 12,588]

46 minutes ago, old dee said:

Re  Richmond are they staying at punt road? If not is there any talk of where? Again I have heard nothing about any tiger plans. As for social clubs agree 100%

Richmond have a big redevelopment plan in before the council.

Will be interesting to see how they go

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

12 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Richmond have a big redevelopment plan in before the council.

Will be interesting to see how they go

Already running into issues if this article is anywhere near the truth....

[monoccular 17,430]

13 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Richmond have a big redevelopment plan in before the council.

Will be interesting to see how they go

? - do you know if their plan includes changing the size and shape of their ground?

[Diamond_Jim 12,588]

8 minutes ago, monoccular said:

? - do you know if their plan includes changing the size and shape of their ground?

yep knock down the old stand and MCG size oval

[dpositive 1,665]

29 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Rust .... are you suggesting that we relocate to Barnawartha? Would upset more than a few.  ?

 

Nothing wrong with Barny but it is a little bit shy of close to MCG.

And

no I'm not a government spin doctor but I'm sure I could develop some more. An ex Public hospital, public servant, private hospital administrative officer who has then run a successful small business I have written many submissions and  business and marketing cases.

i reckon there's quite a few people who visit this site who could join to make a very powerful case.

Perhaps we could meet at the game and put our heads together.

[old dee 23,791]

32 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Richmond have a big redevelopment plan in before the council.

Will be interesting to see how they go

Their just trying to change something that already exists so we can only imaginehow hard  it is starting from square one and taking over green free space. 

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

2 hours ago, BW511 said:

Do any of the other elite training facilities have social club/members area?

Are Richmond fans allowed into Punt Road to drink before and after games?

Do Collingwood fans enter into the Gosch's setup for the same?

[Cards13 9,117]

29 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

Already running into issues if this article is anywhere near the truth....

One can only hope the powerful “East Melbourne Crew” are strongly objected to it as they were the Dees plans for Jolimont.

 

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

55 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Rust .... are you suggesting that we relocate to Barnawartha? Would upset more than a few.  ??

 

Yes i reckon the country locals there would be pretty [censored] if we were to venture anywhere near their set up Mono.

I'm more than happy to make our base Casey if we are unlikely to find something more central eg; a fair bit closer towards the CBD.  Say from 15km or so out but not as far as Casey.

There has to be a viable option where we don't have to travel an hour (or for some longer) to visit the club's home base surely.  I'm pretty sure there is but we aren't presently looking.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

9 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Played there two weeks ago.

It's a [censored] ground. One of the worst I've played on for a while. 

Strong football club though..

That's not far away from where Gazza grew up / played local footy i believe?

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

11 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

One can only hope the powerful “East Melbourne Crew” are strongly objected to it as they were the Dees plans for Jolimont.

 

I don't wish anyone any ill will Cards but as OD has already pointed out, imagine the chances of getting a substantial project at Gosches (or similar local) off the ground if the Tiges are running into issues merely looking to adjust their existing facilities.

[BW511 2,669]

1 hour ago, Rusty Nails said:

So Collingwood and Richmond don’t?

Think we would be better served by having a partnership with a pub/bar in proximity of the ‘G for before and after functions.

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by BW511

[Lord Nev 13,512]

1 hour ago, Rusty Nails said:

 

"Barkers Cafe" is a cafe that went out of business and was then bought by the wives of the Doggies president and assistant coach.

The other two are very very basic breakfast and lunch cafes in outer suburbs.

None of them are listed as 'social clubs' and interestingly, none of them are open before or after games.

These are basically more official versions of Edwin's Cafe, and I don't see that particularly rockin' before or after Dees training or games.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Lord Nev

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

3 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

 

"Barkers Cafe" is a cafe that went out of business and was then bought by the wives of the Doggies president and assistant coach.

The other two are very very basic breakfast and lunch cafes in outer suburbs.

None of them are listed as 'social clubs' and interestingly, none of them are open before or after games.

 

The other two are the official Cafe's of the Cats and the Saints located within their training grounds/facilities.

Social club or not these clubs still have a place where supporters can go and hang .  They're at least offering them something and players/coaches are often visiting / eating and mixing with their supporter base.  Members/supporters/friends/families/business associates etc can have something to eat / drink and then go watch training if they wish should they wish to time their visit accordingly.

It doesn't have to be the old school version of a social club which has mostly gone the way of the dodo bird, especially since the exit of most clubs from gaming facilities.

Barkers is the new facility at Whitten Oval...

..."previous owners of the Pound Café decided to sell the business.

This resulted in the creation of Barkers Café delivered by Letsbark Pty Ltd, a company owned by Kerri O’Toole and Terri Montgomery – who you may also know as the wives of Bulldogs President Peter Gordon and Bulldogs Senior Assistant Coach, Brett Montgomery.

In a fantastic act of generosity to the Club, Kerri with Peter have decided to donate their share of profits from the business venture back to the Bulldogs."

I've attended this (randomly once only) and ran into Bevo on the day while having some breakfast.  Very pleasant.

Same with the Cats' Kardinia park restaurant.  Good menu/food and decent service also.

[Lord Nev 13,512]

7 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

I've attended this (randomly once only) and ran into Bevo on the day while having some breakfast.  Very pleasant.

Same with the Cats' Kardinia park restaurant.  Good menu/food and decent service also.

So, does this mean you now barrack for the Dogs and the Cats? Or does having a cafe/social club not guarantee you new fans...?

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

40 minutes ago, BW511 said:

So Collingwood and Richmond don’t?

Think we would be better served by having a partnership with a pub/bar in proximity of the ‘G for before and after functions.

 

 

 

So we ignore what other Clubs are doing and bury our head BW?

As for the last suggestion, i've been attending the G and it's surrounding bars for decades.

Barrassi's Mount View Pub finished up in 2000 and Swooper/Gazza's around 1994 and neither were actually affiliated in any official way with the club.  They never truly felt like Demon pubs, although the London felt about as close as one could get for a couple of years or so there.

I can't see the club changing their mind and attaching themselves to something like this if they haven't till now and we are talking over half a century of opportinity to do so here.

[Lord Nev 13,512]

3 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

I can't see the club changing their mind and attaching themselves to something like this if they haven't till now and we are talking over half a century of opportinity to do so here.

Are you meaning a hospitality partner?

We had The Duke previously and now The Sporting Globe.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

5 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

So, does this mean you now barrack for the Dogs and the Cats? Or does having a cafe/social club not guarantee you new fans...?

I was attending as part of work i was doing at the time LN ...neither visit was voluntary and no i wasn't looking to jump ship as you so kindly alude to.

I'm not sure why that matters in this regard anyway.  I'm merely pointing out that both facilities were impressive, even from an opposition supporter's perspective.  Was i envious of them?  Bloody oath i was.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

33 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Are you meaning a hospitality partner?

We had The Duke previously and now The Sporting Globe.

Regardless of their discount arrangement it is not located within reasonable walking distance of the present training facilities or those being loosely muted (Gosches/therebouts).  2km from Gosch's.  Too far for my old legs to get there and there's very few, if any parking options in Bridge Rd now.

Random Swan street cafes/outlets are an easier walking distance get after training and they're also mostly open from 8.30am

I don't understand why you would not want to offer this sort of meeting place as part of a new facility anyway?  You don't want to cater for any supporters who might be attending training or visiting the club?

Personally i would love the opportunity to randomly meet up with fellow supporters/members over a coffee/drink possibly while watching the boys train etc if the facility caters for that.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Rusty Nails

[Lord Nev 13,512]

2 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

I don't understand why you would not want to offer this sort of meeting place as part of a new facility anyway?  You don't want to cater for any supporters who might be attending training or visiting the club?

It's not about want, it's about what is financially viable and what is important in terms of us building a proper base.

Catering for the handful of hardcore supporters who may or may not show up to training a few times a week for the months training is actually on is way way way down the list in terms of what we should be spending time and money on.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

3 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

It's not about want, it's about what is financially viable and what is important in terms of us building a proper base.

Catering for the handful of hardcore supporters who may or may not show up to training a few times a week for the months training is actually on is way way way down the list in terms of what we should be spending time and money on.

Not every aspect of a club / business has to be turned into a major profit centre LN.  Provided its not a massive drain either of course.  The venue could always be contracted out and off the books anyway.   Provide some rental income as well.

Anyway you are obviously dead against any such aspect being considered from your POV so we'll agree to disagree on this one.

[Mickey 4,684]

11 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

More and more players - particularly those with families - are moving down the peninsula as a vague “tree change” from inner suburban living

I don’t think Casey as a home base for the MFC is as unattractive as it used to be 

 

6 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

Players - Gawn, Jones, Harmes, and Lever (I think)

Coaches - Goodwin and Chaplin (I think)

That's less than 10% of our list. 38 (ish) other blokes that have to travel.

But maybe we can become the new Geelong and attract all the over 30s?