Docklands Stadium Makeover

[Webber 10,586]

10 hours ago, monoccular said:

How could someone get away with not allowing sufficient slope to see the boundary line from most of the upper deck?

Yep. First time I ever went, on a visit home from the UK, I was flabbergasted that you couldn’t see all of the ground in a stadium supposedly dedicated to Australian Footy. Wouldn’t that be the absolute first priority? Did some architect just say “that’s alright, they can always just watch the big screen”.? It’s a heartless, claustrophobic wind-tunnel with rubbish turf. 

[TRIGON 4,792]

14 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Moving people safely! Ha ha! Does that sell more dolls of Luke Skywalker or Spiderman? We're selling gambling ads here providing a fuller entertainment experience at the game, don't you know.

Buy dolls responsibly!

[whatwhat say what 23,469]

2 hours ago, Webber said:

Yep. First time I ever went, on a visit home from the UK, I was flabbergasted that you couldn’t see all of the ground in a stadium supposedly dedicated to Australian Footy. Wouldn’t that be the absolute first priority? Did some architect just say “that’s alright, they can always just watch the two big SEXY screens”.? It’s a heartless, claustrophobic wind-tunnel with rubbish turf. 

fixed it for you

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,036]

3 hours ago, old dee said:

You are not alone mono. My only saving grace is when attending a game I leave my aids at home. Makes it almost bearable. I often wonder why it is needed surely everyone goes to watch the game. Surely there is no one who would stay home if there was no loud inane music? 

It seems that most people who post here seem to disagree with the need for non-football entertainment. I'm one of them. But are we in the majority? 

So, a serious question for posters: Is there anyone who finds that non-football entertainment adds value to your time at the football? (I promise not to judge you.)

[Sir Why You Little 37,313]

I haven’t been to “Soulless Stadium” since the AC/DC Concert in 2010

always cold in there, when the roof is open, you are blinded in Sunlight. 
It faces the wrong way 

Just knock it down 

[Dr. Gonzo 24,451]

I don't mind Docklands, as an "away" ground it's far preferable to the trek out to Waverley in the 90s. Far more comfortable and doesn't take 2 hours to get home. It has nothing on the G of course but it is central, the facilities are ok and you feel like you're right on top of the action. I'd prefer the suburban grounds any day but in this day and age it does the job ok. Glad we only play there once or twice a year though, I feel sorry for the teams who have it as their home ground, that would suck.

[one_demon 826]

Eddie Mcguire proposed tearing down Marvel and building a new stadium next to The MCG

[daisycutter 29,892]

36 minutes ago, one_demon said:

Eddie Mcguire proposed tearing down Marvel and building a new stadium next to The MCG

....and?

[Jaded No More 68,975]

Will still be a dump. Hate that place with the passion of a thousand fires. 
Can’t see anything. Can never get level 1 seating even when the ground is virtually empty. It’s always freezing. And it has no soul or atmosphere. 
Money would be better spend to grow AFLW and community footy. 

[hemingway 7,633]

3 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I don't mind Docklands, as an "away" ground it's far preferable to the trek out to Waverley in the 90s. Far more comfortable and doesn't take 2 hours to get home. It has nothing on the G of course but it is central, the facilities are ok and you feel like you're right on top of the action. I'd prefer the suburban grounds any day but in this day and age it does the job ok. Glad we only play there once or twice a year though, I feel sorry for the teams who have it as their home ground, that would suck.

Both have to be regarded as monumental fails. Waverley built in a rain belt on muddy paddocks, no public transport, no shelter from the arctic blasts and rain, stands so far from the action you needed binoculars, absolutely soulless with no atmosphere and zero facilities. 

Marvel, built as an all purpose entertainment stadium but fails all criteria, built the wrong way for footy, looking into the sun, terrible playing surface on concrete, seats with restricted viewing, cold, soulless and dead. 

The only benefit of both failures of thought, planning, building and management has been that both concrete monstrosities have reinforced the preeminence of the mighty G. Our ground, our home and our spiritual connection with club and team. 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,036]

31 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Both have to be regarded as monumental fails. Waverley built in a rain belt on muddy paddocks, no public transport, no shelter from the arctic blasts and rain, stands so far from the action you needed binoculars, absolutely soulless with no atmosphere and zero facilities. 

Marvel, built as an all purpose entertainment stadium but fails all criteria, built the wrong way for footy, looking into the sun, terrible playing surface on concrete, seats with restricted viewing, cold, soulless and dead. 

The only benefit of both failures of thought, planning, building and management has been that both concrete monstrosities have reinforced the preeminence of the mighty G. Our ground, our home and our spiritual connection with club and team. 

I've heard, but never had it confirmed, that the then VFL was promised a railway line would be built which would go right past Monash Uni and Waverley. The State Government, the story goes, changed its mind because the Premier Henry Bolte preferred to send the trains to Sandown Racecourse instead. 

 

[hemingway 7,633]

6 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I've heard, but never had it confirmed, that the then VFL was promised a railway line would be built which would go right past Monash Uni and Waverley. The State Government, the story goes, changed its mind because the Premier Henry Bolte preferred to send the trains to Sandown Racecourse instead. 

 

Heard a similar story, certainly the first part. Of course, the whole thing was the brain child of Sir Kenneth Luke who hated the fact that VFL was beholden to the MCC and wanted a ground owned and run by the VFL. From a VFL viewpoint it was a reasonable idea but the planning and implementation was poor. The ground was opened for footy way to soon and the facilities substandard. 

[Diamond_Jim 12,692]

18 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I've heard, but never had it confirmed, that the then VFL was promised a railway line would be built which would go right past Monash Uni and Waverley

Certainly was a plan for the railway to go to Waverley..

They also had plans to increase the capacity of the ground to 150k

https://www.urban.com.au/news/1960s-plans-for-waverley-park-expansion-south-east-melbourne-dodged-a-bullet

[Cards13 9,117]

On 3/1/2022 at 7:22 PM, Engorged Onion said:

I remember getting a tour of it in 1998 at my first year as a Sports Administration student at Vic Uni - we had a jaunt into town from out at Sunbury... come see the amazing Colonial Stadium we were told... we got to walk around - and then they went to show us how the seating arrangements could be reconfigured in a relatively short space of time from AFL seating to  soccer (closer in seats that moved in on wheels ) into a square ground arrangement.

The seats then proceed to move... and then we hear grinding noises and then it halts...

20 minutes later pass and then we are told that due to unforseen circumstances the preview of the amazing seating configuration could not take place. 80 uni students start pissing themselves laughing.

I'd hazard a guess those mechanics have barely if ever been used since 1998.

The seating movement mechanism looks a bit like this now 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Cards13

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,036]

31 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Heard a similar story, certainly the first part. Of course, the whole thing was the brain child of Sir Kenneth Luke who hated the fact that VFL was beholden to the MCC and wanted a ground owned and run by the VFL. From a VFL viewpoint it was a reasonable idea but the planning and implementation was poor. The ground was opened for footy way to soon and the facilities substandard. 

It's hard to believe today, but back in those days there was a strict 6 months cricket/6 months football regime in place for any Government-owned land...which in those days were all the football grounds. That meant football season could not start until 1 April and must conclude by 30 September. As games were only played on Saturdays (and only at daytime), the season could start as late as 7 April.

Waverley Park would not have been on Government-owned land, so would have allowed football to be played in March...or any other time. 

[Grr-owl 1,257]

On 3/1/2022 at 12:39 AM, Mazer Rackham said:

If you've ever been to a game of ice hockey in the States, you will have experienced the brain-deadening effect of constant lights, music, gimmicks, etc, ad nauseum, literally taking up every spare second between "the play". Let's say the ref calls a stoppage. Immediately music blares AND I MEAN BLARES as the ref sorts out the players, holds up the puck and drops it onto the ice to restart play. The music only stops when the puck hits the ice. The whole thing can take 3 seconds. Three whole seconds where the viewing audience is deemed to be in desperate need of flashing lights, noise and stimulation. That happens over and over and over and over again throughout the game, and then there's the pre-game [censored], not to mention in between quarters (yeah, I know, there's only 3 of them) ... constant noise, announcements, TV screens everywhere, kiss cam, [censored] cam, on and on and on it goes.

At the MCG, the inane ground announcer and the music played at volumes hostile to conversation rate about one out of ten compared to the full on numbing trauma of the NHL. Robbo's Haymes paint thing looks like a country school fete in comparison to the full body assault of the NHL. Be very afraid!

Baseball is very similar..... Went to watch the game and it was the least thing on most people's minds. Very disappointing from an Aussie's POV. Bloody hell, just turn it all off! Maybe get Jack Viney to do an ad, "Even without fan activation, you still have a game kids can love...."

[Engorged Onion 10,224]

1 hour ago, Cards13 said:

The seating movement mechanism looks a bit like this nowhttp://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/1/41b5d32a802a1bf3e33dc35294f57b56f5f6d674/thumb_16x9/20-facts-might-know-raiders-lost-ark.jpg?v=1

I'd laugh mate, but the link was a bit effed.

[tiers 2,875]

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I've heard, but never had it confirmed, that the then VFL was promised a railway line would be built which would go right past Monash Uni and Waverley. The State Government, the story goes, changed its mind because the Premier Henry Bolte preferred to send the trains to Sandown Racecourse instead. 

 

The railway proposal to Monash and Waverley was real but it became too hard to fit a heavy rail line along North and Wellington Rds from Huntingdale station. Still is too hard.

The Dandenong line always passed Sandown. As I recall only a station had to be built.

[tiers 2,875]

7 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

It seems that most people who post here seem to disagree with the need for non-football entertainment. I'm one of them. But are we in the majority? 

So, a serious question for posters: Is there anyone who finds that non-football entertainment adds value to your time at the football? (I promise not to judge you.)

No. No way. No way Jose.

Nothing can match the footy.

[tiers 2,875]

Docklands was first mooted in the 90s when Graeme Samuel had sway over the AFL.

It always felt to some that a large indoor stadium, where weather was eliminated as an influence on the game and allowed consistent high quality footy conditions, was a sine qua non of televising footy for the overseas markets. 

The urgency passed and we ended up with a stadium that helped replace all the crappy suburban grounds in Melbourne. Could be worse.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,451]

25 minutes ago, tiers said:

Docklands was first mooted in the 90s when Graeme Samuel had sway over the AFL.

It always felt to some that a large indoor stadium, where weather was eliminated as an influence on the game and allowed consistent high quality footy conditions, was a sine qua non of televising footy for the overseas markets. 

The urgency passed and we ended up with a stadium that helped replace all the crappy suburban grounds in Melbourne. Could be worse.

I still hold out hope the one day we'll see games played at Princes Park and Western Oval if not any of the other suburban grounds. If they can play in Ballarat and the Tassie grounds no reason why those two couldn't be brought up to standard pretty quickly.

[daisycutter 29,892]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I still hold out hope the one day we'll see games played at Princes Park and Western Oval if not any of the other suburban grounds. If they can play in Ballarat and the Tassie grounds no reason why those two couldn't be brought up to standard pretty quickly.

don't think western oval is up to afl size

[one_demon 826]

7 hours ago, daisycutter said:

....and?

Play football there

[Demon Disciple 12,453]

11 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Just knock it down 

To hell with that, just make all 9 other Vic teams play at that ground, leaving the G solely to us.

The money the AFL save in not demolishing and rebuilding can go towards our new digs. 2 birds really……….

[Diamond_Jim 12,692]

4 hours ago, tiers said:

Docklands was first mooted in the 90s when Graeme Samuel had sway over the AFL.

It always felt to some that a large indoor stadium, where weather was eliminated as an influence on the game and allowed consistent high quality footy conditions, was a sine qua non of televising footy for the overseas markets. 

The urgency passed and we ended up with a stadium that helped replace all the crappy suburban grounds in Melbourne. Could be worse.

Correct but in a strange way the AFL was to blame by refusing to commit to the ground until near completion. Then it went broke and the AFL drove a hard bargain.

Would it have been different if the AFL specced the ground?

Then again if the AFL had been an equity partner from day 1 the AFL could well have gone broke as well