3rd Stadium in the city along with Etihad and the MCG

[EasternWest]

Agreed. Pointless having another.

Redacted

[Eastdog]

Bump. If not the Showgrounds do you reckon the AFL has spoken to the Victorian government about a different site near the city for a boutique stadium.

[boydogs]

Bump. If not the Showgrounds do you reckon the AFL has spoken to the Victorian government about a different site near the city for a boutique stadium.

No, they need to fill the game quota at Etihad, and will own Etihad by the time a new stadium was built

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Yes plenty of room within the East-West tunnel design to fit another oval. All that parkland no-one uses since Burke and Wills set off on their fatal journey. Only problem is convincing the lobby groups.

[Bulldog4life]

AFL wont allow it considering they take full control of Etihad in 2025 - no way would they allow any competition

Wonder where the A-League will play then?

[LongWait]

Wonder where the A-League will play then?

Give them the Bulldog's Etihad stadium deal. And Sunday twilight games to boot.

[GVGjr]

Wonder where the A-League will play then?

AAMI Park can be increased to more than 40K I believe

[Dancin' Douggy]

I just can't believe there isn't any serious dialogue about Whitten oval as the 3rd boutique stadium.
It's right next to a Major railway station. It's close to the CBD. It's already there.
And before all the knee jerk naysayers come out with their automatic negativity.

I have one quote I will always go back to.

"IF GEELONG DID IT, WE CAN DO IT"

We just have to find a way, we just have to confront and smash the negatives by following Geelong's model.

Geelong's stadium is tucked up right against Moorabool st. Just like we are with Gordon st.
It doesn't have much parking and is pretty much surrounded by residential areas.
It was built around existing infrastructure, (as in they didn't demolish everything that was there)
So we don't need to demolish any of the new buildings to do it.

And we're actually close to the CBD of the 2nd biggest city in Australia, they're only in little old Geelong.
So our stadium is worth much MUCH more commercially. It can host games like North V GWS or Melbourne V Gold Coast etc. It would be ludicrous to hold those games in Geelong, and it's ludicrous to hold them at Etihad. There's probably at least 20 games like that a year, not to mention our suitable home games.
Then there's shield and 20/20 cricket and concerts in summer etc etc.

Geelong really should be the model for us to follow instead of trying to emulate Collingwood or Essendon.

Geelong has absolutely got it made. It should be the envy of every other victorian team.
Think about it.

GENUINE home ground advantage. GENUINE!!!!
The only team left in Victoria that can claim that.
They take their own gate. THEIR OWN GATE! The only team in victoria that can claim that.

Their home ground for training and functions AND home games, is still in the heart of the suburb/town they represent.
The only team left in Victoria that can claim that.
(aside from Melbourne. Melbourne who?............. I hear you ask)

We could have what Geelong has. Training, functions, and home games at Whitten Oval.
We could do it. and remember..........always remember.
As soon as you come up with a reason why it won't work, repeat this phrase.

"IF GEELONG DID IT, WE CAN DO IT"

Now say it again please.

[chef]

Wonder where the A-League will play then?

Considering its a summer sport I guess they'll still be playing at the Dome.

[boydogs]

"IF GEELONG DID IT, WE CAN DO IT"

Geelong never lost their ground in the first place to be sucked in to the Etihad quota. If we don't play our 10 home games at Etihad anymore, the AFL needs to find someone else to play there instead. It's enough of a battle to get them to approve the 11th one being sold to Cairns, or the 2 North play in Tassie. Games like Hawthorn v Port this year are moved to Etihad to cover those, even though it's not Hawthorn's home ground and they would prefer to have it at the MCG

[Dancin' Douggy]

Geelong never lost their ground in the first place to be sucked in to the Etihad quota. If we don't play our 10 home games at Etihad anymore, the AFL needs to find someone else to play there instead. It's enough of a battle to get them to approve the 11th one being sold to Cairns, or the 2 North play in Tassie. Games like Hawthorn v Port this year are moved to Etihad to cover those, even though it's not Hawthorn's home ground and they would prefer to have it at the MCG

These are the types of negatives that need to be smacked over the boundary.

I will repeat '" if Geelong did it we can do it". Let's not be a victim of history.
Bad decisions were made but these bad decisions shouldn't define our future.

And the Etihad deal isn't signed forever. The AFL needs a 3rd ground. It should be the Whitten oval.

[boydogs]

I will repeat '" if Geelong did it we can do it". Let's not be a victim of history.

Geelong didn't do what we would need to do, in getting out of the Etihad deal. They have a stadium in similar surrounds to the Whitten Oval as you outlined, and I would agree with you if this was just about the stadium, carpark etc., but it's not. Ask the AFL whether they think they need a 3rd Melbourne stadium. They wouldn't have pulled the pin on the last remaining metro stadium, Princes Park, if they did.

Ballarat might get off the ground on the basis of bringing the game to new areas, I think that's the best we can hope for. We've tried to get the AFL to let us play in Geelong a few times to avoid the Etihad deal and it hasn't worked.

[bulldogtragic]

We aren't anything like Geelong. The team down is in a fishbowl with no competition. They have high members, packed out games, high sponsors and a political situation that allows itself to maximum taxpayer funding. They also don't have a stadium down the road the AFL wants games at. At the time of doing the upgrade the Geelong economy has been going down the poopchute and flat numbers while the western suburbs has been growing, and we have been going backwards. It's not about being pessimistic, I'm not sure sure how a team who can't get a Friday Night game for 1,500+ days can put a business plan together to gets funded to the tune of $30,000,000 for a stadium that will get the lowest crowds (outside exp. clubs) and who can't get enough and diverse sponsorship to cover the costs of erecting the signs around the ground. I want to go back to our heartland, to our home, I do... But, there's less than no chance of it happening because there's nothing similar about Geelong and us. Who would want their home games there? Essendon, Colingwood, St Kilda... I love your passion don't get me wrong, the macro and micro issues couldn't be further from our situation.

[w3design]

These are the types of negatives that need to be smacked over the boundary.

I will repeat '" if Geelong did it we can do it". Let's not be a victim of history.
Bad decisions were made but these bad decisions shouldn't define our future.

And the Etihad deal isn't signed forever. The AFL needs a 3rd ground. It should be the Whitten oval.

Agree DD, we only need to have a capacity of between 22k and 25k seats with up to 5k standing room.

The only part I disagree with is following the Geelong funding model. We need to be inventive but there are genuine ways to raise $50mllion in capital before work begins

[Dancin' Douggy]

Agree DD, we only need to have a capacity of between 22k and 25k seats with up to 5k standing room.

The only part I disagree with is following the Geelong funding model. We need to be inventive but there are genuine ways to raise $50mllion in capital before work begins

Yeah I think it's very very doable.
For sure we can have a different funding model.
The financial workings of how it might be done are 100% flexible.
Just glad to have someone who agrees with me that it's possible!