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  1. #61
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by boydogs View Post
    Why do you think North ditched Ballarat for Hobart?
    The history behind that is that North were effectively horse-traded out of Ballarat. Their separation from Ballarat definitely wasn't by their choice. They were quite happy to stay there and were offering four games per season if Eureka Stadium was redeveloped. But it was the Ballarat Council who announced in early 2015 that they would cease their $300,000 per year sponsorship of North Melbourne to maintain a VFL presence in Ballarat and instead pursued an association with the Bulldogs backed by the State Government, noting that the Bulldogs had expressed a desire to the AFL and the Ballarat Council back as far as 2012 to harbor Ballarat as a potential playing venue. As far back as 2014, the Tasmanian government and Tourism Tasmania were concerned that North Melbourne was being courted by Ballarat and may be lured away from Hobart so in 2015 they gave North an offer that they couldn't refuse. North were forced to quit Ballarat and to go where the money was being offered. The Bulldogs have definitely gotten the better end of the deal.

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  3. #62
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by comrade View Post
    You could say that Tassie is a footy region and everyone there already has a team, yet it hasn't stopped Hawthorn or even North from adding thousands of members from the area.
    In effect Tassie is an island of 520,000 which has two AFL teams vying for the affections and loyalty of 250,000 each. Ballarat is adding as many people per year as what the whole of Tasmania does combined. North Melbourne are effectively working in a region of 250,000 people in southern Tasmania and Hawthorn have effectively the top half of the island. Where as the Bulldogs are now expanding across an area that includes Melton, Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat, Warrnambool, Portland, Hamilton, and Horsham. So you can now picture that they are now dominating an area of regional Victoria with a population of half a million people with Ballarat at its heart.

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  5. #63
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    1,000 Victorian public sector jobs are moving into Ballarat very soon too. Counting that some will have families, that maybe 2,000-3,000 people moving up there on top of their decent growth rate too. A footy team up there will give them a little bit of Melbourne over there. If the venue can grow to 20,000 and if it's maybe 3 games a year, then I'm happy enough if the financial returns help us enough that Cairns is dropped. A lot of 'if's'. We should be passed being the poor nomads of the competition playing wherever for a buck.

    A home away from home is much more palatable, especially if we get the old school WO type home good advantage where clubs Fong know how to play wet, cold & windy conditions like we do. Our link to Maryborough (60km away) through Crameri & Stringer who have significant business and community reach into Ballarat should be an advantage, and hopefully getting some pups from up that way could really grab the towns attention and affections.

    But at the moment, it looks like a suburban ground with one bigger grandstand.
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

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  7. #64
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by comrade View Post
    You could say that Tassie is a footy region and everyone there already has a team, yet it hasn't stopped Hawthorn or even North from adding thousands of members from the area.
    Hawthorn and North both play multiple games down there and offer packages designed around attending those games. The venues sell out and so the memberships become your only option as a ticket. Anyone who wants to go and see the biggest thing in town becomes a card carrying member of the Hawthorn or North Melbourne football clubs

    People in Ballarat aren't as footy starved, they can and do go to games in Melbourne. We're only playing one game there. You can see we're trying to do the same thing with selling out a small venue, tourism packages, Ballarat memberships etc. but it won't be as successful purely because people in Ballarat can go to the footy every week if they are that passionate
    If you kicked five goals and Tom Boyd kicked five goals, Tom Boyd kicked more goals than you.

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  8. #65
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by Woofer View Post
    The history behind that is that North were effectively horse-traded out of Ballarat. Their separation from Ballarat definitely wasn't by their choice. They were quite happy to stay there and were offering four games per season if Eureka Stadium was redeveloped. But it was the Ballarat Council who announced in early 2015 that they would cease their $300,000 per year sponsorship of North Melbourne to maintain a VFL presence in Ballarat and instead pursued an association with the Bulldogs backed by the State Government, noting that the Bulldogs had expressed a desire to the AFL and the Ballarat Council back as far as 2012 to harbor Ballarat as a potential playing venue. As far back as 2014, the Tasmanian government and Tourism Tasmania were concerned that North Melbourne was being courted by Ballarat and may be lured away from Hobart so in 2015 they gave North an offer that they couldn't refuse. North were forced to quit Ballarat and to go where the money was being offered. The Bulldogs have definitely gotten the better end of the deal.
    Yes, North didn't want to leave Ballarat, but they were forced to choose between Ballarat and Hobart. Why didn't they do what we are doing, try and own the rural extension of their inner city homeland instead of playing interstate? Because Tassie offered more money. It's worth more to them because people fly there, stay there, eat there etc. Same as Cairns
    If you kicked five goals and Tom Boyd kicked five goals, Tom Boyd kicked more goals than you.

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  9. #66
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by boydogs View Post
    Respectfully I think you've got this wrong. Ballarat is already an AFL town meaning most of the people there who might be interested already have a team. The growth is in other areas that aren't an hours drive from weekly games. We'll sell more memberships and merch in Cairns than in Ballarat

    Why do you think North ditched Ballarat for Hobart?
    No doubt it has its challenges, and it would need to a number of things to occur to fully leverage the opportunity - not the least of which are we need to play more than once a year and the stadium needs to hold more than 11,000.
    I think North's leaving isn't necessarily an indicator of our prospects, that it may seem on first glance. I think there were other issues at play than it not being profitable.
    I just see there are multiple potential positives in growing the Ballarat link that don't exist in Cairns.
    People may have teams already in Ballarat, however there are kids there now, and into the future who don't. And given our special zoning access out that way, the club is clearly going to be making efforts at being visible in the community.
    A couple of games there a year on top of our promotional, recruiting & games played there could be used to good effect to create an emerging Bulldogs enclave.

    The fact they are only an hour a way from Melbourne and thus supporters can see more games, may actually be an enticing reason for locals to sign up.

    Clearly though a number of things need to be worked on if the Ballarat proposal is going to have the right conditions to be strategically successful.

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  11. #67
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by boydogs View Post
    Hawthorn and North both play multiple games down there and offer packages designed around attending those games. The venues sell out and so the memberships become your only option as a ticket. Anyone who wants to go and see the biggest thing in town becomes a card carrying member of the Hawthorn or North Melbourne football clubs

    People in Ballarat aren't as footy starved, they can and do go to games in Melbourne. We're only playing one game there. You can see we're trying to do the same thing with selling out a small venue, tourism packages, Ballarat memberships etc. but it won't be as successful purely because people in Ballarat can go to the footy every week if they are that passionate
    The crowds in Launceston and Hobart have been well and truly down. Aurora Stadium in 2017 has averaged 15,571 out of a capacity of 20,000 and 14,324 over four games last year. While Blundstone Arena with a capacity of 20,000 has averaged 9,411 over both of its games so far in 2017 and 15,649 over its 3 three games in 2016. (Source: http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/2017.html).

    On your second point, if Eureka is built to a 15,000 capacity it is likely that the crowd will be a mix of local Bulldogs supporters, passionate Melbourne based supporters (who never miss a game regardless of where its played), and of course supporters from across the wider western Victoria (Melton - Horsham). After all for people living in the country ... "I enjoy the trek to Melbourne and negotiating city traffic" said nobody who lives in the country EVER

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  13. #68
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot View Post
    No doubt it has its challenges, and it would need to a number of things to occur to fully leverage the opportunity - not the least of which are we need to play more than once a year and the stadium needs to hold more than 11,000.
    I think North's leaving isn't necessarily an indicator of our prospects, that it may seem on first glance. I think there were other issues at play than it not being profitable.
    I just see there are multiple potential positives in growing the Ballarat link that don't exist in Cairns.
    People may have teams already in Ballarat, however there are kids there now, and into the future who don't. And given our special zoning access out that way, the club is clearly going to be making efforts at being visible in the community.
    A couple of games there a year on top of our promotional, recruiting & games played there could be used to good effect to create an emerging Bulldogs enclave.

    The fact they are only an hour a way from Melbourne and thus supporters can see more games, may actually be an enticing reason for locals to sign up.

    Clearly though a number of things need to be worked on if the Ballarat proposal is going to have the right conditions to be strategically successful.
    You're dead right! The Bulldogs are actively getting into to schools across the region to win the hearts and minds of future generations od AFL supporters.

  14. #69
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    So as a full social club member do I need to "buy" tickets for this game?

  15. #70
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by Topdog View Post
    So as a full social club member do I need to "buy" tickets for this game?
    Yes, I believe so.
    Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.

  16. #71
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by Topdog View Post
    So as a full social club member do I need to "buy" tickets for this game?
    I tried to do an ad on with a Ballarat membership giving me a reserved seat, but it was sold out.

    I will have to watch on TV.
    FFC: Established 1883

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  17. #72
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by Woofer View Post
    That's fair enough for those who can afford it. I think that Cairns offers equal conditions for both teams where as Ballarat for the Dogs will become what Hobart is to North Melbourne. 'A total shock to the system for visiting teams'. Eureka Stadium plays very similarly to Hobart's Blundstone Arena. The winds can be so strong at Ballarat that 90% of the scoring will happen at one end of the ground on a really bad day. Eureka Stadium is described by locals as like playing in a cyclone. It might be a bit different once the stands are all built because the wind will be largely blocked around the goals. But later this year, it will be entertaining because the South boundary is still very much open and will only be partially blocked by the new scoreboard. But at least the goals at that end of the ground are sheltered by some trees and the old scoreboard.
    Might suit our goalkicking

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  19. #73
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by Woofer View Post
    The crowds in Launceston and Hobart have been well and truly down. Aurora Stadium in 2017 has averaged 15,571 out of a capacity of 20,000 and 14,324 over four games last year. While Blundstone Arena with a capacity of 20,000 has averaged 9,411 over both of its games so far in 2017 and 15,649 over its 3 three games in 2016. (Source: http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/2017.html).
    Probably doesn't help that games in Hobart are the AFEL-equivalent of the BBL; ridiculous scores coupled with horrific skills at every turn. I didn't keep an "official" count but by my estimation there were approximately 350 kicks that went out of bounds on the full on the non-broadcast wing during the Crows/North game.
    - I'm a visionary - Only here to confirm my biases -

  20. #74
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by boydogs View Post
    People in Ballarat aren't as footy starved, they can and do go to games in Melbourne. We're only playing one game there. You can see we're trying to do the same thing with selling out a small venue, tourism packages, Ballarat memberships etc. but it won't be as successful purely because people in Ballarat can go to the footy every week if they are that passionate
    The western corridor of Melbourne is the fastest growing region in Australia and is a cornerstone of our own growth strategy. It won't be long before Ballarat (which itself is growing rapidly) is joined to the western corridor. This represents a fantastic opportunity to grow our supporter base incrementally and establish an exclusive 2nd home in a growing market that is already footy mad. I love it and I hope we continue to nurture this relationship and market.
    "Look at me mate. Look at me. I'm flyin'"

  21. #75
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    Re: Western Bulldogs hope Ballarat clash persuades state government to boost Eureka Stadium’s capacity

    Quote Originally Posted by Happy Days View Post
    Probably doesn't help that games in Hobart are the AFEL-equivalent of the BBL; ridiculous scores coupled with horrific skills at every turn. I didn't keep an "official" count but by my estimation there were approximately 350 kicks that went out of bounds on the full on the non-broadcast wing during the Crows/North game.
    Looking at the Ballarat ground - with one side of the ground completely open (no Grandstand), should we expect to see the same type of game riddled with errors and out of the full kicks due to winds?

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