Western Oval Memories

[Webby]

So it's not the Chegwidden (love that name!) stand sr Yarraville oval?.

Nope, 100% certain it's the Gent Stand at WO. Easiest way for you to see it is to look up the Jamie Cooper Team of the Century print via google images or to look up the photo of the 1954 flag unfurling in March 1955. It's unmistakable.

[Webby]

IMG_5365.JPG

Here's my attempt...

[Webby]

Wow, it worked, so here's my second attempt...!

IMG_5366.JPG

[Mat Lyons]

Love these!!!

Any more old pics?!

[Can Bar]

Will never forget a Kelvin Templeton goal, launching a Tomahawk Cruise missile from near the Gordon st wing towards the scoreboard end.
Ahhh Yes sliding down the hill at the geelong rd end on discarded Slab boxes as a young pup, dodging rocks was tough. would go home most weeks in a mess.
Later in life was introduced to the Can Bar. on the western wing.

[ledge]

Good to see the Whitten oval now.
Can bar now near the old army reserve building .
To be honest it looks like the replica of the old one under the scoreboard, which brings me to a thought , should have put it under the new scoreboard :-)
The steps and grass at the Geelong road end are just perfect.
Can’t wait to see the stand finished , will it still be the EJ Whitten stand ? I will be surprised if it is considering the ground is now named after him.

[Mantis]

Will never forget a Kelvin Templeton goal, launching a Tomahawk Cruise missile from near the Gordon st wing towards the scoreboard end.
Ahhh Yes sliding down the hill at the geelong rd end on discarded Slab boxes as a young pup, dodging rocks was tough. would go home most weeks in a mess.
Later in life was introduced to the Can Bar. on the western wing.

I used do this with old chip boxes on the dirt hill beside the EJ Whitten Stand (where the training facility is now)

The freedom I had to do whatever the hell I wanted whilst the footy was on was absurd in today's culture.

A day at WO usually had the following involved:

- trying to sneak into the rooms... was usually pretty successful, especially after the game.
- collecting cans to sell.. would usually fill said cans with rocks to add more weight.
- buy body-weight in donuts with money made
- watch the game from any number of spots which included, on top of the umpires race (the sprays the umpires copped at 1/2 and FT were certainly eye-opening for a young lad), climb the hoardings at the Barkley Street end and watch from up top, sneak up into the EJ Whitten stand, etc..

Fun times indeed.

[angelopetraglia]

I used do this with old chip boxes on the dirt hill beside the EJ Whitten Stand (where the training facility is now)

The freedom I had to do whatever the hell I wanted whilst the footy was on was absurd in today's culture.

A day at WO usually had the following involved:

- trying to sneak into the rooms... was usually pretty successful, especially after the game.
- collecting cans to sell.. would usually fill said cans with rocks to add more weight.
- buy body-weight in donuts with money made
- watch the game from any number of spots which included, on top of the umpires race (the sprays the umpires copped at 1/2 and FT were certainly eye-opening for a young lad), climb the hoardings at the Barkley Street end and watch from up top, sneak up into the EJ Whitten stand, etc..

Fun times indeed.

Love it.

How different is that sense of adventure and free spirit compared to children growing up in today's sanitised world.

[bornadog]

Love these!!!

Any more old pics?!

I think I lost those photos when I cancelled my Photobucket account. Not sure if I saved them anywhere

[bornadog]

[Grantysghost]

Where are you and G standing in that photo bad?

[bornadog]

[bornadog]

[Grantysghost]

Practise match? That crowd doesn't seem right.

Ollies family restaurants! Remember the tram out at Essendon or Moonee Ponds?

[bornadog]

Where are you and G standing in that photo bad?

See that shed behind the goals, that was G's old tent, but the club said it was too big