Labor promise Western Bulldogs will play two games in Ballarat every season

[ledge]

They will obviously be interstate teams we play against, don't the Adelaide Crows have a tie with Ballarat too?

[LostDoggy]

They will obviously be interstate teams we play against, don't the Adelaide Crows have a tie with Ballarat too?

When Ballarat was announced, the Adelaide teams were identified as likely teams to be scheduled there as Ballarat is closer to Adelaide than any other interstate venue and driveable for the keen. Cars/busses to Ballarat from Adelaide will have a 2-3 hour less round trip compared to MCG/Etihad.

[Eastdog]

Let's hope both games are not smack bang in the middle of winter. Bbbbrrrrrr...very very cold.

Yep very true B4L. As Ballarat is on higher land this much colder in the winter time.

[Eastdog]

1 Hr 58m from Mooroolbark. That's a 6 can trip. Might need a chauffeur.

If you take the train. Belgrave/Lilydale line then change at Southern Cross and take the Vline
train to Ballarat.

[LostDoggy]

If you took the train. Belgrave/Lilydale line then change at Southern Cross and take the Vline
train to Ballarat.

Just be sure to disguise the cans

[Twodogs]

Brett Goodes.

The locals here (I live in Ballarat, moved here last August when I found out we'd be playing home games here ) are very "local" with their footy — the local news revolves heavily around either local teams or any particular AFL player with a Ballarat connection.

With a raft of talent from this region on our list at present (Stringer, Dickson, Crameri to name just a few) we should be partnering not just with Ballarat but Bendigo as well. Many folks here support the Cats because they're a) seen as a regional team or b) are the closest.

I wouldn't go saying that Bendigo boys are from the Ballarat region in town. If the locals don't lynch you then the Bendigonians certainly will.

[Webby]

When Ballarat was announced, the Adelaide teams were identified as likely teams to be scheduled there as Ballarat is closer to Adelaide than any other interstate venue and driveable for the keen. Cars/busses to Ballarat from Adelaide will have a 2-3 hour less round trip compared to MCG/Etihad.

With only 18,000 seats, we'll pack the ground out without any help from Adelaide clubs. In fact, I can't help but think a lot of them will potentially block out the locals from going.

I can't help but think Gold Coast or GWS would be the better fit. Right size stadium, plus a bit of a home state, home climate advantage.

[LostDoggy]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-new...11-gjkqou.html

The Adelaide angle will definitely be part of the planning though, as outlined above.

[LostDoggy]

Yet according to Google, Ballarat to Geelong and Ballarat to West Footscray are both - 1 hour 11 minutes driving.

Google doesn't have to sit in first gear on the Ring Road. Geelong is closer.

[Twodogs]

Google doesn't have to sit in first gear on the Ring Road. Geelong is closer.

Drive an auto, problem solved.

[Ozza]

Much easier than Canberra, Darwin or Cairns. Looking forward to shivering it out with my bulldog brothers and sisters.

My sentiments exactly. Much prefer the prospect of a little road trip to Ballarat once or twice a year, than our usual interstate home game in the 4:40 timeslot on tv.

[bornadog]

Design for stadium.



story here

[Murphy'sLore]

Well that looks lovely.

[GVGjr]

They should finish it off. It will be a windy hollow if they don't enclose it properly.

[Webby]

They should finish it off. It will be a windy hollow if they don't enclose it properly.

Yep. I also recall the capacity being touted as something like 23k, then 17k and now I see it's 11k....
Surely 11k isn't enough to accommodate one-third of our members?!

I'm slightly underwhelmed with how far this thing's been scaled back..