Whitten (Western) Oval. A bucket list item ticked

I spent every winter of my childhood, adolescence and young adulthood going to the Western (now Whitten!) Oval for the footy with my Dad and my Auntys and Uncles (and their assocated footy mates). Born in the mid 60's, I literally can't remember a time before going to the ground. As a young kid to an pre teen, we stood at the Barkly St end, and I rode cardboard toboggans down the back of the mound to the tennis courts, raced other kids up and over the tennis court fences to retrieve footy roosted (all too often by the opposition) through the goals and onto the courts (even was first to one once), climbed to the top of the new hoardings when they went in, or stood on my milkcrate and barracked with the family. It was a familiar playground.

At some point we moved to the Geelong road end (maybe to finally get away from the oppo cheersquads!). Our family meeting/viewing point from then remained constant - beside the powerpole, under the speaker through which you could hear the needle dropped on the 45, so the Fable Singers could belt out "Sons of the 'Scray", before, and sometimes after, the game.

I was there for the last game, I was there when Neil Scahse went down, when Templeton kicked 15, counless times when Hawkins won a 1 on 1 from a kickout (and the day he came back from his knee), when we held Carlton to one goal, when Quinlan kicked a goal from the center circle, when Libba jnr did his knee, there for countless harsh defeats, and many sweet victories. I've been on the ground helping hold up the banner, queued for finals tickets, taken my life in my hands taking a leak in the Gordon St toilets, watched from inside the old scoreboard, knew how to sneak into the stands, and the rooms after the game. I've had pies from the 4n20 kids, donuts from the purple van, peanuts from the peanut man, franks from Huttons, and VB's from the Can Bar (in all it's interations). Wins, losses, draws, Rain, wind, hail sunshine. Never left early, never lost an argument with the opposition ;-)

I love that oval.

I started skydiving in 1990, done over 5000 jumps since then. I've jumped into the Grand Prix, the MCG, over the Sydney Harbour bridge, off the Westgate, into every racecourse in Melbourne, Princes Park, Royal Park, Albert Park, Falkner park.

But never my home ground.

Last week I heard that a buddy was delivering the contest ball for the 104.3 "Gran Final". So I called in some favours, and got on the jump with him.

Today, I got a brand new view of the oval. Bucketlist item ticked off.

http://sideways-technologies.co.uk/f...44434f7921.jpg

Final approach. My new favourite view of my oldest favourite oval.

Great story, thank you for sharing.

Great stuff NoseBleed. Thanks for sharing.

Wow 5000 jumps! Once was enough for me!

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Originally Posted by Axe Man

Wow 5000 jumps! Once was enough for me!

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Another 5000 and a bit to break NoseBleed record :D

Fantastic story Nosebleed. Brought back a lot of memories for me too.

How gorgeous is that green in the middle of Melbourne suburbia, I relate to all the things you mention nosebleed, my first game live was around 1974 I was 11.
Great photo.

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Originally Posted by Axe Man

Wow 5000 jumps! Once was enough for me!

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No wonder his name is Nosebleed. Did you do a dual one or on your own.?

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Originally Posted by bornadog

No wonder his name is Nosebleed. Did you do a dual one or on your own.?

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With a bloke strapped to my back. The only way I was jumping out of perfectly good plane was if I was forced to.

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Originally Posted by Axe Man

With a bloke strapped to my back. The only way I was jumping out of perfectly good plane was if I was forced to.

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Still need some guts to do it, good on you.

Mount Dandenong in the top left or maybe Kinglake/Warburton?

Brilliant, great post

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Originally Posted by Eastdog

Mount Dandenong in the top left or maybe Kinglake/Warburton?

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You Yang mountains I think. I'm not 100% sure though.

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Originally Posted by Twodogs

You Yang mountains I think. I'm not 100% sure though.

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No I believe that shot is facing north east so I’m guessing Kinglake. You Yangs would be behind that shot in the south west is not in view.

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Originally Posted by Eastdog

Mount Dandenong in the top left or maybe Kinglake/Warburton?

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Toolangi

Great story mate ta it put me right back at the ground c. 1980 sliding down the rocks on cardboard at the Geelong Road end.

Great story. Thanks for that. So many memories. If you were brought up when we played footy at the Western Oval and didn't do all those things are you even a doggies supporter??

Nice - that post brings back so many memories. Spent my childhood weekends freezing my nuts off in the Barkly st end forward/back pocket!

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Originally Posted by AshMac

Nice - that post brings back so many memories. Spent my childhood weekends freezing my nuts off in the Barkly st end forward/back pocket!

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Then getting home and standing with your back to the vulcan gas heater while watching the Big League and the Winners on TV.

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Originally Posted by Twodogs

Then getting home and standing with your back to the vulcan gas heater while watching the Big League and the Winners on TV.

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Correction: the Pyrox Gas Heater...

Attachment 953

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Originally Posted by Prince Imperial

Correction: the Pyrox Gas Heater...

Attachment 953

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Anyone for a Pyrox Vulcan gas heater!

Great Nosebleed, you took us all up there with you. Congrats on your great achievements that most of us only could only dream of. I did go to a meeting at uni titled "Flying high with LSD" which turned out to be ' La Trobe Sky Divers' but still haven't taken that big leap.

That's awesome Nosebleed thanks for sharing so many memories for you and your family. Hope you were at the geelong rd end for Beasers goal after the siren as at that stage I followed him end to end.

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Originally Posted by strebla

That's awesome Nosebleed thanks for sharing so many memories for you and your family. Hope you were at the geelong rd end for Beasers goal after the siren as at that stage I followed him end to end.

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We used to to do that too. It was better than aatching our defence fumble games away . Spent most of the 1980s traipsing from one end of the suburban grounds to the other.

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Originally Posted by Twodogs

We used to to do that too. It was better than aatching our defence fumble games away . Spent most of the 1980s traipsing from one end of the suburban grounds to the other.

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Even when a wind favoured one end?
I was a Doug Hawkins wing sticker, even if it meant standing with the opposition.

A few of my mates were the same but for some reason never been one to watch from the wings.

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Originally Posted by BornInDroopSt'54

Even when a wind favoured one end?
I was a Doug Hawkins wing sticker, even if it meant standing with the opposition.

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Yep. There were a couple of grounds that had members' enclosures at one end but most grounds gave you access from one end to the other.

Great memories Nosebleed and explains your name on here!!

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Originally Posted by BornInDroopSt'54

Even when a wind favoured one end?
I was a Doug Hawkins wing sticker, even if it meant standing with the opposition.

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When I was around 4, 5 years old we stood behind the Barkley st goals, probably because we lived in Barkley st for awhile and my Dad just walked up and stayed in the spot. After we moved out to West Sunshine, we stood at the Geelong rd end, but as I got older and met mates at the ground we ended up between the umpires race and our players race. Met the same guys there for over 15 years.

Fantastic photo of the ground NoseBleed. Yes the real true days of us playing at WO was before my time being born in 1989 but it is great to hear woofers stories of the ground. I have been there a number of times now for a few VFL matches, recent family days and the 2016 GF training session and fan day celebrations after we won the flag which was just unbelievable. I plan to head there for the family day again. Would be good to check out that Bulldog museum - Is it open when the family day is on?

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Originally Posted by Eastdog

Fantastic photo of the ground NoseBleed. Yes the real true days of us playing at WO was before my time being born in 1989 but it is great to hear woofers stories of the ground. I have been there a number of times now for a few VFL matches, recent family days and the 2016 GF training session and fan day celebrations after we won the flag which was just unbelievable. I plan to head there for the family day again. Would be good to check out that Bulldog museum - Is it open when the family day is on?

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The Bulldog Museum doesn't have a proper home any more since the renovation to the women's change room. It has been spread out abit near the Cafe.

Once the redevelopment happens it will find a more permanent home.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

The Bulldog Museum doesn't have a proper home any more since the renovation to the women's change room. It has been spread out abit near the Cafe.

Once the redevelopment happens it will find a more permanent home.

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Yes I noticed a bit of it in the cafe when I was last there.

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Originally Posted by NoseBleed

I spent every winter of my childhood, adolescence and young adulthood going to the Western (now Whitten!) Oval for the footy with my Dad and my Auntys and Uncles (and their assocated footy mates). Born in the mid 60's, I literally can't remember a time before going to the ground. As a young kid to an pre teen, we stood at the Barkly St end, and I rode cardboard toboggans down the back of the mound to the tennis courts, raced other kids up and over the tennis court fences to retrieve footy roosted (all too often by the opposition) through the goals and onto the courts (even was first to one once), climbed to the top of the new hoardings when they went in, or stood on my milkcrate and barracked with the family. It was a familiar playground.

At some point we moved to the Geelong road end (maybe to finally get away from the oppo cheersquads!). Our family meeting/viewing point from then remained constant - beside the powerpole, under the speaker through which you could hear the needle dropped on the 45, so the Fable Singers could belt out "Sons of the 'Scray", before, and sometimes after, the game.

I was there for the last game, I was there when Neil Scahse went down, when Templeton kicked 15, counless times when Hawkins won a 1 on 1 from a kickout (and the day he came back from his knee), when we held Carlton to one goal, when Quinlan kicked a goal from the center circle, when Libba jnr did his knee, there for countless harsh defeats, and many sweet victories. I've been on the ground helping hold up the banner, queued for finals tickets, taken my life in my hands taking a leak in the Gordon St toilets, watched from inside the old scoreboard, knew how to sneak into the stands, and the rooms after the game. I've had pies from the 4n20 kids, donuts from the purple van, peanuts from the peanut man, franks from Huttons, and VB's from the Can Bar (in all it's interations). Wins, losses, draws, Rain, wind, hail sunshine. Never left early, never lost an argument with the opposition ;-)

I love that oval.

I started skydiving in 1990, done over 5000 jumps since then. I've jumped into the Grand Prix, the MCG, over the Sydney Harbour bridge, off the Westgate, into every racecourse in Melbourne, Princes Park, Royal Park, Albert Park, Falkner park.

But never my home ground.

Last week I heard that a buddy was delivering the contest ball for the 104.3 "Gran Final". So I called in some favours, and got on the jump with him.

Today, I got a brand new view of the oval. Bucketlist item ticked off.

http://sideways-technologies.co.uk/f...44434f7921.jpg

Final approach. My new favourite view of my oldest favourite oval.

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Great recollections Nose and wonderfully told.
I've already made arrangements for my ashes to be spread over windswept patch of green.

By the way, i did a jump once with a bloke on my back. Strongest bout of nausea ever.

I wonder if someone has a shot of Whitten Oval on the day after we won the premiership in 2016 with the 30,000 fans packed in.

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Originally Posted by NoseBleed

I spent every winter of my childhood, adolescence and young adulthood going to the Western (now Whitten!) Oval for the footy with my Dad and my Auntys and Uncles (and their assocated footy mates). Born in the mid 60's, I literally can't remember a time before going to the ground. As a young kid to an pre teen, we stood at the Barkly St end, and I rode cardboard toboggans down the back of the mound to the tennis courts, raced other kids up and over the tennis court fences to retrieve footy roosted (all too often by the opposition) through the goals and onto the courts (even was first to one once), climbed to the top of the new hoardings when they went in, or stood on my milkcrate and barracked with the family. It was a familiar playground.

At some point we moved to the Geelong road end (maybe to finally get away from the oppo cheersquads!). Our family meeting/viewing point from then remained constant - beside the powerpole, under the speaker through which you could hear the needle dropped on the 45, so the Fable Singers could belt out "Sons of the 'Scray", before, and sometimes after, the game.

I was there for the last game, I was there when Neil Scahse went down, when Templeton kicked 15, counless times when Hawkins won a 1 on 1 from a kickout (and the day he came back from his knee), when we held Carlton to one goal, when Quinlan kicked a goal from the center circle, when Libba jnr did his knee, there for countless harsh defeats, and many sweet victories. I've been on the ground helping hold up the banner, queued for finals tickets, taken my life in my hands taking a leak in the Gordon St toilets, watched from inside the old scoreboard, knew how to sneak into the stands, and the rooms after the game. I've had pies from the 4n20 kids, donuts from the purple van, peanuts from the peanut man, franks from Huttons, and VB's from the Can Bar (in all it's interations). Wins, losses, draws, Rain, wind, hail sunshine. Never left early, never lost an argument with the opposition ;-)

I love that oval.

I started skydiving in 1990, done over 5000 jumps since then. I've jumped into the Grand Prix, the MCG, over the Sydney Harbour bridge, off the Westgate, into every racecourse in Melbourne, Princes Park, Royal Park, Albert Park, Falkner park.

But never my home ground.

Last week I heard that a buddy was delivering the contest ball for the 104.3 "Gran Final". So I called in some favours, and got on the jump with him.

Today, I got a brand new view of the oval. Bucketlist item ticked off.

http://sideways-technologies.co.uk/f...44434f7921.jpg

Final approach. My new favourite view of my oldest favourite oval.

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I can see my house! Can anyone else see there's?

Actually I can see the last three houses I have lived in.

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Originally Posted by HOSE B ROMERO

Great recollections Nose and wonderfully told.
I've already made arrangements for my ashes to be spread over windswept patch of green.

By the way, i did a jump once with a bloke on my back. Strongest bout of nausea ever.

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Don't tell the club or the council or they might try and stop you. I work in Age Care and the other day someone told me there was a big problem with players getting graze marks when they fell over at training and they couldn't figure out why. So they did an analysis of the soil and found that there was a lot of metal and harsh elements in it that typically go into heart pacemakers that had been spread over the surface of the grounds from people spreading (or having their ashes spread more accurately) on the surface of the ground and it was scraping and grazing the players' skin.

I just went down with my son and we spread dad where we used to stand. We didn't tell anyone we were going to do it and he's not on the surface of the playing arena. He's up on the terrace and when I need to talk to him I know where to go.

My family bought plaques in the Whitten Stand - Mum and Dad are next to Jarrod Grant

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Originally Posted by I’m Not Bitter Anymore!

My family bought plaques in the Whitten Stand - Mum and Dad are next to Jarrod Grant

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I have one too, but haven't really looked at it. I must check it out at some stage.

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Originally Posted by Twodogs

Don't tell the club or the council or they might try and stop you. I work in Age Care and the other day someone told me there was a big problem with players getting graze marks when they fell over at training and they couldn't figure out why. So they did an analysis of the soil and found that there was a lot of metal and harsh elements in it that typically go into heart pacemakers that had been spread over the surface of the grounds from people spreading (or having their ashes spread more accurately) on the surface of the ground and it was scraping and grazing the players' skin.

I just went down with my son and we spread dad where we used to stand. We didn't tell anyone we were going to do it and he's not on the surface of the playing arena. He's up on the terrace and when I need to talk to him I know where to go.

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Strewth! Maybe i will nominate the oval unless ive got a pacemaker in which case it will be against the players race. Not planned for anytime soon. And definitely not via the council.