Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

[Mantis]

It's just ****ing dumb!

Why the **** would you play a (meaningful) rd 24 game at a venue that holds just over 10K?

For a number of reasons, I couldn't confirm I could go until this week and when trying to purchase tickets I'm greeted with the 'We couldn't find the tickets you searched for' line.

If we are going to play at this ground, get the games out of the way early in the season.

[The Pie Man]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

Agree with this - we’d probably be on Friday night if played in Melbourne

[chef]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

I like Ballarat, got me ticket and can't wait. Suburban feel.

Love standing at the footy.

[Mantis]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

I like Ballarat, got me ticket and can't wait. Suburban feel.

Love standing at the footy.

Where did I say I didn't like Ballarat?

I've been to 5-6 games there in the past and have no issue with the venue.

My issue is playing a Rd 24 game there and denying a large portion of our supporter base the opportunity to go to a meaningful game.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

Where did I say I didn't like Ballarat?

I've been to 5-6 games there in the past and have no issue with the venue.

My issue is playing a Rd 24 game there and denying a large portion of our supporter base the opportunity to go to a meaningful game.

I'm with you here.

I like Mars Stadium and I'm actually goung, but of all the rounds. It's gonna either be a dead rubber or really important. Any round that from 2-23 is fine.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

It's just ****ing dumb!

Why the **** would you play a (meaningful) rd 24 game at a venue that holds just over 10K?

For a number of reasons, I couldn't confirm I could go until this week and when trying to purchase tickets I'm greeted with the 'We couldn't find the tickets you searched for' line.

If we are going to play at this ground, get the games out of the way early in the season.

Hard agree it's a dumb decision. My guess would be the weather. They try to avoid the worst of it and this game being closer to spring was maybe part of the equation.

I'd be happy to just play the two first home games there and move on from it.

[GVGjr]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

It's a fair point you raise Mantis. Such a critical game to be in a venue that holds 10k
I wonder if our traditionally poor crowd numbers against interstate clubs had worked against us?

[Bornadog]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

. My guess would be the weather. They try to avoid the worst of it and this game being closer to spring was maybe part of the equation.

I believe this is the reason and they have tried to split the two over the season.

[Sedat]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

Where did I say I didn't like Ballarat?

I've been to 5-6 games there in the past and have no issue with the venue.

My issue is playing a Rd 24 game there and denying a large portion of our supporter base the opportunity to go to a meaningful game.

I reckon lessons were learned after the debacle v Port Adelaide in mid July 2018, when it was 5 degrees and hailing sideways with a 3.20pm start time (coldest day I've ever been at the footy by a mile). Since then games at Mars have been either very early or very late in the season to give the best chance of having good weather.

We played there in the last round of 2019 against Adelaide and the weather was perfect - was a very enjoyable day at the footy as we booked our ticket into finals that year.

It's a quirk of the results this season that the game is so high stakes this year - it could easily have been a dead rubber or of lesser relevance than it has ended up being.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

60,000 members and only a 6th can attend.
There's been a dilution of the membership product for ages now.

Another point many don't consider is accessibility.

The parking is horrendous, it's miles from the station so to get the elderly there is a saga.

[comrade]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

Obviously I?m pretty happy it?s in Ballarat this week but yeah, we shouldn?t be playing the final game here. Usually August is ok weather wise, play it first or second week of the month and leave the last game for Marvel.

[Sedat]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

The parking is horrendous, it's miles from the station so to get the elderly there is a saga.

Topic for another day but the V-Line train line runs right past Mars Stadium (across the road from Showgrounds). There is ample room for a new station/platform there (it would almost be right in between Ballarat Central and Wendouree stations, so would be very welcome for residents and businesses in the area, not just for Mars Stadium), but I guess we have other bigger priorities in Victoria like feeding the insatiable consumer demand for a multi billion dollar train line from Cheltenham to Box Hill. Oh and the new scoreboard for Pork Barrell Park.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

Ground size is interesting
Docklands and Eureka identical and Giants stadium pretty close.

[Bornadog]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

60,000 members and only a 6th can attend.
There's been a dilution of the membership product for ages now.

Another point many don't consider is accessibility.

The parking is horrendous, it's miles from the station so to get the elderly there is a saga.

I have been to almost every game and it has rarely been a sell out, if at all. (missed two due to travel overseas)

Sunday only 33,000 people showed up and we have 60k members and North have around the same, so your analogy doesn't work.

Parking - never a problem for me, you need to know where to park

I get it if people don't want to go to Ballarat, but it is good for the future of the club, financially and building membership outside of Melbourne. Ballarat is about the size of Launceston.

[comrade]

Re: Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

I know the OP isn?t arguing it, but we?ll see the ongoing benefits in the future of our partnership with Ballarat from a revenue and membership perspective. I?ve got multiple mates who support other clubs and their kids are obsessed with the Dogs and make their dads take them to our games simply because the Bulldogs sponsor their junior competition and visit the schools all the time. And as a kid growing up in Ballarat through the 90s and early 2000s and being the only Dogs fan I knew of here, it?s pretty crazy to see how many kids these days are wearing Bulldogs merch. It?s everywhere.