Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

I used to drive down from the country and time it so i arrived at half time in the reserves. I would come over the overpass and pull into the service lane and then wack the car into reverse and park near Kings funeral directors. Fifty metre walk from the scoreboard entrance. My favourite spot in the ground was to stand right against the players race. You could look down the race and would be privileged to spot the captain (Jimmy Edmond, Dougie, Stevie Wallis etc) leading the boys down before anybody else saw them. Faces full of intensity and nerves. There would be always lots of kids sitting on the top of the wire on top of the race. And the roar. It is still one of my most vivid and emotional memories of following the dogs. Also you could get into the rooms after the games. It's a real pity that none of this is possible anymore. I don't want it to sound as if 'everything was better in the good old days', but modern stadiums around the world just can't replicate the experience. And standing at the footy just kills sitting especially when the crowd is 'going off'!

For a few years i did stand against wire fence in front of the Gent stand. Pretty good, especially the day when the Pieman took 'that' mark against the Pies. We nearly shook the fence off it's foundations.

I had no idea there was standing room in the Gent stand!! We just presumed it was all seating. Would have liked to give it a crack too.

[merantau]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

Absolutely agree re standing at the footy. I cannot stand sitting down! When you are sitting it just dilutes the entire experience.

[Twodogs]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

I used to drive down from the country and time it so i arrived at half time in the reserves. I would come over the overpass and pull into the service lane and then wack the car into reverse and park near Kings funeral directors. Fifty metre walk from the scoreboard entrance. My favourite spot in the ground was to stand right against the players race. You could look down the race and would be privileged to spot the captain (Jimmy Edmond, Dougie, Stevie Wallis etc) leading the boys down before anybody else saw them. Faces full of intensity and nerves. There would be always lots of kids sitting on the top of the wire on top of the race. And the roar. It is still one of my most vivid and emotional memories of following the dogs. Also you could get into the rooms after the games. It's a real pity that none of this is possible anymore. I don't want it to sound as if 'everything was better in the good old days', but modern stadiums around the world just can't replicate the experience. And standing at the footy just kills sitting especially when the crowd is 'going off'!

For a few years i did stand against wire fence in front of the Gent stand. Pretty good, especially the day when the Pieman took 'that' mark against the Pies. We nearly shook the fence off it's foundations.

I had no idea there was standing room in the Gent stand!! We just presumed it was all seating. Would have liked to give it a crack too

The Can Bar is probably the greatest place I have ever been in my life. Access was by a little door at the back of the stand.

[GVGjr]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

The Can Bar is probably the greatest place I have ever been in my life. Access was by a little door at the back of the stand.

Same here. I'd get to the ground before the reserves played and the moment I entered the ground straight up the stairs into the can bar to secure a seat or two. There was even a time when I used to sit near Harry Beitzel while he was he was calling the game. Used to get into a chat with Tommy Lahiff as well. I could have talked to him for hours.

[Twodogs]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

Same here. I'd get to the ground before the reserves played and the moment I entered the ground straight up the stairs into the can bar to secure a seat or two. There was even a time when I used to sit near Harry Beitzel while he was he was calling the game. Used to get into a chat with Tommy Lahiff as well. I could have talked to him for hours.

And the coach virtually had to walk through the middle of it to get to his coaching box. It must have been the only coaching box in the competition entirely surrounded by a bunch of drunken supporters. Poor Alan Joyce looked quite unhappy at times.

[Bornadog]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

The Can Bar is probably the greatest place I have ever been in my life. Access was by a little door at the back of the stand.

I didn't know there was access by a little door? I only went up from the stairs at the side of the stand. Ran into EJ a couple of times going up. He was broadcasting for that Geelong station.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

Was there ever anywhere you could sneak into the ground? You would hear of holes in fences at different grounds.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

Same here. I'd get to the ground before the reserves played and the moment I entered the ground straight up the stairs into the can bar to secure a seat or two. There was even a time when I used to sit near Harry Beitzel while he was he was calling the game. Used to get into a chat with Tommy Lahiff as well. I could have talked to him for hours.

Early-mid 90's Harry and Tommy would broadcast the 'Selectors Table' from the ground on Thursday nights on 3WRB. I remember each week Harry would read from the 'Bulldog bible'. Harry was never one to miss out on an opportunity

[Twodogs]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

Early-mid 90's Harry and Tommy would broadcast the 'Selectors Table' from the ground on Thursday nights on 3WRB. I remember each week Harry would read from the 'Bulldog bible'. Harry was never one to miss out on an opportunity

They were great nights. The food and footy great. It was like a bulldog footy show with dinner thrown in.


Now that I think about it with the selection of teams and the panel of three players

[1eyedog]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

Was there ever anywhere you could sneak into the ground? You would hear of holes in fences at different grounds.

Used to watch people enter the ground through the fenceline from the Geelong Road end all the time. The hill was where you got in for free.

[1eyedog]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

I didn't know there was access by a little door? I only went up from the stairs at the side of the stand. Ran into EJ a couple of times going up. He was broadcasting for that Geelong station.

Krock. Yeah there was a door at the back of the stand. Young kids used to get in early and take up good seats and then stand next to the door to trade them for sweets and sodas before the start of the game. Then start their can runs around the ground. We used to have a great time. Didn't watch too much footy except when KT got it but we always started the match with a pie and drink and collected a couple of dollars worth of cans at Sims Metal after the game. Good times.

[jeemak]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

Over in the east and growing up within a 15 minute walk to VFL Park I didn't get to sneak into Western Oval, nor did I get to attend games there as often as I'd have liked.

However, I used to know VFL Park like the back of my hand.

Throughout the course of a few years when I was around eight to ten a group of us used to sneak in and play gang tiggy each holidays. There'd be seven or so of us and it would keep us occupied all day. Things got really sophisticated when we realised the badminton set given to my brother and I for Christmas could actually be used to jimmy open the huge black doors in the Sir Kenneth Luke stand. With the head of the racquet removed and the stem bent appropriately those doors never stood a chance, given they only had gate levers rather than locks on them.

On the southern side of the ground there used to be a huge mound near the lake on which we could ride and stack our bikes in feats more dangerous than I care to remember.

Some days the Blue Coats would let us wander in during intra club and external practice matches. I remember David Cloke nearly crushing me on the goal line as a couple of mates and I got a little too close to the action as the goal umpire was otherwise tied up in the play unfolding before him.

Good times. I saw many a game at Waverley, it was a ground for all of us. I hate the Hawks owned it and now see it as their own and I'll be grateful when they move to Keysborough.

[Twodogs]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

I didn't know there was access by a little door? I only went up from the stairs at the side of the stand. Ran into EJ a couple of times going up. He was broadcasting for that Geelong station.

Yeah, it was a bit like Hernando's Hideway. You knocked three times and whispered low that you and I were sent by Joe* then strike a match and you will know you were in the can bar, ole!


*actually you had to show the bloke your social club medallion.

[jeemak]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

Yeah, it was a bit like Hernando's Hideway. You knocked three times and whispered low that you and I were sent by Joe* then strike a match and you will know you were in the can bar, ole!


*actually you had to show the bloke your social club medallion.

Or like Leisure Suit Larry One - Ken Sent Me!

[Eastdog]

Re: Getting to the Whitten Oval on matchdays in the VFL days and Early AFL days

I used to drive down from the country and time it so i arrived at half time in the reserves. I would come over the overpass and pull into the service lane and then wack the car into reverse and park near Kings funeral directors. Fifty metre walk from the scoreboard entrance. My favourite spot in the ground was to stand right against the players race. You could look down the race and would be privileged to spot the captain (Jimmy Edmond, Dougie, Stevie Wallis etc) leading the boys down before anybody else saw them. Faces full of intensity and nerves. There would be always lots of kids sitting on the top of the wire on top of the race. And the roar. It is still one of my most vivid and emotional memories of following the dogs. Also you could get into the rooms after the games. It's a real pity that none of this is possible anymore. I don't want it to sound as if 'everything was better in the good old days', but modern stadiums around the world just can't replicate the experience. And standing at the footy just kills sitting especially when the crowd is 'going off'!

For a few years i did stand against wire fence in front of the Gent stand. Pretty good, especially the day when the Pieman took 'that' mark against the Pies. We nearly shook the fence off it's foundations.

I had no idea there was standing room in the Gent stand!! We just presumed it was all seating. Would have liked to give it a crack too.

Great story mate!