Worst stadium you have ever been to watch the footy and why?

[bombersfan4000]

Mcg
Can see sweet FA everytime

you can't bag the precious MCG

 

[JD Tomahawk]

you can't bag the precious MCG

haha it's a bit of an eye sore too. For viewing I'd take the old aami stadium

 

[bombersfan4000]

haha it's a bit of an eye sore too. For viewing I'd take the old aami stadium

Lol that place was just as bad as the old Waverley

 

[footyfan1978]

I never went there but why the heck did they make Waverly's surface so large? Even with large playing dimensions for the game the boundary was a very long way in from the fence. Being in the outer must have felt like watching the game from a different postcode.

Yes, was a very different experience to other grounds at the time.
Not only was the fence a long way from the actual boundary line but the gradient of the grandstands was quite small compared to the MCG. So even though you could fit 80,000 in there, if you were in the back of stand you were along way from the action. In terms of atmosphere the MCG had it all over it due to feeling closer to the action.

However the quality of games tended to be good out there because the surface was really good. There was one year it had an issue about 1983. For some reason that season it was particularly muddy out there.

 

[smitasam]

I loved all the old suburban grounds, never had an issue at Windy Hill or Kardinia Park, Vic Park was feral, Princes Park was easy, Arden street, Junction Oval, Lake oval, were all good. Western oval was horrible on a wet day, but they all had atmosphere. I was a kid when i went to those grounds so i guess i was just happy to be there. I don't like the new MCG, it lacks character. Etihad stadium has me confused, i lose direction in there and it's cold with that roof closed. Speaking of cold, Waverley would have you searching for your appendage by half time! Froze my arse off out there on many occasions.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

I'm not reading all the pages in this thread and I'm sure it's been said many times, but for me its Subiaco. The place is an absolute cesspool. The new stadium can't come quick enough.

 

[incubi]

Of the current stadiums only been to Etihad, MCG and Metricon, all of which I think are quite good, Etihad gets a bad rap purely because its not the MCG.
Of the older AFL grounds i went to, Victoria park was the worst, went to the last game there playing little league and facilities were horrible, lines of sight weirdly bad and could barely go to the toilet for the smell. Waverly also had horrible views and was horrible to get to if you didnt drive ( my family would train from Northcote into the City, train to Whitten Oval where the club provided buses).
Optis Oval and Whitten oval werent great facilities wise, but had good atmospheres and Optus at least for my family was easy to get to.

 

[nobbyiscool]

I haven't read the whole thread, just the last few pages - but my nomination is North Hobart Oval. The first time I saw the Eagles play was at North Hobart (vs Fitzroy) in the early 90s. The surface is a cow patch, the ground was still surrounded by a concrete standing area, the field was tiny, the transport was rubbish, and while it was close to the city which should've mitigated the lack of transport, it was up hill.

The other ground I considered was ANZ Stadium. As someone mentioned previously, it's a bugger of a place to get to, and unless it's packed it's devoid of atmosphere. I couldn't believe the difference between a completely silent stadium with 40,000 people there compared with a pumping cacophony with 80,000 there for State of Origin.

 

[Freya]

Etihad is atrocious. No atmosphere, freezing, lights flashing everywhere, stands too steep... it's just awful, I feel sorry for anyone whose team uses this shocker as a home ground.

 

[nobbyiscool]

How can stands in a footy stadium be "too steep"? It's the best thing about Etihad!

 

[Dirty Bird]

How can stands in a footy stadium be "too steep"? It's the best thing about Etihad!

And the low angle in the lower tier is s**t for the MCG!

 

[stmookeyj]

I haven't read the whole thread, just the last few pages - but my nomination is North Hobart Oval. The first time I saw the Eagles play was at North Hobart (vs Fitzroy) in the early 90s. The surface is a cow patch, the ground was still surrounded by a concrete standing area, the field was tiny, the transport was rubbish, and while it was close to the city which should've mitigated the lack of transport, it was up hill.

The other ground I considered was ANZ Stadium. As someone mentioned previously, it's a bugger of a place to get to, and unless it's packed it's devoid of atmosphere. I couldn't believe the difference between a completely silent stadium with 40,000 people there compared with a pumping cacophony with 80,000 there for State of Origin.

Concur with the Olympic Stadium. In oval mode it just doesn't feel like an oval. In rectangular mode with a small crowd you can get lost, and in a big crowd you're basically shunted to the nosebleed section where seeing can be an issue. Plus the surface (having been on it for a world's biggest scrum attempt this year prior to the Bledisloe) is usually about as dry as a nappy after 12 hours use.