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

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class78

All Australian
Jun 19, 2013
865
1,508
AFL Club
Adelaide
Football Park. Terrible location, windy and impossible to see from most seats. My favourite would have to be Docklands Stadium which is the antithesis of Football Park. Easy to get to, world class viewing angles and the roof is convenient.
 
Oct 31, 2013
14,839
19,353
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Aami, crammed up, felt like a third world country. Etihad wasn't too bad and i enjoyed Kardina. been to gabba quite a bit obviously and i lover it. gotta sit high though because the field has huge camber so if you sit low you wont see the other side very well
 

Lex22

Club Legend
Jun 8, 2011
2,986
3,563
Melbourne
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Worst: Waverley Park, s**t to get to, awful viewing and when the wind got going it was truly awful. Victoria Park, full of numpty's and got bags of urine thrown at me a few times. What a pr**k of a joint that was. Old Kardinia Park was a dump as well, haven't been there in a while, though.

Best: Etihad and the MCG are miles ahead of anything else. Excellent experience to go the footy at them venues. Used to like Optus Oval, really good place to view footy at, just a little hard to get to.
 
ANZ. Hate it.

Bit ordinary as an oval venue it has to be said. Wings seem to be narrow, perimeter in oval mode looks weird and the surface speaks for itself. Heck I even did the Run Sydney half marathon which finished at the ground, looked like they were resurfacing/making room for the drop ins for the KFC BS Cricket comp and it was a hard dry surface.
 
Oct 6, 2013
9,139
6,331
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Sixers, Exers, GWS Womens
I thought ANZ was actually pretty good. Given I was behind the goals the view wasn't bad at all. Don't know why it's such a hated ground - probably just another Sydney excuse as to why they don't show upto sporting events.

If you've ever had the displeasure of getting at seat in the 3 tier stand at Subi, closely followed by anywhere else at Subi, then thread closed. Even AAMI is a much better stadium (albeit in a much worse location).

The atmosphere is the bad side of ANZ for me. Not sure about others.
 

kid_a

Club Legend
Apr 5, 2010
2,317
1,177
Perf
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Hammarby IF, East Freo, Glory
went to watch North Melbourne v West Coast at the old Carrara Stadium on the gold coast back in 2008, I've literally seen some regional ground with better facilities, plus was a bitterly cold rainy night so the 'stadium's' lack of covering became a real issue.
Quite amazing now i think back to how bad it used to be watching AFL on the Gold Coast and how great it is now with the new stadium.
 

Jack Walker

Draftee
Nov 22, 2013
6
1
AFL Club
Collingwood
The topic's name should be "why Subiaco Oval is the worst stadium?" rather than "worst stadium you have ever been to watch the footy and why" :p , I can write an essay on this topic, anyways, the parking for games is disgusting, it took me ages to find a spot for which i missed few minutes of the game. How come there are only 4 clusters of food outlets to serve one of the biggest stadium of western Australia ! I again missed a big part of the game waiting in ques :mad:. And yes the seats... i guess the only stadium with bench seats , not only because its bench but too congested especially when you sit among two fat friends !:D
 

swans2014

Rookie
Nov 14, 2013
45
20
AFL Club
Sydney
ANZ is the worst I've been to (of the 2013 venues I've been to ANZ, AAMI, SCG, MCG, Etihad and Kardinia Park). It feels quite soulless, like a massive concrete shell, and the surface is a disgrace.

Once the new look SCG is ready one option going forward might be to permanently reconfigure ANZ as a rectangular venue and leave it to league, union and the FFA, as those codes make far more regular use of the venue than the AFL anyway. Cricket uses ANZ from time, but still nowhere near as much as the combined usage of the three rectangular field football codes.

The only possible problem with a permanent reconfiguration would be that GWS might one day have to play its home finals at the SCG if the AFL decides that Skoda isn't big enough for a final, but the Etihad teams (and even Geelong) are forced to surrender home ground advantage in finals so there's no reason GWS couldn't do something similar.
 

brisbane13

Cancelled
Nov 27, 2012
2,618
757
AFL Club
Essendon
Subiaco. Have been to Subi, AAMI, SCG, MCG, Etihad, ANZ and Skoda.

However I have been to some NRL suburban grounds that are absolute shitholes which have nothing on any AFL ground in terms of shitholeness, including the old suburban grounds in the AFL.

you are right the old suburban grounds where ok, the NRL ones have grass hills at each end & usual a shitty grand stand with little to zero cover
 

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Dont be a lemon

Brownlow Medallist
Suspended
Jun 2, 2006
17,806
3,527
Party time all the time
AFL Club
Essendon
Melburnians: never say a bad word about the 'G, never say a good one about Etihad.

The problem with Etihad is the pricing.

What do you classify as a fortune?

2013 adult prices

Docklands Stadium
Level 2 $60.70
Level 1 $46.70
Level 3 - 'Premium' $40.70
Level 3 – Designated Seat Match $24.35
General Admission $24.35

MCG
Premium $48.00
Reserved $36.00
General Admission (advance) $26.00
General Admission (gate) $21.50

MCG usually (speaking generally because I only go to Essendon games) "Premium" is level 2 and the wingest parts of level 1, "Reserved" is the rest of level 1 and the wings of level 3, "General Admission" is level 3 behind the goals. However if the crowd is not expected to be great (relatively common with 100,000 seats) "General Admission" can be stuck in the 'crappy' parts of level 1.

At Docklands because it's half the size and other reasons (private ownership for one) the prices are higher and the placing of seating categories basically never change.

TL;DR - Tightwads can't get level 1 at Docklands with a GA ticket.
 
I haven't been to many afl games but I have been to lots of vfl games and I can tell you that Box Hill City Oval is the worst vfl ground and since my dad is a photographer and the ground is shaped like an upside down dinner plate so it's hard to get shots that are fairly far away.
 
most people dislike ANZ. its a wierd size and shape playing field, to small for Cricket, people say the seats are to far back for Rugby & the surface is crap for the afl
As a huge pies fan I watch nearly all of our games on TV. I look at a birds eye view of ANZ and it looks the 50 metre line is right next to the centre square.
 
May 3, 2007
36,003
20,771
Parts Unknown
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Man City, Valencia, Lazio, Panthers
Etihad and MCG are everything that Subi is not.

Subi is just a $hit Hole.

Was a WCE member in the early 90's. Was too young and naïve to realise what a joke sitting on wooden planks were.

I remember a windy day sitting in around the 50m arc. Looking back and up into the 3rd tier stand, some of the plastic seating was floating 20m above it's base / mooring.

Sections of that 3rd tier stand had obstructed views (can only see 50% of the ground at most).

I had a membership in the 3rd tier stand for a few years. Some poor old codger died 3 rows behind me. It was an absolute nightmare, absolutely horrific, for the paramedics to get the body out. Still gives me nightmares. At least the last thing that poor bugger saw was his team playing. I think the WCE were getting thrashed on the day. RIP.

Getting out the ground is a nightmare. That long walk down, constricted stairs. Just an ill designed dung hole.

Once upon a time, there was full strength beer. Then the members rioted in one of the rooms with Damian Drum giving some pi$$ poor excuse again. Full Strength was banned from that day on.

Getting beer or food in general is a joke. You would always miss a part of the game. In comparison to Etihad or MCG? Half time, I can go for a pi$$, skull a full strength pre-mix or beer. Outside for a f**. Another skull. Another pi$$, another super quick f**. Then grab a drink on the way back to the stands with a few minutes to spare.

Toilets are rubbish. Missus refused to go into the girls, someone $hat all over the floor. Both toilets stink, they are old.

These days, I refuse to go to Subi unless I get Corporate Box tickets. I make excuses not to go when I'm offered the "poverty" seats.

I didn't mind the WACA, but car parking was ludicrous. Took 1.5 hours to get 500m away from the ground. I too was at a State of Origin in the early 90's when 75% of the WA players were made up of WCE players. Not too sure if Malthouse was coaching but I do remember it was the year that Eagles were undefeated in the first 13 or so games of the year. I'm thinking it must of been 1991?

Funny story about Subi in the late 80's / early 90's. Back when the city end was a grass hill. On a few occasions, sitting in one of the 2 tier stands (railway side), I'd duck off to the grassy Hill side, behind the Toilet block and light up a joint and take my time having a puff. Made some of the games pretty enjoyable.

Yeap, Subi is a disgrace!


That bolded and underlined bit Reminds me of Hindley street on Saturday nights!

I still remember going to a freo game in 2011. It was Pavs 250th. Only ground I have been to still has wooden benches
 

Sunners

Debutant
Nov 19, 2013
111
60
AFL Club
Sydney
Just about a tie between AAMI & ANZ. AAMI just worse than ANZ because of the wind & the only time I've been there was Rd 13 this year. The point of the siren, seeing this feral Port fan in front of me jump up and cheer, combined with the image of David Koch hugging the person next to him was one of the most depressing images I've ever seen.

Thankfully its gone now, the Adelaide oval will be fantastic, but ANZ now stands alone as the worst ground in the AFL, the surface, the seating, the Swans' record out there, the 'MCG-wannabes' that run ANZ Stadium & the food are much worse than the SCG & Giants Stadium. OK, I live only 10 minutes away from the SCG (hence I get home an hour earlier) but I am a fan of Giants Stadium, I can't go to every interstate game so I sometimes go to matches there & its a great ground (I make a day of it by cycling out).

I dream at the AGM in a couple of years Swans fans will vote not to continue the deal they've got in place like Brisbane fans got rid of the Paddle-pop lion guernsey.
 

Lex22

Club Legend
Jun 8, 2011
2,986
3,563
Melbourne
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Just about a tie between AAMI & ANZ. AAMI just worse than ANZ because of the wind & the only time I've been there was Rd 13 this year. The point of the siren, seeing this feral Port fan in front of me jump up and cheer, combined with the image of David Koch hugging the person next to him was one of the most depressing images I've ever seen.

Thankfully its gone now, the Adelaide oval will be fantastic, but ANZ now stands alone as the worst ground in the AFL, the surface, the seating, the Swans' record out there, the 'MCG-wannabes' that run ANZ Stadium & the food are much worse than the SCG & Giants Stadium. OK, I live only 10 minutes away from the SCG (hence I get home an hour earlier) but I am a fan of Giants Stadium, I can't go to every interstate game so I sometimes go to matches there & its a great ground (I make a day of it by cycling out).

I dream at the AGM in a couple of years Swans fans will vote not to continue the deal they've got in place like Brisbane fans got rid of the Paddle-pop lion guernsey.
Very harsh.
 
This is a brilliant reason why that shithole needs knocking down, I don't even like AFL but after going there quite a few times last year, you guys definitely need a new ground.
I f you dont like AFL why do you have an account on bigfooty?????
 

MilduraHeat

Cancelled
Mar 1, 2014
172
53
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Locally melton south's oval. It's tiny.
However, to make up for it the grounds staff are good
 

Richo83

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 2, 2005
19,853
7,540
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
I have four which really stick out.

Waverley, I remember watching Richmond games as a kid where Richmond would play woefully and get spanked by Hawthorn or something. And it would rain, and the benches would give me 59 splinters. And if you lived in western Melbourne it took about an hour to get there and about half an hour to park. And the food was terrible. It looked like it was designed by the CCCP, it was a bleak concrete box.

Subiaco, not hard to get there, bu once you're there, you're not enthused. I sat on benches which shouldn't exist at professional stadiums, and ate terrible. It's also hideous.

AAMI stadium. In the middle of nowhere, hard to get, we had to take a bus which took about an hour. The food was terrible, the ground is very ugly. At least it lacks benches.

Kardinia park, back in the days where they had standing room for general admission tickets, impossible to see.

I liked the gabba, we all bought general admission tickets for the lower deck, and it was rubbish for seeing the match, so we went up to the members section. It was nice, centrally located, food was good and the viewing was fine.
 
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