Rumour Optus Stadium surface issues

Herne Hill Hammer

Cancelled
10k Posts
Jun 22, 2008
24,580
21,272
AFL Club
Geelong
I just get confused with all the sponsors name’s, the naming for the ovals seems to change regularly.

In relation to Geelong, saying they are playing at Geelong, I know exactly where they are playing.

It was more in reference to the amount of West Aussies on here that spell it as Kardinya rather than Kardinia.

It has been Shell, Baytec, Skilled, Simmonds but will always be Kardinia to us.

I actually don't mind it being GMHBA Stadium. GMHBA are a Geelong company that have been big in the town for over 80 years.
 

JohnZ

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 10, 2016
7,757
11,594
AFL Club
Geelong
I think the main issue with the hardness of Docklands is that the concrete car park is under it. That won't be getting fixed unless the demolish it and start again.
The car park is under the stands.
The foundation under the oval isn’t terribly deep which means the top soil is pretty shallow, that’s what makes it hard. Same issues with optus apparently
 
Nov 10, 2013
23,825
37,122
The Valley near the Alley
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Hell no
It was more in reference to the amount of West Aussies on here that spell it as Kardinya rather than Kardinia.

It has been Shell, Baytec, Skilled, Simmonds but will always be Kardinia to us.

I actually don't mind it being GMHBA Stadium. GMHBA are a Geelong company that have been big in the town for over 80 years.
That’s because there is a suburb in Perth Kardinya.
It’s like people from NSW who have an Armidale but in Vic and WA there is an Armadale
 

Numero Uno

Club Legend
Mar 28, 2019
2,645
3,939
AFL Club
West Coast
Last edited:
Jul 26, 2007
31,909
33,080
Darwin
AFL Club
West Coast
https://thewest.com.au/sport/perth-...optus-stadium-surface-hardness-ng-b881228097z

Well the ARL is having a look at the Optus stadium surface before state of origin. Reading the article this jumped off the page to me.

Mr McKenna dismissed a persistent rumour that the reason for the hardness was that Optus Stadium’s turf was laid on concrete.

“The stadium was built on a swamp,” he said. “There was soil that was compressed to provide an impermeable layer and after that we laid down 400mm of gravel for drainage, 300mm of sand and then about 40mm of turf.

“You are talking about nearly a metre of stuff between the top of grass and the layer of dirt underneath it.”

300mm of sand. What do you put under concrete? SAND.

Why? Because it compacts nice and hard and doesn't move.

Same at the beach, wet sand gets hard.

So 4cm of turf may move a bit but 30cm of sand won't. If wet it will stay hard. Sand is not topsoil or dirt as McKenna calls it.

They aren't called Sandgropers for no reason, Perth is built on sand. To get this right they need to pull up the sand and replace it with 15-20cm with some decent clay/top soil blend above the sand. That will provide some movement under foot.

No wonder players are getting injured.
 
Last edited:

Ok Boomer

Cancelled
A Star Wars Fan Pokemon is Life
Jul 27, 2015
8,965
14,495
South West
AFL Club
West Coast
freo supporters were very chirpy earlier in the year claiming Adam Simpson was using stadium issues as an excuse

not the 1st ignorant claim they have made over the years
Pretty sad that they only want to find a solution now because they are realising that it is hurting them too.
 

WillieNillie

All Australian
Mar 31, 2018
866
2,052
AFL Club
West Coast
What happens very much depends on the Big Bash. Its been requested that the Scorchers do not start playing any home games till mid January in order to tear it up and well start again once the test match is over. Everyone will lose a lot of money with this so the current hold up is who pays what.
 

mouncey2franklin

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 16, 2018
8,644
15,438
AFL Club
North Melbourne
How in this day and age can a mistake like this be made?

I remember the disaster of the Docklands and its initial turf issues, back then it was like, 'how could people mess this up?'

Now two decades later and the same mistakes have been made, have they?

How? Who gets paid for these decisions? Who gets fired and is never given another job in the industry?

Farcical and disgraceful.
 

WillieNillie

All Australian
Mar 31, 2018
866
2,052
AFL Club
West Coast
Carlton put in complaints post game about the stadium. Told officials they took advise from Subiaco medical staff in not playing Cripps and the players pretty much told them it was the right call.

Put money on Carlton to get flogged next week as on the face of it they won't pull up well
 
Sep 23, 2006
10,593
14,967
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Subiaco
It seems as though the Gabba had similar problems.

Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown revealed he and his teammates battled a similar issue with the Gabba during their premiership era.

“Leigh Matthews ordered that we had to go and train somewhere else, because when they did it up for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and they played some soccer games there, it’s a problem with the modern stadiums,” Brown said on Fox Footy.

“When they build them new, there's a heavy sand base now to help the draining. It's hard for them to soften it up.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...f/news-story/17b43a5e212b772134caebd891abd014
 

ryancash

All Australian
Apr 27, 2017
686
2,291
AFL Club
Richmond
It was more in reference to the amount of West Aussies on here that spell it as Kardinya rather than Kardinia.

It has been Shell, Baytec, Skilled, Simmonds but will always be Kardinia to us.

I actually don't mind it being GMHBA Stadium. GMHBA are a Geelong company that have been big in the town for over 80 years.
It's Western Stralya mate!
 
Back