Opinion New AFC HQ: Send in the Bulldozers! Thebarton is Happening!

What should we do?


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Jun 21, 2004
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I think you've hit the nail on the head here.

Can the Adelaide Oval redevelopment morph into a Sporting Hub redevelopment of the area? Redevelop that whole area - Adelaide Oval No 2, the tennis courts, part of the golf course, the Uni No 1 and No 2 ovals

Incorporating the whole lot

A soccer stadium - get rid of Hindmarsh
Basketball stadium - get rid of Apollo Stadium or wherever we are now
Redevelop Memorial Drive
A relocated indoor swimming facility - get rid of the Aquatic Centre
Training facilities for Adelaide Crows and Adelaide United

Mixed in with community facilities.

While we're at it run the Montefiore Hill Road underneath the lot of it.

I'd even get rid of the AEC and use the memorial drive site to build a Rod Laveresque style arena that could hold about 20k for Concerts/Events, tennis and basketball.
 

Mego Red

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I've heard Blight completely contradict himself so I am not sure whether he's being fed an agenda by the club or just forgets what he's said before.

A few months ago he was talking up the Crows Shed and was saying how important it was back in his time at the club to have that connection with the members.

Fast forward a few weeks and he completely flipped and was arguing that having a social facility is not really worthwhile and the club shouldn't be too concerned about it.
I don't think he's being fed an agenda. He's just completely cooked. Him saying that the Crows shouldn't have brought in an independent group to do our review is just the most obvious example.
 

cm_perfect

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Dec 7, 2007
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I think you've hit the nail on the head here.

Can the Adelaide Oval redevelopment morph into a Sporting Hub redevelopment of the area? Redevelop that whole area - Adelaide Oval No 2, the tennis courts, part of the golf course, the Uni No 1 and No 2 ovals

Incorporating the whole lot

A soccer stadium - get rid of Hindmarsh
Basketball stadium - get rid of Apollo Stadium or wherever we are now
Redevelop Memorial Drive
A relocated indoor swimming facility - get rid of the Aquatic Centre
Training facilities for Adelaide Crows and Adelaide United

Mixed in with community facilities.

While we're at it run the Montefiore Hill Road underneath the lot of it.

That kind of forward thinking is not welcome in little old Adelaide for some reason.
 

mulz

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Mar 27, 2009
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Just build the thing, we will still be talking about it this time next year.

Olsen just make the decision and get it done
 

hey shorty

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Jun 15, 2005
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It'd be utterly pointless to spend upwards of $60 million to put our base at Thebarton. May as well stay where it is now.

Make it city or bust.
Where will we put the 2nd oval at West Lakes ??

And I just don't understand the fascination with a city base. It's clear we'll have large restrictions put on us there.
 
Sep 10, 2004
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Where will we put the 2nd oval at West Lakes ??

And I just don't understand the fascination with a city base. It's clear we'll have large restrictions put on us there.

It's not necessarily a fascination with a city base per sè, it's more that an upheaval just to go to Thebarton is pointless and a waste of resources. Personally it won't affect me as I'm unlikely to visit the base whether it's in the city or in the suburbs, but if you're going to actually make the move, make it central and easily accessible.

Ultimately IMO the benefits of a city base would be huge and worth moving for, whilst the benefits of Thebarton aren't worth it and may as well just stay at West Lakes.
 

hey shorty

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30k Posts 10k Posts TheBrownDog
Jun 15, 2005
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It's not necessarily a fascination with a city base per sè, it's more that an upheaval just to go to Thebarton is pointless and a waste of resources. Personally it won't affect me as I'm unlikely to visit the base whether it's in the city or in the suburbs, but if you're going to actually make the move, make it central and easily accessible.

Ultimately IMO the benefits of a city base would be huge and worth moving for, whilst the benefits of Thebarton aren't worth it and may as well just stay at West Lakes.
Explain why the benefits of a city base are greater than Thebby ??
 
Jun 7, 2011
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I've heard Blight completely contradict himself so I am not sure whether he's being fed an agenda by the club or just forgets what he's said before.

A few months ago he was talking up the Crows Shed and was saying how important it was back in his time at the club to have that connection with the members.

Fast forward a few weeks and he completely flipped and was arguing that having a social facility is not really worthwhile and the club shouldn't be too concerned about it.

He lost me when he said last year that we should try Mackay as a forward pocket. Guy is either talking rubbish or talking about his own past achievements. Has anyone ever seen Mackay change direction by doing anything sharper than a slight veer? Has anyone seen him use the left side of his body? There's nothing he's ever shown that suggests he'd be even as good as terrible playing deep ahead of the ball.
 

hey shorty

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30k Posts 10k Posts TheBrownDog
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You don't make 75% of the fan base go out of their way to get to the club before or after a game is one.
Who actually goes to pre and post game things ?? That should be the absolute furthest from the club's thinking

There's so many venues to visit in the city already.
 
Sep 10, 2004
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He lost me when he said last year that we should try Mackay as a forward pocket. Guy is either talking rubbish or talking about his own past achievements. Has anyone ever seen Mackay change direction by doing anything sharper than a slight veer? Has anyone seen him use the left side of his body? There's nothing he's ever shown that suggests he'd be even as good as terrible playing deep ahead of the ball.

Blight has always been like that. Some of it is clever, some eccentric, some he's just taking the piss. Let's face it, in a Grand Final the bloke selected a half back flanker at full forward and picked a 3-game spud of a ruckman so we could play 3 talls, which was against the regular structure but he knew he needed a matchup on Loewe. He has form.
 
Sep 10, 2004
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Didn't Olsen mention theyv were investigating Memorial Drive as that kind of option?

He mentioned that but Port have tried that and doesn't work due to licensing issues.

I'm not saying I think it WILL be in the city - it's pretty clearly going to be Thebarton if we move - my argument is that is a futile exercise and a waste of money.
 
Jun 7, 2011
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Blight has always been like that. Some it is clever, some eccentric, some he's just taking the piss. Let's face it, in a Grand Final the bloke selected a half back flanker at full forward and picked a 3-game spud of a ruckman so we could play 3 talls, which was against the regular structure but he knew he needed a matchup on Loewe. He has form.

Pittman played as a traditional HBF, there was no weird structure about that. And Shane Ellen was a decent overhead mark, strong kick and could actually stop and pivot with ball in hand. Giving him a crack up forward wasn't anything that weird.
 
Oct 9, 2004
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You’re having a laugh

That soon to be 100km/hr freeway makes it more accessible to people in the north and south
Well depends it’s right at the exit/entry to the tunnel.
I know of a business on the southern end near Jarvis Toyota that has been given a year to find a new premises.
they are going to need a bit of space around the entry and exit.
Be good to see a proposed plan of the roads for when the tunnel is finished.
 
You don't make 75% of the fan base go out of their way to get to the club before or after a game is a pretty major one.

Completely irrelevant. It's a training facility, not a social club.

If we're looking at the social club angle, we may as well just put the money we want to spend on a training facility in a big pile and burn it.
 
Sep 10, 2004
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Pittman played as a traditional HBF, there was no weird structure about that. And Shane Ellen was a decent overhead mark, strong kick and could actually stop and pivot with ball in hand. Giving him a crack up forward wasn't anything that weird.

Pittman played as a ruckman for 95% of the year. Selecting Keating as the 3rd tall (backup ruck) so that Pittman could play CHB was definitely a gamble. The only reason Keating played in the Prelim was because Pittman was suspended, and everyone had them as a straight swap for the Grand Final. They kept all 3 in, because they thought Loewe would need a blanket, and Pittman did the job.

Shane Ellen had kicked 2 career goals prior to the Grand Final and was not on the radar to start at full forward on the day. He was named at half back IIRC. Everyone thought it'd be Rehn, Jameson or Smart. I remember it vividly.
 
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