Western Bulldogs and their partnership with Ballarat a success

BBBaz

Cancelled
Apr 25, 2007
225
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I usually have a three hour trip each way to get to Melbourne to watch the Doggies play, something I do most times we play in Melbourne. I enjoy the weekends we play in Ballarat, when the travel time is reduced to two hours each way. Whining about an hour each way seems a little ... soft.
 

Mattdougie

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Jun 29, 2013
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Good luck with that, the AFL won’t allow WO to become an alternative stadium when they recently purchased nearby Marvel for billions. It’s also a built up residential area now, council wouldn’t go for it either.

The fact is the Bulldogs need the money from selling a few games.

Imagine your bleating if they were still shipping out to Cairns twice a year lol


Imagine deciding that because your team is vfl quality time want to live in our thread.

So YOU can catch up I don’t want us to play ANYWHERE other than Melbourne and with the handouts the AFL give to the Suns and plastics no team should need to sell games.

Ps - I’d rather go to Cairns and I’d bet as many dog fans would go there as go to Ballarat, and we would get the same amount of memberships added which is basically zero.

It’s purely a handout and I think MY club should be better than that
 
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I usually have a three hour trip each way to get to Melbourne to watch the Doggies play, something I do most times we play in Melbourne. I enjoy the weekends we play in Ballarat, when the travel time is reduced to two hours each way. Whining about an hour each way seems a little ... soft.

A “what’s in it for me?”attitude is a strong theme amongst certain posters.
 

Mattdougie

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Jun 29, 2013
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Western Bulldogs
I usually have a three hour trip each way to get to Melbourne to watch the Doggies play, something I do most times we play in Melbourne. I enjoy the weekends we play in Ballarat, when the travel time is reduced to two hours each way. Whining about an hour each way seems a little ... soft.


Not sure I’ve seen anyone whinge about an hour up the road but nice story I guess. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 

Mattdougie

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Jun 29, 2013
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Western Bulldogs
My membership cost less than my PS4.

Say I didn’t care about Ballarat, I would still be happy paying ~280 for access to our marvel home games.


That isn’t the point mate

Why do Ballarat need a 22000 seat stadium long term?

When would they EVER fill it?

You think they are building it for BFL? Or 2-3 events they get a year they might half fill the place?

No they would be building it hoping to get more games of AFL? The only chance they have of getting close to filling it. They can’t fill it now with locals and bulldogs fans only an hour away.

I have NO interest plying any games there and even less playing more than we already have to suffer there.

That’s my point and it would be the same if it was any other city.
 

Pugz89

Brownlow Medallist
Jun 29, 2015
11,153
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Western Bulldogs
I usually have a three hour trip each way to get to Melbourne to watch the Doggies play, something I do most times we play in Melbourne. I enjoy the weekends we play in Ballarat, when the travel time is reduced to two hours each way. Whining about an hour each way seems a little ... soft.
Same.
 

BulldogJake

All Australian
Jul 24, 2016
996
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Western Bulldogs
Its the same illogical argument that I heard from a Richmond supporter as to why they shouldn't play GWS at Marvel this week. One where they have 100,000 members and the vast majority will be locked out of the stadium. This obviously ignores the fact that one cannot take pets to the footy.

Just because you have a membership doesn't mean you want or can go to every possible home game. Good on those that can, but they would be a small percentage of our overall membership base in my view. Personally pre-pandemic I'd go to 4-5 games a year and Ive been to 0 post. Yet the perceived loss of value that I get through not maximising my membership has never been a disincentive for forking out full freight for a pair of SC memberships.

My support for the club runs deeper than my own self interest.
I'd say when I was living in Australia I'd go to anywhere between 8-12 matches a season with or without a membership since about 06 (of course a lot of this required relatives taking me to games when I was dependable). I do think every football club has about 10-15k supporters that go to 75%+ of home games a season.
 

CarnTheScray

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 4, 2019
6,790
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Western Bulldogs
I'd say when I was living in Australia I'd go to anywhere between 8-12 matches a season with or without a membership since about 06 (of course a lot of this required relatives taking me to games when I was dependable). I do think every football club has about 10-15k supporters that go to 75%+ of home games a season.
I try to attend every Dogs game in Melbourne. Helps we are playing in prime time slots this season.

Not everyone has that luxury to book the tickets on time this year and enter barcodes etc. Some supporters are just lazy or useless with technology as well but some genuinely don't have the time.
 

Roogal

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Dec 7, 2016
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Sounds like a lot of investment for just 2 games though.
Compared against the $80 million that the Hawks have so far secured for their new Dingley development, the $40 million so far at RSEA Park, $30 million for Melbourne at Casey, $25 million for a new stand at Punt Road, and the $40 million presently secured for VUWO; and not a single game of AFL senior H&A footy is intended for any one of those facilities. The $28.6 million so far spent at Ballarat since 2016 to host 2 AFL games, 9 TAC Cup games, 36 BFNL games across three divisions, 18 CHFL games, 2 inter-league games (Ballarat v Geelong and Bendigo), 8 finals games across the BFNL and CHFL, 2 A-League Soccer games, and 1 Super League Rugby game ... and that was just in 2019 / early 2020 alone, argues that the ground may get more usage than many other AFL venues in the country, certainly a lot more than Marvel Stadium. So it's been a bargain really and has brought thousands to Ballarat beyond just the AFL. :thumbsu:
 
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Roogal

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Recent images show the progress of recent works in Ballarat including the completion of partial concreting of the hill, the new toilets and second entrance seem to be on track to be ready for the August game. Also the new steps at the rear of the hill will feed spectators directly from the new Gate 2 directly up to the hill:

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189666558_1911611972334619_965922262636019441_n.jpg
 

Lindsay_Gilbee

Premiership Player
Oct 13, 2017
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I reckon they chose the wrong ground to develop for AFL. City oval is in a much better spot and actually showcases the town better than just the industrial estate off the highway.. three major schools within walking distance which could be used for parking.

The area Mars is in is so gross.
 
I reckon they chose the wrong ground to develop for AFL. City oval is in a much better spot and actually showcases the town better than just the industrial estate off the highway.. three major schools within walking distance which could be used for parking.

The area Mars is in is so gross.
Not to disagree but there's geographical limitations to the flexibility in development. When they started the process as Mars they weren't sure how or when it was going to end and the spaces around it made sense
 

stefoid

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Mar 8, 2002
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Last Sunday's NAB Cup game - Greater Western Victoria Rebels v The Geelong Falcons at Mars Stadium.

Next time you moan about about a little bit of wind or rain in Ballarat, consider ... it could be worse: :winkv1:

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Love this shot - with all the players in the background wandering in different directions and wondering whats going on.
 

footscray1973

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May 17, 2004
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I reckon they chose the wrong ground to develop for AFL. City oval is in a much better spot and actually showcases the town better than just the industrial estate off the highway.. three major schools within walking distance which could be used for parking.

The area Mars is in is so gross.

Which 3 schools? The primary school is not going to provide much parking, and neither is Clarendon if that's one of your 3, as there is only hahndful of off-street spaces at the back in Ajax St. St Pat's has some parking, but most of the parking would be along the lake, Sturt St, and then in the side streets, which neither the council or local residents would find appealing. The scope for any substantial development at City Oval is limited, whereas Mars had existing expansion space to start with, and with the imminent relocation of the showgrounds, will allow a whole precinct dedicated to sport, and significant car parking capacity. With a planned train station to be located near Mars as well, City Oval has no such efficient link to commuters arriving at Ballarat station.

Yes, City Oval is nice and picturesque, and close to the lake, but it was never an option.
 

Lindsay_Gilbee

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Oct 13, 2017
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Which 3 schools? The primary school is not going to provide much parking, and neither is Clarendon if that's one of your 3, as there is only hahndful of off-street spaces at the back in Ajax St. St Pat's has some parking, but most of the parking would be along the lake, Sturt St, and then in the side streets, which neither the council or local residents would find appealing. The scope for any substantial development at City Oval is limited, whereas Mars had existing expansion space to start with, and with the imminent relocation of the showgrounds, will allow a whole precinct dedicated to sport, and significant car parking capacity. With a planned train station to be located near Mars as well, City Oval has no such efficient link to commuters arriving at Ballarat station.

Yes, City Oval is nice and picturesque, and close to the lake, but it was never an option.
Clarendon, St Pats and Loretto could easily open their gates and provide parking throughout their campus’s.

If I had only ever been to Ballarat to watch an AFL game at Mars I’d think it’s the biggest shithole ever.
 

footscray1973

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Clarendon, St Pats and Loretto could easily open their gates and provide parking throughout their campus’s.

If I had only ever been to Ballarat to watch an AFL game at Mars I’d think it’s the biggest shithole ever.

Do you know the school Campuses? I know 2 of them extremely well, being on campus over many years. Clarendon has, at most, 20 actual parking spaces near the science block, only accessible from Ajax St, several of which have school buses parked there when not in use, i.e. when AFL games are on. Most of the campus is inaccessible to cars, and there is no way any of those 3 schools would let vehicles anywhere near their ovals, which in Clarendon and Loreto's case, is the only significant space, and especially in winter. Loreto has the driveway from their main gates, and not much else. St Pat's has limited off street parking on predominantly basketball and other courts, and oval perimeters. You'd be lucky to find parking for 100 cars between all 3 schools.
 
Clarendon, St Pats and Loretto could easily open their gates and provide parking throughout their campus’s.

If I had only ever been to Ballarat to watch an AFL game at Mars I’d think it’s the biggest shithole ever.

I disagree on the parking but agree on the look of the area. It needs a lot of work but believe it will get cleaned up in the next few years as developers etc get more involved.
 

Boristown

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May 24, 2015
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Clarendon, St Pats and Loretto could easily open their gates and provide parking throughout their campus’s.

If I had only ever been to Ballarat to watch an AFL game at Mars I’d think it’s the biggest shithole ever.

Do you really think people just come straight to the ground and immediately leave?

Hosting an AFL game brings millions of out of town revenue into Ballarat through footy fans visiting cafes, restaurants and shops across the game day weekend. Why else would the local council spend 6 figures a year on the partnership?
 

Roogal

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Dec 7, 2016
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Clarendon, St Pats and Loretto could easily open their gates and provide parking throughout their campus’s.

If I had only ever been to Ballarat to watch an AFL game at Mars I’d think it’s the biggest shithole ever.
I doubt that they would, and each of those schools are well over a km from the oval. On your second point, much of the area East, North and South of Mars S is zoned and flagged for major redevelopment , some of which is related to future expansion and development of the Stadium. In 10 years time it will be a vastly different place. Ballarat's future housing strategy is planning for a future new suburb the size of Wendouree and Wendouree West combined (18,000 people) to be developed north of the Western Freeway and this will place Mars S in the population hub of the city adjacent to a widened Midland Highway and a nearby railway station. The Council are already planning to secure much of the land on the old Eureka Valves site as well as the Showground when it closes. These eye sore sites will be developed as new sporting facilities and significant car parks.
 
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