Goulburn Valley FL 2022

[Trent the flight Steward]

I understand the perspective as QEO is a great ground but North gets used on the basis that the Bulldogs are trying to make Ballarat a stronghold for them in the west as they look to expand their footprint beyond their original heartland.
IMO it'd be great if other sides took a similar approach to engage fans in regional Vic.

I'm surprised many other marvel clubs don't use Bendigo, Shepp, Morwell to play their home games against interstate teams, the amount of money they'd lose from a crowd of 15k at marvel can't be worth it. Bulldogs would be doing great with their 3 or 4 games they play at the rat, as are north in Hobart and the Hawks in Launceston.

Add in the Coleman of the bush, and probably the best player outside of the AFL in the mid 90s Stephen Oliver boots and even chicken Nixon was a blue with Bendigo ties, and in recent times doering, lock, Livingston, Prendergast, young, beasy, Walker from the pios.

Just imagine a 10k crowd at the qeo for the blues v lions or Freo on a Sunday Arvo

 

[Blueboy67]

And Ashman, Dean, Hartney, Oliver, Williams etc Go Baggers!


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And Des English who was recruited from Eaglehawk and played in the Blues back to back flags in 1981/82 prior to being diagnosed with cancer. He beat it and is still going strong working as a posty in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Ripping bloke and loves a cold beer.

 

[Bush Fly]

Macedon is probably the most picturesque oval in the state, Barwon heads and Lorne also have nice grounds. The best ground surface was tooleybuc, it was like playing on a fairway, rooms was moama, with the heating, warm up areas, wandella is the most out of the way, think it's the only ground where you need to drive a fair way on a gravel road, within a Forrest and in flat country was placed on a hill, where one wing is a couple of metres higher then the other side. I'd say from a historic point of view the qeo in Bendigo is up there as well

Barooga surface is tip top as well best I've seen at Country level.

 

[Blues1977]

Barooga surface is tip top as well best I've seen at Country level.

Kings Park Seymour come September is one of the best surfaces. Great size oval too.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Barooga surface is tip top as well best I've seen at Country level.

Surface spot on but because of the crest in the middle your always either running up or down . Hard on the calves .


Added :

I’ve always found it interesting that the two shepp based and Mooroopna grounds are facing more east / west yet the majority of grounds have a more north / south aspect . Seymour would be another I’d say that faces more east / west than north / south .

 

[Blues1977]

Surface spot on but because of the crest in the middle your always either running up or down . Hard on the calves .


Added :

I’ve always found it interesting that the two shepp based and Mooroopna grounds are facing more east / west yet the majority of grounds have a more north / south aspect . Seymour would be another I’d say that faces more east / west than north / south .

Who would have the biggest oval in the GV? Seymour? Definitely not the Square at Echuca!

 

[Bootz36]

Kings Park Seymour come September is one of the best surfaces. Great size oval too.

Beautiful surface…. Except for wood duck crap all over it! Need to bring back duck season to it’s traditional date to solve this problem!


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[localfootyguru]

I understand the perspective as QEO is a great ground but North gets used on the basis that the Bulldogs are trying to make Ballarat a stronghold for them in the west as they look to expand their footprint beyond their original heartland.
IMO it'd be great if other sides took a similar approach to engage fans in regional Vic.

The main reasons why Ballarat has been used by the Western Bulldogs are also,

- both State Government seats in the area are considered marginal and a heap of State Government funding has been invested into the Northern Oval to bring it up to the current standard (which is excellent). There certainly has not been this type of funding from the State Government in Bendigo specifically at the QEO as both state seats are held by long time Labor representatives.

- the City of Ballarat chip in approximately $300k to the Western Bulldogs as part of a sponsorship arrangement with Council’s logo placed on their shorts. If I was a ratepayer I wouldn‘t be too happy with this as I do not believe local government should be using funding to do this at the expense of completing their core duties - rubbish and roads anyone.

Money certainly talks and helps. I still don’t see why Ballarat hosts AFL practice games when they have proper fixtures during the scheduled season. Surely they can be held at venues such as the QEO.

 

[localfootyguru]

Beautiful surface…. Except for wood duck crap all over it! Need to bring back duck season to it’s traditional date to solve this problem!


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The duck poo is the reason why the surface is so good at Kings Park Bootz. Great to be able to have a regular fertilizing program in place at minimal cost.

Love watching footy at Seymour and certainly the biggest in the GV. Always seemed to get harder each year I played there - must have been me getting older.

 

[BlueJet]

The main reasons why Ballarat has been used by the Western Bulldogs are also,

- both State Government seats in the area are considered marginal and a heap of State Government funding has been invested into the Northern Oval to bring it up to the current standard (which is excellent). There certainly has not been this type of funding from the State Government in Bendigo specifically at the QEO as both state seats are held by long time Labor representatives.

- the City of Ballarat chip in approximately $300k to the Western Bulldogs as part of a sponsorship arrangement with Council’s logo placed on their shorts. If I was a ratepayer I wouldn‘t be too happy with this as I do not believe local government should be using funding to do this at the expense of completing their core duties - rubbish and roads anyone.

Money certainly talks and helps. I still don’t see why Ballarat hosts AFL practice games when they have proper fixtures during the scheduled season. Surely they can be held at venues such as the QEO.

I'm aware of the reasons why Northern Oval is used, I'm from Nth Ballarat - you've done a pretty good job of outlining why it does get used though.
An additional factor in it being used is that having recently forked out a significant chunk of change to build the stands etc. there will need to be some form of return on investment.
That said, it doesn't have to be Ballarat or Bendigo (or Shepparton, Wang, Morwell for that matter) there's nothing stopping other regions making an effort to bring games to their community and frankly, it'd be great to see.

 

[Silver Tongue]

Surface spot on but because of the crest in the middle your always either running up or down . Hard on the calves .


Added :

I’ve always found it interesting that the two shepp based and Mooroopna grounds are facing more east / west yet the majority of grounds have a more north / south aspect . Seymour would be another I’d say that faces more east / west than north / south .

Yes Deakin Oval and Shepp Swans ground is weird facing East/West. In my head Mooroopna is more North/South but I guess the cricket wicket will generally tell the story. Echuca also runs East/West I think ...

 

[Trent the flight Steward]

The main reasons why Ballarat has been used by the Western Bulldogs are also,

- both State Government seats in the area are considered marginal and a heap of State Government funding has been invested into the Northern Oval to bring it up to the current standard (which is excellent). There certainly has not been this type of funding from the State Government in Bendigo specifically at the QEO as both state seats are held by long time Labor representatives.

- the City of Ballarat chip in approximately $300k to the Western Bulldogs as part of a sponsorship arrangement with Council’s logo placed on their shorts. If I was a ratepayer I wouldn‘t be too happy with this as I do not believe local government should be using funding to do this at the expense of completing their core duties - rubbish and roads anyone.

Money certainly talks and helps. I still don’t see why Ballarat hosts AFL practice games when they have proper fixtures during the scheduled season. Surely they can be held at venues such as the QEO.

Is it any different to Bendigo buying Marilyn Monroe to sit in Rosalind park, it attracts people to Ballarat to spend the weekend there, I'd think Morwells facilities wouldn't need to big of an investment to get up to AFL scratch. Good on Ballarat for thinking outside the box and getting some good games at Ballarat, the lions and dogs games have been pretty good, and port have played a couple against the dogs.

Deakin could be a second home to an AFL team quite easily

 

[Blueboy67]

Who would have the biggest oval in the GV? Seymour? Definitely not the Square at Echuca!

Been told that Tat’s ground is 175 m long, but Kings Park would be wider.

 

[ringo1]

Looking into my Crystal Ball I'd like to know who will pay for the players RAT ? The clubs or the players themselves? Ten weeks out and I would think a negative RAT will be a protocol to be able to play. Hopefully I'm wrong!

 

[Post padding]

Looking into my Crystal Ball I'd like to know who will pay for the players RAT ? The clubs or the players themselves? Ten weeks out and I would think a negative RAT will be a protocol to be able to play. Hopefully I'm wrong!

Are you talking weekly ?

 

[Blues1977]

Looking into my Crystal Ball I'd like to know who will pay for the players RAT ? The clubs or the players themselves? Ten weeks out and I would think a negative RAT will be a protocol to be able to play. Hopefully I'm wrong!

Interesting to see how things play out hey. Rat tests are easily faked & bulls*tted thats for sure. Can see a star playing coming up negative on a test they do at home before a game but just keeping it quiet so they can play. Or are you thinking in the rooms game day maybe under supervision so it can't be faked or misled? Its a tough one isn't it but like your thought pattern Ringo. Time will tell gents.

 

[Blues1977]

I suppose practice matches are the next thing in line..... anyone got any word on praccies and rough dates clubs will start having a kick? I assume most would have an idea now as who and when they are playing in lead up to the season.

 

[Trent the flight Steward]

Interesting to see how things play out hey. Rat tests are easily faked & bulls*tted thats for sure. Can see a star playing coming up negative on a test they do at home before a game but just keeping it quiet so they can play. Or are you thinking in the rooms game day maybe under supervision so it can't be faked or misled? Its a tough one isn't it but like your thought pattern Ringo. Time will tell gents.

Not sure every player would need to do a rat test, what's the difference between going into the office or school each day to rocking up to the footy? I think it would only apply if you had symptoms or were deemed a close contact. What if a player turns up with a runny nose, rat test to clear them? Its opening up a Pandora's box

 

[ringo1]

Are you talking weekly ?

Yep!

 

[ringo1]

Not sure every player would need to do a rat test, what's the difference between going into the office or school each day to rocking up to the footy? I think it would only apply if you had symptoms or were deemed a close contact. What if a player turns up with a runny nose, rat test to clear them? Its opening up a Pandora's box

The issue is IMO, if a player or players at a club have Covid then I would think there would need to be some type of testing. I could be wrong but I cannot see any other way forward.

 

[Blueboy67]

The issue is IMO, if a player or players at a club have Covid then I would think there would need to be some type of testing. I could be wrong but I cannot see any other way forward.

Will get very expensive very quickly if every player needs to be RAT tested before a game. Approx $15 per test x 22 players =$330. Times that amount by three or with the GVFL under 16’s, that’s $1320 to $1650 per week. And that‘s not including the netballers or officials.

 

[Trent the flight Steward]

Will get very expensive very quickly if every player needs to be RAT tested before a game. Approx $15 per test x 22 players =$330. Times that amount by three or with the GVFL under 16’s, that’s $1320 to $1650 per week. And that‘s not including the netballers or officials.

If 10 guys test positive at a club during the week, I'd think Ringo is on the money, the rest of the club would need a rat test on the morning to play, I can't see reserves playing this year

 

[ringo1]

Will get very expensive very quickly if every player needs to be RAT tested before a game. Approx $15 per test x 22 players =$330. Times that amount by three or with the GVFL under 16’s, that’s $1320 to $1650 per week. And that‘s not including the netballers or officials.

This is exactly the predicament clubs could find themselves in.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Under current rules / restrictions a player testing positive would not mean team mates are deemed a close contact unless they live with the person and spend a minimum of 4 hours per day in the same house hold .
Restrictions are only going to ease, I am definitely in the half full category regarding the 2022 football season .
GVL not having reserve or junior sides will not be solely as a result of people testing positive .

 

[Trent the flight Steward]

Under current rules / restrictions a player testing positive would not mean team mates are deemed a close contact unless they live with the person and spend a minimum of 4 hours per day in the same house hold .
Restrictions are only going to ease, I am definitely in the half full category regarding the 2022 football season .
GVL not having reserve or junior sides will not be solely as a result of people testing positive .

But you can still catch covid off them, even if you don't meet the close contact guidelines