News Essendon Footy Club and Cricket Club at war over Windy Hill - fixture clashes in October

[TheGreatBarryB]

Tullamarine isn't exactly easy to get to though

It’s only a short drive from Windy Hill

 

[faible]

It’s only a short drive from Windy Hill

eth-dog

 

[eth-dog]

Honestly I'm on the cricketers side here. Footy is April through September, cricket October through March. Anybody who thinks the only people who care are district cricketers are kidding themselves, all cricketers with any ambition to play high level cricket, whether that be Australia, Victoria or District, want to play Premier at the best grounds in the state. Which Windy Hill is within the top 5, and comfortably so (along with the MCG, Junction, Toorak Park and Casey Fields). If anything I hope it helps the AFL realises that playing it in spring/summer is unsustainable and start moving towards a winter season.

 

[84859300]

Which Windy Hill is within the top 5, and comfortably so (along with the MCG, Junction, Toorak Park and Casey Fields).

Really?

I wouldn't have thought so at all. Last time I saw it in cricket fit, it was a bumpy track and an even bumpier outfield.

 

[eth-dog]

Really?

I wouldn't have thought so at all. Last time I saw it in cricket fit, it was a bumpy track and an even bumpier outfield.

Yep. Hosted the Premier GF a couple of years ago. Very good track now that there's very little footy played on it.

 

[Lore]

Honestly I'm on the cricketers side here. Footy is April through September, cricket October through March. Anybody who thinks the only people who care are district cricketers are kidding themselves, all cricketers with any ambition to play high level cricket, whether that be Australia, Victoria or District, want to play Premier at the best grounds in the state. Which Windy Hill is within the top 5, and comfortably so (along with the MCG, Junction, Toorak Park and Casey Fields). If anything I hope it helps the AFL realises that playing it in spring/summer is unsustainable and start moving towards a winter season.

And this is why I tagged you into the thread can’t have an echo chamber

 

[MPMonkeys]

Really?

I wouldn't have thought so at all. Last time I saw it in cricket fit, it was a bumpy track and an even bumpier outfield.

You must have got it on a bad day because that outfield is as good as you will get anywhere.

 

[MPMonkeys]

I don't think the AFLW can win because EFC set a precedent when they paid ECC the last two years to move off the ground. A judge is probably going to look at that and ask "why did you make payment those years, but now" (seeing EFC as indirectly admitting fault)?

Part of me wonders if this is a deliberate tatic by EFC (using ECC as proxy) to make a lot of noise to get the state government to intervene and settle the issue by funding a new ground for the ECC elsewhere, so footy can have it 365 days a year.

There is no space for a new ground and the state government has no money.

 

[acm21]

There is no space for a new ground and the state government has no money.

Efc have previously been open about wanting to take over the ground full time. But they would need to get rid of the cricket club and the bowls club to get it done.

The afl is apparently looking for an aflw ground so could be one of the options, the afl has also effectively took over Henson Park in Sydney and almost fully funded its renovations (they have had the newtown jets grandfathered into the deal)

 

[The Airing of Grievances]

I'm sure we can all take comfort in EFC finding a club we can boss..

 

[CrowdedHouse]

There is no space for a new ground and the state government has no money.

Cheaper and easier to find (and fund) a new cricket oval with a basic clubroom, than it is to build an AFL(W) ground.

 

[eth-dog]

Cheaper and easier to find (and fund) a new cricket oval with a basic clubroom, than it is to build and AFL(W) ground.

Mate, that's shit. **** footy in cricket season and you can't expect to fund a Premier club a "basic" clubroom. Play the women at the Hangar, a dedicated footy facility instead. I don't care if it's harder to get to. Essendon Cricket Club have every right to that facility from October 1st.

 

[MPMonkeys]

Cheaper and easier to find (and fund) a new cricket oval with a basic clubroom, than it is to build and AFL(W) ground.

There is no need to build an AFLW ground. There are two readily available at the Hangar until such time as the AFL and the State Government decide how much more money they want to pump into womens footy.

 

[CrowdedHouse]

There is no need to build an AFLW ground. There are two readily available at the Hangar until such time as the AFL and the State Government decide how much more money they want to pump into womens footy.

The AFL toured The Hangar in April 2021 and were given a number of reasons by EFC officials why it was not suitable to host AFLW games.

 

[ant555]

The AFL toured The Hangar in April 2021 and were given a number of reasons by EFC officials why it was not suitable to host AFLW games.

Total lack of infrastructure would be the first reason.

 

[Lore]

No lights, no grandstands, no seating (sit in the mud?)

 

[Doss]

Tulla’s accessibility by PT is also shocking, and the parking manifestly inadequate for an event.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Honestly I'm on the cricketers side here. Footy is April through September, cricket October through March. Anybody who thinks the only people who care are district cricketers are kidding themselves, all cricketers with any ambition to play high level cricket, whether that be Australia, Victoria or District, want to play Premier at the best grounds in the state. Which Windy Hill is within the top 5, and comfortably so (along with the MCG, Junction, Toorak Park and Casey Fields). If anything I hope it helps the AFL realises that playing it in spring/summer is unsustainable and start moving towards a winter season.

It was a dream of mine for my lad to play for Essendon CC so he would play on Windy Hill and wear red and black. Sadly he wasn't interested in going further than Subbies for whatever reason...not that that was a bad thing as he has played against plenty of handy cricketers that were on the way up and ones coming back from higher levels.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Off topic but cricket here in Vic needs to start a month later and footy start a month later. Cricket games on turf are always rained out late sept as the move to couch on wicket tables relies on a hot period to get it growing and never seems to happen. Never going to happen though.

 

[thebigboy]

Honestly I'm on the cricketers side here. Footy is April through September, cricket October through March. Anybody who thinks the only people who care are district cricketers are kidding themselves, all cricketers with any ambition to play high level cricket, whether that be Australia, Victoria or District, want to play Premier at the best grounds in the state. Which Windy Hill is within the top 5, and comfortably so (along with the MCG, Junction, Toorak Park and Casey Fields). If anything I hope it helps the AFL realises that playing it in spring/summer is unsustainable and start moving towards a winter season.

Happy to be kidding myself .

Of course all players with ambition would have an interest in it & it’s obvious that you aren’t making it to the elite level without having that as a strong development launchpad. However, If you’re the AFL & Essendon, you should be doing everything in your power to win this battle considering it was the highest attended Victorian venue for AFLW last year. From footy’s perspective, losing AFLW games at Windy Hill and playing games at Arden St/Whitten Oval/Ikon Park off the back of last years attendances would be an unmitigated disaster and a PR nightmare. The AFL have too much to lose in this situation, hence why I believe they’ll do whatever is necessary to win this battle and not blink at the view that they’ve pushed a community club off their field.

The moving towards winter - absolutely should happen, or at least from May-September time. The AFL won’t do it for whatever reason, but it’s a logical move

 

[eth-dog]

Happy to be kidding myself .

Of course all players with ambition would have an interest in it & it’s obvious that you aren’t making it to the elite level without having that as a strong development launchpad. However, If you’re the AFL & Essendon, you should be doing everything in your power to win this battle considering it was the highest attended Victorian venue for AFLW last year. From footy’s perspective, losing AFLW games at Windy Hill and playing games at Arden St/Whitten Oval/Ikon Park off the back of last years attendances would be an unmitigated disaster and a PR nightmare. The AFL have too much to lose in this situation, hence why I believe they’ll do whatever is necessary to win this battle and not blink at the view that they’ve pushed a community club off their field.

The moving towards winter - absolutely should happen, or at least from May-September time. The AFL won’t do it for whatever reason, but it’s a logical move

And I hope they lose.

 

[ant555]

Agree that you can simply not just move the cricket club to any venue. As a Premier division club it has to be a good oval with good pitches and a pavilion that matches what most top level football clubs have. The issue would be finding the oval.
We could always put a cricket pitch in the number 2 oval at Tullamarine
Another option is doing something similar to what North Melbourne did. Maybe not change the name but move to a purpose built oval in the new suburbs to the North or West.

 

[boncer34]

No lights, no grandstands, no seating (sit in the mud?)

Temporary grand stands solve that

 

[acm21]

Temporary grand stands solve that

Temporary grandstands would help, but that doesn't solve the location, the broadcast facilities or the lighting.

The aflw wants to create rituals around the game and I dont think the hanger allows that

 

[Doss]

I’ll say it again - the location is pitiful for PT, there is a single bus that is not even particularly frequent, the 59 tram terminates 3.5km to the south and the nearest train station is even further away.

If you’re playing AFLW there with those factors then you need to compensate with lots of car parking.

The Hangar does not have that either.


None of this is to say I support ECC being booted from Windy Hill. I understand their position completely.

But The Hangar in its current state is not suitable for AFLW; indeed it only passes muster for VFL games because so few people bother going to watch (and again, the VFL crowds are much larger when the games are played at Windy Hill).