Western Bulldogs and their partnership with Ballarat a success

[Ratdweller]

Photos taken at 6.10 am this morning and this afternoon:

 

[Plantos]

Photos taken at 6.10 am this morning and this afternoon:

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Looks great. Finished product will be pure.
Do we find it odd that the Dogs aren't one of the teams playing a pre-season match at Mars? Especially considering they're not playing H&A games there in 2026?

 

[Ratdweller]

Looks great. Finished product will be pure.
Do we find it odd that the Dogs aren't one of the teams playing a pre-season match at Mars? Especially considering they're not playing H&A games there in 2026?

It's perhaps good that the Doggies aren't playing there because capacity is still limited to just 5000. It gives us a chance to play our pre-season game at WO. After all all that money spent at WO redveloping it shouldn't be wasted.

 

[Ratdweller]

Photos taken at Mars this afternoon:

This photo shows that the internal lining of the 1st Stands roof is almost fitted with speakers at the front and lights across the centre. At the fronto of the roof they are installing the framing for the glass panels.



The next image shows a brickie laying the Waddawurrung people's artwork themed patterns into the brickwork.



The rear internal and external lining is being fitted to the roof.



The space between Gate 2 and the new stands.



A team of brick layers will cover the rear walls with themed brickwork. A similar pattern will adorn the rear of the new scoreboard.

 

[Plantos]

Photos taken at Mars this afternoon:

This photo shows that the internal lining of the 1st Stands roof is almost fitted with speakers at the front and lights across the centre. At the fronto of the roof they are installing the framing for the glass panels.

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The next image shows a brickie laying the Waddawurrung people's artwork themed patterns into the brickwork.

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The rear internal and external lining is being fitted to the roof.

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The space between Gate 2 and the new stands.

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A team of brick layers will cover the rear walls with themed brickwork. A similar pattern will adorn the rear of the new scoreboard.

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That's awesome thanks for the pics!

When this construction is complete, I wonder where people think the best spot will be to sit and watch the footy? Will it be in the new stands close to the brand new amenities, or will it be on the other side so you get the nice view of looking at the new stands? Will it be up close to the action behind the goals, or will it be standing on the new and improved standing mound behind the other goals?

 

[Ratdweller]

Mars Stadium yesterday readying for the three games this weekend:

The view from Whitelaw Avenue back gate.


View from the back row of the existing Western Stand


The oval is looking pristine.


Meanwhile next door at the athletic build:



View between the athletics track and the Southern edge of the stadium.


The grass is down and asphalt laid ready for the track to be layed over the top. The athletics pavilions and sheds are kind of obsquired from view. They have the poles for the new lights laying on the other side of the track. The grass on the centre of the track was layed last week.


Light Tower No 2 from Mars Stadium with its lights removed has been stored at the western end of the site since March last year. I am not sure what the plan is for the lighting. But the tower will go back once works on the stands are completed. I am not sure if they will put the old Metal halide lamps back on or whether they will upgrade with LEDs.

 

[Ratdweller]

Video of Mars last night after the North v Collingwood game. Note this was with three light towers working, the fourth is still layed up. The cleaners were cleaning up and emptying bins. I really could have walked anywhere. I also noticed that two of the new light towers at the athletic centre are up. They are smaller than the ones at Mars but feature much more modern LEDs.

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[Ratdweller]

A video from four weeks ago before solar panels were installed along the front of the roofs conveys an idea of scale. Brickwork has finished behind the stands and rooms underneath are getting fit outs. The finishing touches are being applied to both roofs now. The concrete footings have been laid for the new scoreboard which will sit director behind the South West goal end. The old scoreboard is currently being erected at the South East end of the new athletics track. A lot of works have mainly focussed on the athletics centre more recently while most major works at the stadium have been put in place. The new pre-fabricated seating rows for the front of the new stands are yet to be installed subject to final completion of the roofs. Once they are in place, works to finish the new standing terrace can be completed.


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[Plantos]

A video from four weeks ago before solar panels were installed along the front of the roofs conveys an idea of scale. Brickwork has finished behind the stands and rooms underneath are getting fit outs. The finishing touches are being applied to both roofs now. The concrete footings have been laid for the new scoreboard which will sit director behind the South West goal end. The old scoreboard is currently being erected at the South East end of the new athletics track. A lot of works have mainly focussed on the athletics centre more recently while most major works at the stadium have been put in place. The new pre-fabricated seating rows for the front of the new stands are yet to be installed subject to final completion of the roofs. Once they are in place, works to finish the new standing terrace can be completed.


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Terrific drone footage!
Would be great to see the broadcasters use similar drone footage on match day when construction is complete. Really gives a great perspective.

 

[Ratdweller]

Terrific drone footage!
Would be great to see the broadcasters use similar drone footage on match day when construction is complete. Really gives a great perspective.

Drone? Nah mate, just told the missus to get up on her broom. She does great work doesn't she

 

[Ratdweller]

Two very recent aerials of the Sports Precinct taken from real estate websites. I was at the North Sports Club yesterday and noted that the installation of front seating rows is now well underway on the stands with a substantial area allocated for disabled people to get a great view of the oval along the middle concourse. The footings for the new seats are being installed now on the first stand. I have no idea what colours or patern will be used for the seats, but I am expecting that they may be a different colour to the existing light grey, medium grey and royal blue arrangement in the older stands. It is likely that it will be aboriginal inspired would be my best guess considering the paterns on the brickwork, the new scoreboard (Yet to be installed) and the forecourt paving around Gate 2 will all feature local aboriginal (Waddawurrung) themes.

I still believe that the new stands are very much on track to be mostly complete by late June, but the remaining works from then will involve fitting out the change rooms and toilets underneath as well as the new athletics club building. From June there will be a lot of extensive landscaping and creation of pathways and concourses around the athletics field, through the new parkland, around Gate 2 and the new standing area beneath the new scoreboard. The old Mars Stadium scoreboard is quite visible at the Howitt Street end of the athletic field, although they have not yet installed the video panels. The new light towers are in place at the athletic field, although they are not yet adjusted or calibrated or pointing to the field. I expect that light tower #2 will be reinstalled at Mars Stadium around the time that landscaping works are commenced at the new park. I will be interested to see if they simply reinstall the old lights back onto the tower or whether they actually replace those with more efficient and brighter LED units.

The first image below was taken mid last week:



The second was taken two days ago:


In this image you can see the aboriginal inspired patterns in the brickwork on the rear of the new stands. Also at the bottom of the new athletic track the old Mars Stadium scoreboard is clearly visible.

 

[Ratdweller]

Brick work mostly finished around the stands with red bricks being laid around the elevator to the left of the stands. Only a couple of concrete seating bays to be installed to the front of stand two and then the builders can finish the standing terrace. On the stands ACE Seating are installing framework for the seats to be installed. A worker on the hill is installing footings for new lamp posts that will illuminatevthe pedestrian pathway.









Stand No2 in detail. The rear of this stand looks really good. The brickwork looks great.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Brick work mostly finished around the stands with red bricks being laid around the elevator to the left of the stands. Only a couple of concrete seating bays to be installed to the front of stand two and then the builders can finish the standing terrace. On the stands ACE Seating are installing framework for the seats to be installed. A worker on the hill is installing footings for new lamp posts that will illuminatevthe pedestrian pathway.

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Stand No2 in detail. The rear of this stand looks really good. The brickwork looks great.

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While I don't mind the design, leaving those stands so open to the elements is a big negative. There's more often than not a wind (usually cold) blowing at Mars. Should have used the main stand as a template. The under cover seating at the Creswick Rd end next to the social club with no back wall is like a wind tunnel. If they're going to the effort of making seating a better place to be than out in the open, this isn't it.

 

[Ratdweller]

While I don't mind the design, leaving those stands so open to the elements is a big negative. There's more often than not a wind (usually cold) blowing at Mars. Should have used the main stand as a template. The under cover seating at the Creswick Rd end next to the social club with no back wall is like a wind tunnel. If they're going to the effort of making seating a better place to be than out in the open, this isn't it.

There are still back panels to be installed which will block a fair amount of that. There will be a small gap between the panels and the roofs to still allow a certain amount of air to circulate. The yellow shows their approximate height.

 

[Dougs Wing]

I appreciate reading these updates and I look forward to watching games from Mars Stadium again next season.

 

[TiAn_]

What’s the likely capacity when we return next season?

 

[Ratdweller]

What’s the likely capacity when we return next season?

I imagine in the vicinity of 12,000. They replaced a 4500 capacity hill with 5000 seats while the redveloped Southern hill will hold a bit more thaan the old ccoreboard hill.

 

[Sharkey66]

I appreciate reading these updates and I look forward to watching games from Mars Stadium again next season.

As do I, but what happened to Roogal
Seems to have dropped off the face of tBigfooty

 

[Munnez]

Want to take the family next year and make a weekend of it. Go down the day before spend the night then go to the game.

 

[lachy]

Want to take the family next year and make a weekend of it. Go down the day before spend the night then go to the game.

It is a nice place to spend a few days at, particularly if you have kids with a lot of historical themed as well as real historic places. Good places to eat a drink and a great lake

 

[geoffjennings79]

There are still back panels to be installed which will block a fair amount of that. There will be a small gap between the panels and the roofs to still allow a certain amount of air to circulate. The yellow shows their approximate height.

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Thanks, that's better, but the gap between the stands means you wouldn't want to be sitting at either end, unless there are also side panels to go on as well?

 

[Ratdweller]

Thanks, that's better, but the gap between the stands means you wouldn't want to be sitting at either end, unless there are also side panels to go on as well?

If you study the image below closely it seems that they may be using glass panels along the edges of these two stands and along the front of the upper seats. Seems a little risky to me, but so far they have been very accurate in terms of how the stands ar emerging relative to the artist renderings. It also shows how the new hill will link to the side of the stands. Keep in mind that the grassed area in this image used to be the large flat stretch of asphalt that was in front of the old video board which offered no elevated spectator vantage across the oval. This mound will partially obscure the toilet block behind it from view.

 

[geoffjennings79]

If you study the image below closely it seems that they may be using glass panels along the edges of these two stands and along the front of the upper seats. Seems a little risky to me, but so far they have been very accurate in terms of how the stands ar emerging relative to the artist renderings. It also shows how the new hill will link to the side of the stands. Keep in mind that the grassed area in this image used to be the large flat stretch of asphalt that was in front of the old video board which offered no elevated spectator vantage across the oval. This mound will partially obscure the toilet block behind it from view.

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Thanks Ratdweller appreciate your responses.

 

[lachy]

I imagine in the vicinity of 12,000. They replaced a 4500 capacity hill with 5000 seats while the redveloped Southern hill will hold a bit more thaan the old ccoreboard hill.

I am conflicted with Ballarat. 12,000 means anything from 10,000 up to 30,000 of our members and supporters cannot attend a home game if they want, is difficult to get to and it devalues our home game membership. It adds little other than money from Governments to us as a club overall.

Personally I like attending the games these days, go to the presidents lunch and often spend at least a couple of games in Ballarat, a place I really enjoy and where my Dad is from.

Really if they simply had a station on the line across from the stadium to make it easier to get there and leave, and built up the terracing to fit 5,000 making the capacity 15,000 it does become a more attractive option for games against Gold Coast, GWS, Port Adelaide and Freo

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I am conflicted with Ballarat. 12,000 means anything from 10,000 up to 30,000 of our members and supporters cannot attend a home game if they want, is difficult to get to and it devalues our home game membership. It adds little other than money from Governments to us as a club overall.

Personally I like attending the games these days, go to the presidents lunch and often spend at least a couple of games in Ballarat, a place I really enjoy and where my Dad is from.

Really if they simply had a station on the line across from the stadium to make it easier to get there and leave, and built up the terracing to fit 5,000 making the capacity 15,000 it does become a more attractive option for games against Gold Coast, GWS, Port Adelaide and Freo

I get your point Lachy but consider our 23,000 crowd vs Freo. Once you take out the attendees who were not Bulldogs members - Freo supporters, neutral fans and non-member Bulldogs who are not entitled to a seat in any home game - how many Bulldog members actually showed up to the game? Whatever the number is, it's almost certainly not too much bigger than the 12,000 capacity of Ballarat. The amount of Bulldogs members that truly "cannot attend" a game via capacity constraints that are otherwise going to the game where the capacity if made available at Docklands - as the Freo game proved - is no more than a couple of thousand, at most - I disagree with presenting the number at 10,000 to 30,000.

I don't have too much sympathy - I have some sympathy, but not too much - for the idea that Dogs members are having their membership "devalued" when they themselves are devaluing their own membership in the first place by not bothering to turn up to our home games, when they exist, at Docklands.

Very few people are turning up to all 9 home games a year, guaranteed, with consistency, at Docklands. They are the ones that have a right to complain, but if more of them existed, we'd have much bigger crowds than 23,000 at home.