AFL to build Collingwood a Ground

[morgoth]

Within a certain area no? The AFL seem to be talking up the option. Be good to be reminded what the actual deal was.

If you look at the stadium being built for the Victory and Storm (28k) from memory it will tell you what is allowed as the Victory wanted more capacity but could not due to agreements with the Dome.

Really 25k would be more than enough for home games v interstate sides, Wizz Fizz cup etc.

As for the comment re why not Vic Park, well it is not near the G. No one was going to go there before/after games.

 

[walhawk]

Aren't we talking about Olympic Park???

It already holds 18,000. They just have to remove the running track. The Eastern Stand is basic but reasonably modern.

 

[jonesy86]

I would have thought they might keep the western stand as there are half decent facilities and change rooms there.

 

[thatday]

Aren't we talking about Olympic Park???

It already holds 18,000. They just have to remove the running track. The Eastern Stand is basic but reasonably modern.

They want to make the ground the same size as the MCG ground, to do that they will most likely have to take down the Eastern stand, as it is the worse one of the two stands. I reckon they should keep the Western stand and make the rest of it standing room. Everyone loves standing room.

 

[True_Blue]

This is typical of Collingwood why not redevolop Olympic Park like most major stadiums have achevied in victoria in the last decade..
I can't belive this OP has been the home of Athletics in Victoria since 1956 now collingwood want to throw AV & VIS out on the street.
The Bob Jane idea stinks!!!!

 

[Chaz Pendlebury]

This is typical of Collingwood why not redevolop Olympic Park like most major stadiums have achevied in victoria in the last decade..
I can't belive this OP has been the home of Athletics in Victoria since 1956 now collingwood want to throw AV & VIS out on the street.
The Bob Jane idea stinks!!!!

This will obviously be put down to Collingwood arrogance and self importance but i really think that this is the best and fairest outcome. AV obviously have a long history at the OP but i'm assuming they'll have better or equal facilities at Bob Jane anyway. Not wanting to denigrate athletics but hundreds of thousands of Victorians passionately support the Collingwood Football Club and we IMO deserve a proper training ground and space that we can use to build social clubs / museums etc.

 

[tandino]

If you rip up the athletics track, a football ground the size of the MCG would fit at Olympic Park north-south, but obviously it won't fit east-west.

You can physically fit a ground the size of the MCG between the existing stand on the city side and the new rectangle stadium, but obviously it will be a compromise. The bigger the playing area, the smaller the grandstand/standing room on the eastern side.

 

[tandino]

Not wanting to denigrate athletics but hundreds of thousands of Victorians passionately support the Collingwood Football Club and we IMO deserve a proper training ground and space that we can use to build social clubs / museums etc.

What, like Victoria Park?

Oh wait...

 

[Rohan Coventry]

What, like Victoria Park?

Oh wait...

Victoria Park was unworkable. Carpet licking communists at the Yarra Council blocked developments at the ground for years.

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

Bloody democracy hey?

 

[numchuks]

This is typical of Collingwood why not redevolop Olympic Park like most major stadiums have achevied in victoria in the last decade..
I can't belive this OP has been the home of Athletics in Victoria since 1956 now collingwood want to throw AV & VIS out on the street.
The Bob Jane idea stinks!!!!

Agreed.

Atheltics Victoria, South Melbourne SC and everyone else gets stuffed around so Collingwood doesn't have to walk a few hundred metres more to its training oval. Forget about all the history and tradition at Olympic Park and Bob Jane Stadium that will get destroyed because of this.

FFS, there's a whole empty ground, which is actually in Collingwood heartland called Vic Park that is going to waste. Why can't they just upgrade that?

Not to mention Eddie is on the baord of both Collinwood and Athtelitics Australia - something smells fishy there.

 

[jmirra]

doesnt surprise me pies get whatever they want

 

[True_Blue]

Agreed.

Atheltics Victoria, South Melbourne SC and everyone else gets stuffed around so Collingwood doesn't have to walk a few hundred metres more to its training oval. Forget about all the history and tradition at Olympic Park and Bob Jane Stadium that will get destroyed because of this.

FFS, there's a whole empty ground, which is actually in Collingwood heartland called Vic Park that is going to waste. Why can't they just upgrade that?

Not to mention Eddie is on the baord of both Collinwood and Athtelitics Australia - something smells fishy there.

Spot on, the funny thing is Athletics has been at Olympic park since 1956 Collingwood come in we want this, we want that and get it bloody stinks.

 

[Rohan25]

Very happy with this. Great news.

 

[Mario the Lothario]

AFL keen to join Magpies at new home

Caroline Wilson



VFL GAMES by the Yarra River look set to become one feature of Collingwood's new training ground at the Olympic Park site under a proposal by the Magpies that is being supported by the AFL.

Collingwood is negotiating with the State Government and the Melbourne Olympic Park Trust to transform its soon-to-be-completed MCG-size training facility alongside the Lexus Centre into a match-day venue for its VFL team.

And the AFL, which has been searching for a second-tier ground to stage big under-18 TAC fixtures and national under-age matches, looks set to become a player in the Olympic Park and Lexus redevelopment, possibly building a new grandstand and helping to fund the new facility to be used by AFL Victoria.

Magpies chief executive Gary Pert said the club would also investigate whether Collingwood's VFL games could be played under lights at the new ground, just as rugby league, rugby union, soccer and athletic events have been run there at night.

"The ground will obviously be used as a training facility, and if it worked and if all the criteria could be met to play VFL games there, we would be keen to do that," he said. "We've got lights and I would have to get independent advice as to whether they would be strong enough to contest football games. They are certainly good enough for the athletes."

The Victorian Institute of Sport and all major Victorian athletic events will be moved to a redevelopment at Albert Park at the site of the Bob Jane Stadium as a direct result of Collingwood's tenancy agreement with the MOPT and the new rectangular stadium set to become the home of Melbourne Victory, Melbourne Storm and potentially the Melbourne Football Club. Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, a driving force behind the Magpies' historic move from Victoria Park, remains on the board of Athletics Australia.

Originally, the Magpies were to have been given the rectangular stadium site as their training ground but relinquished their right to that land in exchange for the Olympic Park athletics stadium.

The redevelopment is conservatively expected to be completed within two years but rebuilding cannot start until the athletics events and the VIS can move into Albert Park.

The size, proximity and quality of the new training ground has loomed as a tantalising one for the VFL as well as the competition's governing body given its lack of control over the MCG.

"We're working closely with Collingwood and the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation over the possibility of staging under-18 and VFL games there," said AFL chief Andrew Demetriou.

"It's got some merit and the discussions surrounding the grandstand being built by the AFL through our facilities reserve and using it for AFL Victoria is a possibility."

Although it was once mooted that the Demons would share the training venue with Collingwood, that possibility appears certain not to eventuate and even the prospect of Melbourne having a training venue within the Olympic Park precinct has become more remote.

The Demons will start training at their new ground at Casey early next month.




http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/new...956137812.html

I wonder what Ian Collins thinks of this?

AFL investment in a 25/30K stadium in return for 10 or so games a year would be a far cheaper option for the AFL than having to build a specialised stadium for smaller Victorian clubs taking on interstate teams.

 

[Rob]

I wonder what Ian Collins thinks of this?

AFL investment in a 25/30K stadium in return for 10 or so games a year would be a far cheaper option for the AFL than having to build a specialised stadium for smaller Victorian clubs taking on interstate teams.

Sounds like a WAFL standard ground to me, probably not even that. A small stand with the rest of the ground hills/terraces.

Poor drawing AFL clubs would struggle to get 10k to such a 4th rate ground.

 

[Rohan Coventry]

FFS, there's a whole empty ground, which is actually in Collingwood heartland called Vic Park that is going to waste. Why can't they just upgrade that?

The Yarra Council have made upgrades at Victoria Park unworkable for years. There is also a matter of a Heritage listing on the ground, the act/body that rule over it haven't defined what exactly can be done at the ground.

The Collingwood Council (was swallowed up by "Yarra") even took Collingwood FC to court over such matters.

I have heard that the VAFA will join Collingwood in the Olympic Park area & have expressed interest at playing games at the new ground, which will be exact replica of the MCG (playing surface).

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

This venue will never host AFL games. No club would be stupid enough to play there.

No one is saying it will or should.

What we ARE saying, and are hearing encouraging noises out of the AFL about, is that a smaller boutique 'clean' stadium holding circa 30k, would be good for the AFL and good for the smaller clubs.

So, if the AFL is going to invest in this Collingwood project as described, why not go a bit further and build the 30k stadium with top notch facilities?

 

[Rob]

No one is saying it will or should.

What we ARE saying, and are hearing encouraging noises out of the AFL about, is that a smaller boutique 'clean' stadium holding circa 30k, would be good for the AFL and good for the smaller clubs.

So, if the AFL is going to invest in this Collingwood project as described, why not go a bit further and build the 30k stadium with top notch facilities?

Probably because the difference is about $200 million. It's like suggesting that you're if going to build a 4 bedroom house you may as well go the whole way and build a 20 storey apartment tower.

 

[numchuks]

The Yarra Council have made upgrades at Victoria Park unworkable for years. There is also a matter of a Heritage listing on the ground, the act/body that rule over it haven't defined what exactly can be done at the ground.

The Collingwood Council (was swallowed up by "Yarra") even took Collingwood FC to court over such matters.

I have heard that the VAFA will join Collingwood in the Olympic Park area & have expressed interest at playing games at the new ground, which will be exact replica of the MCG (playing surface).

Fair enough.

I still reckon it stinks though.

 

[morgoth]

Kicking out athletics? I mean really who cares. We had our first male track gold medal in how long? As a sport it is a non entity in Australia today and takes money from govt, Collingwood will make money for the govt.

Yes its a harsh captialist view of the world but thats how are governments think.

 

[tess]

Kicking out athletics? I mean really who cares. We had our first male track gold medal in how long? As a sport it is a non entity in Australia today and takes money from govt, Collingwood will make money for the govt.

Yes its a harsh captialist view of the world but thats how are governments think.

Maybe this is the kick AA needs to start repaying the country for the mega dollars we invest to seek Gold Medals at Olympics and world events.

 

[True_Blue]

Kicking out athletics? I mean really who cares. We had our first male track gold medal in how long? As a sport it is a non entity in Australia today and takes money from govt, Collingwood will make money for the govt.

Yes its a harsh captialist view of the world but thats how are governments think.

Well if we take that view Collingwood has only won one premiership in 50 years so lets bulldoze the Lexus centre and send them to Williamstown.

Please explain how will Collingwood make money for the Government all their profits will go to CFC.
The facilities are non-existent so how can Australia be prepared to compete with the rest of the world.
BTW Olympic Park is used for State/School Championships and has a special place in our hearts

If there was more encouragement (from our governments) we would definitely be more competitive, obviously you have nothing what so ever to do with aths and really don't understand, You are blinded by your passion for the CFC.

 

[tess]

Please explain how will Collingwood make money for the Government all their profits will go to CFC.

Lets see and if you want read this slowly....... so you can understand better.

The original "glasshouse" that is now the Lexus Centre was an empty shell that no one wanted to be a part of. Collingwood now pay RENT to the Olympic Park trust to use this facility. So the Gov Makes money out of Collingwood being there ..... Same will go for the Ground as once the new ground is built this will become yet another white elephant from 1956. So with Collingwood training and PLAYING at the ground it will make money as we regularly got over 20,000 to a pre Grand Final training session at Vic Park and often got hundreds to a normal season training session. We will pay a commercial rent to be there .....

The facilities are non-existent so how can Australia be prepared to compete with the rest of the world.
BTW Olympic Park is used for State/School Championships and has a special place in our heartsBTW Olympic Park is used for State/School Championships and has a special place in our hearts

OK so you don't think the NEW facilities at Albert Park will be open for Schools and such like the new Pool that replaced the Glass House is?

 

[Chase the Ace]

doesnt surprise me pies get whatever they want

As it should be, after all, we run the AFL