BREAKING: Bulldogs to Ballarat

[Sedat!]

Wish I lived in a marginal seat, then maybe we'd get shiny new things.

Not necessarily. A very good CEO can get govt funding for venues in heartland electorates. Campbell Rose managed to get John Howard's Liberal govt to fund 20-odd million of the Whitten Oval redevelopment, which was a staggering achievement at the time as no govts really funded any training bases until Rose successfully negotiated this outcome. Not to mention the fact that Footscray is Labor and Greens heartland.

 

[hairy biker]

Party political leader prior to election;
We undertake to deliver all the promises made in our election manifesto.
My Government will consistently run budget surpluses, there will be no new taxes or service cuts and all our promises have been fully costed and independently audited.

 

[Hawkk]

Except this time they will win.

Although when Danny boy has to pay for all his promises this might be one that magically vanishes from the list.

Do the people of Western Melbourne want footy games in Ballarat more than they want the East-West link?

When the AFL take over Etihad will the dogs really need to play games in Ballarat for commercial reasons? Probably not short term but long term they need the extra 10k members like Hawthorn have got from Tassie.

Why?

Once the AFL takes over Ethiad and the intermediary is removed, its likely the costs of staging fixtures at the stadium will drop considerably...well it should unless the AFL want a cut as well.

I can foresee us being turfed from Tasmania so we will probably lose 5,000 Tasmanian members in the coming years anyway, this is where the concept of secondary markets can fall down (what happens if / when the clubs move? Is the support sustainable???)

Hopefully when this is up and about North and Western Bulldogs can both play 2-3 games at the stadium (making the business case for the upgrade worthwhile)

 

[Crawb]

Good move to get the Bulldogs playing 2-3 games a year in Ballarat. Great area to play low drawing games in. Surprised country Victoria hasn't gotten H&A games sooner.

 

[aCunningPlan]

Looks like I'll buy a Bulldogs polo now, their fans seem somewhat sane and if they are willing to put the effort into Ballarat good on them. I go past Whitten Oval every weekday commuting to Melbourne so for me it is not too much of a stretch to imagine Ballarat as a Bulldogs town eventually. Ballarat has always identified itself with Western Victoria, to get to Ballarat you go up the Western Freeway, we don't have bogans here we have westies. The Western Bulldogs would seem to be a nice fit.

 

[Underarm]

Will take away from games at Etihad, meaning other clubs will have to pick up their slack (on top of North and Hawks in Tasmania). Expect Bulldogs to play Interstate sides there, and then more Etihad games for the rest of the Interstate sides.

Bad for everyone except Bulldogs.

 

[zachary]

It's good policy by the AFL.
Eventually North will be hosting 5 to 6 games in Hobart.
Bulldogs the same in Ballarat.
Hawthorn will get their games in Tasmania.
It makes the squeeze in Melbourne less.

Is there scope for anyone to play some games in Bendigo too? It's got a bigger population than Ballarat and it's quicker to get to from Melbourne.

 

[Hawkk]

Will take away from games at Etihad, meaning other clubs will have to pick up their slack (on top of North and Hawks in Tasmania). Expect Bulldogs to play Interstate sides there, and then more Etihad games for the rest of the Interstate sides.

Bad for everyone except Bulldogs.

Not really.

Depends on what the AFL do with Ethiad Stadium management. As it stands the Western Bulldogs sell home 2 games interstate anyway and the AFL requirement to play a set number of games (45) at Ethiad has now been reduced to 42

 

[aCunningPlan]

Will take away from games at Etihad, meaning other clubs will have to pick up their slack (on top of North and Hawks in Tasmania). Expect Bulldogs to play Interstate sides there, and then more Etihad games for the rest of the Interstate sides.

Bad for everyone except Bulldogs.

I'd imagine the long term strategy the AFL are adopting is one where Hawthorn pulls out of Tassie all together and North make a bigger impact down south. Hawthorn are such a big club now they could withdraw from Tassie and still be sustainable. North need as the money they can get, and claiming all of Tassie with 4 or 5 games shared between North and South would do them the world of good.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Will take away from games at Etihad, meaning other clubs will have to pick up their slack (on top of North and Hawks in Tasmania). Expect Bulldogs to play Interstate sides there, and then more Etihad games for the rest of the Interstate sides.

Bad for everyone except Bulldogs.

Like we've had to pick up the slack for St. Kilda in NZ, Hawthorn and North in Tasmania, St. Kilda in Tasmania, games in Canberra etc. for the entire time that we've been at Ethiad?

 

[aCunningPlan]

Is there scope for anyone to play some games in Bendigo too? It's got a bigger population than Ballarat and it's quicker to get to from Melbourne.

What are you talking about? Ballarat is 40km closer to Melbourne than Bendigo. In 2011 the Ballarat Statistical Area had 146,235 people wheras the Bendigo Statisitcal Area had 140,696 people.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

A bit surprised to be honest given North had tried to build relationships with Ballarat but failed. Good luck to the Dogs though.

North tried to build relations with the state labor party

 

[Quivorir]

Looks like I'll buy a Bulldogs polo now, their fans seem somewhat sane and if they are willing to put the effort into Ballarat good on them. I go past Whitten Oval every weekday commuting to Melbourne so for me it is not too much of a stretch to imagine Ballarat as a Bulldogs town eventually. Ballarat has always identified itself with Western Victoria, to get to Ballarat you go up the Western Freeway, we don't have bogans here we have westies. The Western Bulldogs would seem to be a nice fit.

Well I guess it makes perfect sense now then.

 

[Hawkk]

Like we've had to pick up the slack for St. Kilda in NZ, Hawthorn and North in Tasmania, St. Kilda in Tasmania, games in Canberra etc. for the entire time that we've been at Ethiad?

Like when others have had to pick up the slack while you've played home games at the SCG (2000-06), Marrara Oval (2004-13), Manuka Oval (2007-11) and Cazaly Stadium (2014)?

 

[Sttew]

Love the comment by Gordon, "We're a non-partisan club but what we stand for solidly here, is the idea." Coming from the man whose legal firm is inextricably linked to the trade union movement and Labor

 

[SugarCoat]

North could be playing games in Ballarat now but they read the last state election incorrectly.
Vlad had very strong ALP ties, he pushed North to playing games in Ballarat and got in bed with his party.
Eugene & Brayshaw though forgot to hedge their bets and failed to delegate with the then opposition party.
I doubt the AFL will make the same mistake twice.

 

[boncer34]

Well I guess it makes perfect sense now then.

Coming across as bitter Quiv.

 

[Dazb86]

The bulldogs are very forward thinking. I'm surprised no one has thought of this before.

 

[Hens Hall]

Ballarat Bulldogs has a nice ring to it.

 

[_Irk]

I realise this may be an unpopular view, but could the reason North were kicked out because long term plans to relocate the Bulldogs? Seeing as Ballarat is in the west they still wouldn't need to change their name. I mean like 20-30 years long term as they do work with the Ballarat schools with success and their young stars, they could potentially build a stronghold like Geelong. Although something that's not mentioned apart from Eureka stadium upgrades, they'd need to build another train platform station or it would be a pain getting there via public transport.

If it does happen potentially good for Bulldogs and Ballarat just my view on it all.

 

[aCunningPlan]

I realise this may be an unpopular view, but could the reason North were kicked out because long term plans to relocate the Bulldogs? Seeing as Ballarat is in the west they still wouldn't need to change their name. I mean like 20-30 years long term as they do work with the Ballarat schools with success and their young stars, they could potentially build a stronghold like Geelong. Although something that's not mentioned apart from Eureka stadium upgrades, they'd need to build another train platform station or it would be a pain getting there via public transport.

If it does happen potentially good for Bulldogs and Ballarat just my view on it all.

That's one of the reasons the Showground site has been chosen over other sites such as Vic Park. The Maryborough line is right across the road and if AFL games became a permanent fixture at the redeveloped ground I would imagine a very basic platform (similar to Rockbank) would be built there. That being said it wouldn't take much for complimentary footy buses to be run between the showgrounds and Ballarat station.

 

[Quivorir]

Coming across as bitter Quiv.

I am happy we are out of there. I didn't want to go to Ballarat, don't want to be in Tasmania.

 

[ManOfClay]

I realise this may be an unpopular view, but could the reason North were kicked out because long term plans to relocate the Bulldogs? Seeing as Ballarat is in the west they still wouldn't need to change their name. I mean like 20-30 years long term as they do work with the Ballarat schools with success and their young stars, they could potentially build a stronghold like Geelong. Although something that's not mentioned apart from Eureka stadium upgrades, they'd need to build another train platform station or it would be a pain getting there via public transport.

If it does happen potentially good for Bulldogs and Ballarat just my view on it all.

I don't think it'd be ever viable to have a team full-time playing home games at Eureka Stadium, unless an even bigger upgrade comes into play. Imagine us trying to play a home game there against Collingwood or Essendon, hardly any opposition fans or casual onlookers will be able to get in.

Happy to play 2-3 home games there against interstate sides or other lower drawing sides but with our operations base and home ground in melbourne I think that's the best case scenario

 

[_Irk]

That's one of the reasons the Showground site has been chosen over other sites such as Vic Park. The Maryborough line is right across the road and if AFL games became a permanent fixture at the redeveloped ground I would imagine a very basic platform (similar to Rockbank) would be built there. That being said it wouldn't take much for complimentary footy buses to be run between the showgrounds and Ballarat station.

Hopefully it's better then Rockbank "Please make sure there is a platform to stand on once exiting the train". I know buses could be easily provided, just thought it would be more efficient and save more time.

 

[_Irk]

I don't think it'd be ever viable to have a team full-time playing home games at Eureka Stadium, unless an even bigger upgrade comes into play. Imagine us trying to play a home game there against Collingwood or Essendon, hardly any opposition fans or casual onlookers will be able to get in.

Happy to play 2-3 home games there against interstate sides or other lower drawing sides but with our operations base and home ground in melbourne I think that's the best case scenario

I meant like 20-30 years in the future. I realise it may be unpopular but then you'd have your own market to zone in on. I just see the Bulldogs converting more younger supporters if they base themselves in Ballarat even if you did half games Ballarat, half Melbourne. Like I said may be an unpopular view among Doggie supporters but you could secure yourselves financially like Geelong.