News GMHBA Stadium Stage 5 Redevelopment

[JohnZ]

It’s funny other supporters bagging out Geelong having a home ground. This is an amazing achievement by the Cats considering how bad things were going. As much as I wish the dimensions were more like the G, it can’t be done.

I still believe the AFL needs a 30k small stadium in Melbourne to support 9 clubs and I just hope the cats push for all home games in Geelong once it’s complete.

Won’t it sit more then the Gabba until Gabba renovations for Olympics?

The dimensions are neither here nor there. The MCG isn't the one true dimension for footy. There's a reason why every dedicated oval built for footy is longer than it is wide (by quite a difference). It's in the name. MCG is and always will be built for Cricket first, even though we fund it.

I always liked the idea of selling Marvel and replacing it with both the junction oval (30k capacity) and princes park (40k capacity).

Just less than the GABBA (which held a GF), but that won't stop them from making up excuses for why we can't get 11 home games and all finals.

Is stage 5 the end of it, or will they re-do the reg hickey stand again to fully complete the stadium and take over the road etc?

Stage 5 is the end of it. A potential Stage 6 (to rebuild the reg hickey stand) is 20-30 years off minimum. No immediate need for it.

 

[CatAttack84]

or will they re-do the reg hickey stand again to fully complete the stadium and take over the road etc?

That would be something they'd possibly aim for in about a decade or more (nothing formal, it's just assumptions based), similarly to how the MCG will soon look to redo the Southern Stand, despite "it's fine".

Sadly since the 90s everything gets built with a 30 year shelf life.

 

[Commando]

This has probably been answered but I don’t want to trawl through the thread...
Surely we could have gone at least 10 metres wider on the members side during that renovation?

 

[catters05]

This has probably been answered but I don’t want to trawl through the thread...
Surely we could have gone at least 10 metres wider on the members side during that renovation?

I was thinking the same.

 

[JohnZ]

This has probably been answered but I don’t want to trawl through the thread...
Surely we could have gone at least 10 metres wider on the members side during that renovation?

Problem was the building of the Premiership stand (that small stand between Brownlow and Past Players). It was done way back in like 2009/2010. Had to be done as those old stands were derelict and borderline unsafe.

In an ideal world, they'd have had the money to rebuild those stands and the Brownlow at the same time, so that they could've widened the wings, but they didn't. So the question then becomes, do we build this new stand 10m off the boundary line, not knowing if we'll have the cash to ever complete the redevelopment (which in the end took another 8 years to do the Brownlow stand), or build where the boundary line is right now.

The club went safe, but can't blame them. The ground dimensions were never a problem before Richmond needed an excuse to stop playing there. They were never an issue when we went bang bang bang in 07-09-11. It's really a non issue.

 

[Commando]

Cheers
I’d assumed it was all in the same redevelopment

 

[JohnZ]

Cheers
I’d assumed it was all in the same redevelopment

This photo shows the old stands before all the redevelopments. You can see the Ross Dew stand between the old Doug Wade / Original Reg Hickey (as it was then when the photo was taken) and the old Brownlow Stand.

Here's a photo of those stands demolished back in the summer of 2008/2009.

So you can see how, whilst they could have built the stand 10m back off the boundary, it could have stuck the club with a lemon if no other development had been done.

 

[Phipppppa]

This photo shows the old stands before all the redevelopments. You can see the Ross Dew stand between the old Doug Wade / Original Reg Hickey (as it was then when the photo was taken) and the old Brownlow Stand.

Here's a photo of those stands demolished back in the summer of 2008/2009.

So you can see how, whilst they could have built the stand 10m back off the boundary, it could have stuck the club with a lemon if no other development had been done.

Jeez it was a shit hole.

But it was our shit hole.

 

[Phipppppa]

I’d also like to add that the club has done an amazing job to get where we are now. I’m judging the first photo JohnZ sent was from around 2002, when the afl wanted us out of Geelong (rightfully so, the ground was a tip.) I remember being ecstatic about the new Hickey stand being built thinking that was going to be all the work done and we had the most modern stadium going around.

I do miss my seat in the Brownlow stand though.

 

[Pods]

So cricket T20vworld cup in a half empty stadium?

Yeah that’s right

 

[SJ]

I’d also like to add that the club has done an amazing job to get where we are now. I’m judging the first photo JohnZ sent was from around 2002, when the afl wanted us out of Geelong (rightfully so, the ground was a tip.) I remember being ecstatic about the new Hickey stand being built thinking that was going to be all the work done and we had the most modern stadium going around.

I do miss my seat in the Brownlow stand though.

The ground wasn’t any worse than any other suburban grounds at the time. Nor any worse than half the MCG.

 

[Kitcat]

Problem was the building of the Premiership stand (that small stand between Brownlow and Past Players). It was done way back in like 2009/2010. Had to be done as those old stands were derelict and borderline unsafe.

In an ideal world, they'd have had the money to rebuild those stands and the Brownlow at the same time, so that they could've widened the wings, but they didn't. So the question then becomes, do we build this new stand 10m off the boundary line, not knowing if we'll have the cash to ever complete the redevelopment (which in the end took another 8 years to do the Brownlow stand), or build where the boundary line is right now.

The club went safe, but can't blame them. The ground dimensions were never a problem before Richmond needed an excuse to stop playing there. They were never an issue when we went bang bang bang in 07-09-11. It's really a non issue.

I still don’t understand why building the stand 10m back would affect the redevelopment.

 

[JohnZ]

I still don’t understand why building the stand 10m back would affect the redevelopment.

Because no one would want to sit in a stand that's 10m+ away from the boundary line, and as I said, there was no guarantee that any more money would come to the club to continue to redevelopment of the stands on either side, so you risk having a lemon sitting well behind the other stands. Then you'd have issues with sight lines being blocked by the other stands.

 

[Pods]

Few pics from tonight

 

[Rubber Arm]

Whens it supposed to be completed again?

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[JohnZ]

Whens it supposed to be completed again?

On SM-G991B using BigFooty.com mobile app

By may next year.

 

[Gee Class Loco]

FWIW I think it's a pisser when people constantly bring up the dimensions of our ground.
It's not like the MCG they say.
It's unlike Marvel they say.
It's nowhere like Optus or AO they say.
The Gabba and SCG are different, but ours is different in an unfair way they say.
Yeah all above is true. It is our ground. It is longer and narrower... Yes it is.
What has that got to do with anything? Absolutely NOTHING.
If anyone has played local footy in the Geelong/Colac/Warrnambool and surrounding districts will know what it is to play on different grounds and surfaces. There are many and varied in all facets.
We are going to have what i believe, a brilliant stadium that will be the envy of many a club.
Our own. Ours. We train here. We play here.
It'll hold 40,000 which is plenty tbh. Even for finals.
I do not care one iota of opposition supporters wishes. Our home is for our members.
11 home games a year here from 2024 onwards with finals played at KP is what will be.
Be a member get a seat. #40ThousandStrong
Cheers

 

[CatAttack84]

11 home games a year here from 2024 onwards with finals played at KP is what will be.

I think the latter will still be a stretch in some cases. e.g. if we play one of the smaller/newer interstate clubs, maybe they'd give us a final at home.

But a good example of the upcoming QF against Collingwood, $$$$, no chance in hell. Selfishly I would also suggest that come finals the more we play at the MCG in finals the better.

I have always found the argument about our ground a joke of delusion by muppet supporters of other clubs. Isn't it funny nearly every diagram you see of a VFL/AFL ground show an oval, not a circle (i.e. cricket ground like the MCG).

 

[Son_Of_God29]

Once the Stand is complete there will be no excuse for Finals and 11 Home games to be played at OUR home ground.

Couldn't give a Sh!t that opposition supporters can't get in. We should be asking the AFL for Easter Monday @ Home to open the new facility. If not Hawthorn then Collingwood, or Carlton

Would love to make KP as intimidating with 40k that Collingwood or Richmond do with 80k at the G

We as supporters and the club itself must make the opposition match day experience as difficult and intimidating as possible

 

[kickazz]

Once the Stand is complete there will be no excuse for Finals and 11 Home games to be played at OUR home ground.

Couldn't give a Sh!t that opposition supporters can't get in.

If we end up with home finals, one of the side effects will be that many of our supporters will not be able to get in.

 

[Son_Of_God29]

If we end up with home finals, one of the side effects will be that many of our supporters will not be able to get in.

Buy a Seat like a lot of people have for years knowing that the day was coming where all home games and finals would be played at home. The club has been saying this all through the Costa Cook Era

 

[kickazz]

Buy a Seat like a lot of people have for years knowing that the day was coming where all home games and finals would be played at home. The club has been saying this all through the Costa Cook Era

Your reserved seat doesn't count for finals. The AFL decide how the seats are allocated for finals. It would likely be a 50-50 crowd.

 

[Son_Of_God29]

Oh the AFL decide how to allocate seats to a 50-50 crowd do they - Saturday Week will not be 50/50 split i can guarantee Geelong Fans will be out-numbered 3-1

 

[kickazz]

Oh the AFL decide how to allocate seats to a 50-50 crowd do they - Saturday Week will not be 50/50 split i can guarantee Geelong Fans will be out-numbered 3-1

The two clubs will get an even allocation. The only reason there will likely be more pies fans will be due to:

MCC having more pies fans
AFL members having more pies fans
GFC members not fully taking up their allotted tickets
General Public having more pies fans (how many dependant upon how many tickets Geelong members take up)

 

[Pods]

it might only apply to GF, but I seem to recall the split of tickets between competing clubs also being impacted by the number of ticket eligible members they have.