Marvel stadium in a few words

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Sep 22, 2011
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Essendon
Fair enough but at the end of the day it’s just going to watch a footy game. The fans are not showing up at Marvel.

Supporters of MCG clubs just aren’t used to it. They’ve got their routines for the G, it’s familiar and easy. Then they have one or two games a year at Docklands and many probably just think it’s easier to stay home. With ubiquitous live coverage these days and the expense of going to the footy (transport / drinks / food), you don’t need any great excuse to sit it out for a week and relax on the couch.

Consider too, footy is a bit different in Melbourne. It’s not as though you only have 11 games, you can generally see your club at least 16 times live if you want. People pick and choose a bit more.

The other thing is access. The majority of Melbourne’s population is in the east and every train line funnels through Jolimont or Richmond, which are both at the MCG. Docklands is a few stops further, and on the loop which can sometimes mean a change of trains. And getting home is a bit of a pain in the arse, at the G you jump on your line and you’re out of there. At Docklands you sometimes need to get one train to Flinders St then change.

For those who drive, parking is cheaper and far more plentiful in and around the G compared to Docklands.

Some also to make a day / night of it, the G is close to countless food and pub options. Docklands, not so much. It’s down the arse-end of the city and poorly located.

Small things, but when you’ve got plenty of games throughout the year you can go to, that’s all it takes. Footy in Melbourne is very much a consumer’s market.
 
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I've never understood why it's so disliked by people, it's definitely my favourite place to watch the footy (including Kardinia Park) and my BBL team plays their too. For me, these are the benefits:
  • Only one V/Line train and a short walk from Geelong to Southern Cross, whereas the 'G is often two trains and a longer walk
  • The seats are much closer to the action than other stadiums, it's like you're right on top of the game
  • Regardless of where you sit, you don't feel like you're miles away from the match like at the 'G
  • Cricket never gets rained out because there's a roof
  • Unless it's Round 2 2013, the roof will be shut when it's raining, so no sitting in the rain
  • From my experiences, it's the easiest ground to buy tickets to a match from, and the selection of available seats is usually pretty good
Compared to the negatives:
  • It's slowly turning into a Disney/Marvel theme park and it looks very tacky. Peak nostalgia for me is going to the 'Telstra Dome' when it was a sports stadium first, not a giant Marvel advertisement
  • The playing surface is often patchy, especially early in the season after a summer of cricket and concerts
The positives far outweigh the negatives for me. It's disappointing the Cats don't play at Marvel more so I have more chances to attend. But we are playing there this week :thumbsu:
 

mouncey2franklin

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 16, 2018
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How is its concrete brutalism any different to the MCG's?? The MCG is just a massive concrete bowl. Nothing there is over 30 years old. It doesn't really have any character. Outside it's sheer scale there is nothing exceptional about the MCG.
I agree with you 100%.
 
Jul 4, 2012
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How is its concrete brutalism any different to the MCG's?? The MCG is just a massive concrete bowl. Nothing there is over 30 years old. It doesn't really have any character. Outside it's sheer scale there is nothing exceptional about the MCG.
Bang on. The MCG is big, but the stadium itself has very little character. SCG, Adelaide Oval, Kardinia Park, AAMI Park actually have a unique atmosphere and aesthetic about the place. The MCG and Docklands are just your stock standard modern concrete bowls.
 

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Aug 13, 2006
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My biggest complaint is you'll have a crowd of 25k and they'll still be forced to pay massive overs or sit in the lesser seats, which can still be decent seats but if the crowd is small why haven't they worked out a good resale ticket system to get more people sitting on the wings of level 2 and enjoying world class seats.

Apart from that I've always found the security and staff just 10-20% less helpful than at the MCG. No surprise they had issues with stuff like the BAO.

Maybe it's because you can walk around it freely but you'll enter in and get treated like a trouble maker right away.

If you were building it again there's 3 big things I'd change:

1. Get the direction of the thing right! East West would surely help with the surface as well as the sun issues for players and the crowd.

2. Add a bit of variance to the architecture rather than one big dome and therefore create more zones within the stadium as a reference point for who goes where. Just add a bit of character to it. Even the ends add nothing, how many on here who don't go to the place regularly could tell you which is the Lockett and which is Coventry?

3. Properly connect it to the station, CBD and waterfront as well as add some features around the stadium. Ideally the stadium entrance would stretch over the train line back to Spencer st with a big wide park with some grass, some trees, some public space etc. The same for the other end feeding down to the water.

It's a stadium with a convenient location next to the city, it doesn't actually maximise that in any way which is such a waste.
 
Collingwood lose a game there and this thread appears.
The ground has its flaws but it’s fine.

I’ll ask West Coast supporters, as a fair few were present and did the double following their win over the Hawks earlier in the day. What did you prefer?
Just enjoying a footy fuelled weekend?
I’d find it hard to watch a non north game for mine.
 

JADED

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 29, 2005
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Good for the environment when the roof is closed as there is no need to rip up the poor grass and toss it in the air to check the wind when kicking for goal.
(Unless you're Mathew Lloyd)
#savethegrass
 

JADED

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 29, 2005
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I’ll ask West Coast supporters, as a fair few were present and did the double following their win over the Hawks earlier in the day. What did you prefer?
Just enjoying a footy fuelled weekend?
I’d find it hard to watch a non north game for mine.
We considered going as we had nothing to do on the Saturday night. MCG was pretty barren for our game as everyone retreated for covered seats.
 

B4Bear

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 6, 2011
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What is it at the Docklands that Melbourne people don't like? As a visitor once or twice a season I love going to the Docklands to watch footy, it's a great viewing ground and thats kinda all I am looking for as a spectator.
What is it that makes it so unpopular with the locals?
The MCG tenants absolutely hate the fact that the AFL make them play a handful of games there each year. That trip of ten minutes is an absolute killer.
 

Golden_6

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 15, 2014
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The venue is fine, providing they close the roof at all times.

Sometimes I feel as though some supporters are trying to find a reason to excuse their clubs s**t performance when criticising the venue.
 

Bomberboyokay

Cancelled
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Sep 27, 2014
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What is it at the Docklands that Melbourne people don't like?

Can't buy the cheapest ticket and sit 10m from the boundary line. For some reason they think this would change if it were demolished and rebuilt.
 
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Bald

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Apr 5, 2016
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Coming from the west I think it's absolutely fantastic. Takes 25 minutes to get in, a little longer to get out, but it's brilliant. I've been to the MCG only a couple of times so can't really compare. Prefer getting to and leaving MARVEL though, I know that much.
 

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