New facilities at Springfield - update: Federal funding under review

[Hollow Knight]

Financially I think there were two issues with QEII. Funding to get the thing built, and the ongoing rent costs which means that it doesn't offer the year on year financial relief that Springfield and its peppercorn arrangement supposedly does.

These are just the arguments I was given by a man named Angus, whether they are as substantial in reality I don't know.

 

[weevil]

Everyone roam google maps looking for large vacant fields in desirable locations.

It's the finding someone who is happy to donate $25 million on its redevelopment only so they can let us use it rent free for 99 years that is the tricky part.

 

[patfullfankezz]

It's the finding someone who is happy to donate $25 million on its redevelopment only so they can let us use it rent free for 99 years that is the tricky part.

Time for a mass buying of lotto tickets for a few weeks?

 

[Hollow Knight]

Time for a mass buying of lotto tickets for a few weeks?

Pretty sure that is what Bob Sharpless is doing when he says they are making every effort to secure funding before the Heads of Agreement deadline.

 

[Elixuh]

It's the finding someone who is happy to donate $25 million on its redevelopment only so they can let us use it rent free for 99 years that is the tricky part.

Aren't Hamish and Andy buying an island? They'd let us use it.

 

[Alan Smithee]

The board were voting last week (or at least Cameron Milner, Peter McGregor and Lethal were as apparently Mick Power and Sharpless abstain from voting on the issue) on whether to extend Springfield agreement for a further 12 months, from end of June 2014 to 2015. If this agreement was made by the board Sharpless would have told anyone who would listen about it. Hopefully the absence of any information about the extension and the purported involvement of Gillon with the Club means there could be interesting developments in this area soon as the end of June is fast approaching!

 

[Skoob]

The board were voting last week (or at least Cameron Milner, Peter McGregor and Lethal were as apparently Mick Power and Sharpless abstain from voting on the issue) on whether to extend Springfield agreement for a further 12 months, from end of June 2014 to 2015. If this agreement was made by the board Sharpless would have told anyone who would listen about it. Hopefully the absence of any information about the extension and the purported involvement of Gillon with the Club means there could be interesting developments in this area soon as the end of June is fast approaching!

Given the recent kafuffle over the Springfield dream, regardless of any decision either way, I imagine the communications advice would be along the lines of;
"Now, no-one mention the 'S' word, FFS".

 

[Danny3]

Rumour mill down here points to St Kilda moving out of Seaford at some stage and moving back to Moorabbin (after renovation) or the Junction Oval, not enough pure Blondes or Soy Decafs down Seaford it seems.

Can't see moving from the heart of Brisbane being good for us in regard to player retention, it's hard enough getting players to play for us now, how's it going to go down when they move to the proposed area.

Also worth noting that the Saints high performance staff are apparently concerned with the impact that two hours commute each day is having on the players. Particularly relevant to our situation, given most of our players seem to live in the eastern suburbs.

 

[chopperduck]

Yeah I would imagine nothing starting with S will be mentioned. Interesting that Gill had a meeting with Bob though, not the board or any other parties while he was here, apparently.

 

[Danny3]

 

[Hollow Knight]

Also worth noting that the Saints high performance staff are apparently concerned with the impact that two hours commute each day is having on the players. Particularly relevant to our situation, given most of our players seem to live in the eastern suburbs.

I'm no Springfield apologist but it is pretty fair to say that the players live in that pocket east/south-east of the river because that is where our facilities are currently based.

If we moved to Springfield I think it is pretty safe to assume that the players over time would position themselves on the western side of the city.

Quick google maps search estimates the following drive times to Springfield from the following (pretty damn desirable) suburbs west or south/west of the City:

Kenmore: 21mins
Chapel Hill: 22 mins
Fig Tree Pocket: 18 mins
Chelmer: 22 mins
Yeronga: 22 mins
Westlake: 18mins
Auchenflower: 23 mins
Bardon: 25 mins
Milton: 26 mins
Paddington: 26 mins
Ashgrove: 28 mins

Given that the players would be presumably going against the traffic rather than with it, using the numbers above you'd be looking at total commute times (there and back combined) in the area of 36 minutes to 56 minutes.

 

[James North]

I know that Paddington has been touted by some as a good place to look.

 

[Dom PC]

Springfield is pretty bloody convenient for some of our board members it must be said. There are so many places to put this bloody training base. Something is very fishy about all this. I can't understand why the heck the board don't have a plan B. No leverage what so ever without one.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Springfield is pretty bloody convenient for some of our board members it must be said. There are so many places to put this bloody training base.

Again, I have my suspicions about Springfield but would be keen to hear your suggestions on the "many places" you speak of, presuming you are factoring in economics and other practicalities.

 

[Dom PC]

Again, I have my suspicions about Springfield but would be keen to hear your suggestions on the "many places" you speak of, presuming you are factoring in economics and other practicalities.

I can't dig up a list right now, but I will today just to add to this discussion. What I would say now is that I find it hard to believe in a one team city that is the Brisbane Lions all we can find is a place that is actually part of the Ipswich council, which coincidentally is rather beneficial to our current chairmans personal business interests (of all people) and that our previous chairman is now chairman of the bloody place we are so "eager" to move to.

 

[Danny3]

I'm no Springfield apologist but it is pretty fair to say that the players live in that pocket east/south-east of the river because that is where our facilities are currently based.

If we moved to Springfield I think it is pretty safe to assume that the players over time would position themselves on the western side of the city.

Quick google maps search estimates the following drive times to Springfield from the following (pretty damn desirable) suburbs west or south/west of the City:

Kenmore: 21mins
Chapel Hill: 22 mins
Fig Tree Pocket: 18 mins
Chelmer: 22 mins
Yeronga: 22 mins
Westlake: 18mins
Auchenflower: 23 mins
Bardon: 25 mins
Milton: 26 mins
Paddington: 26 mins
Ashgrove: 28 mins

Given that the players would be presumably going against the traffic rather than with it, using the numbers above you'd be looking at total commute times (there and back combined) in the area of 36 minutes to 56 minutes.

Agree that long-term, most of our players would probably base themselves that side of town. Certainly for any new players arriving at the club it would make sense. But thinking short-term, if you were someone like, say Redden for instance, and you'd been at the club long enough to spend a considerable amount of your professional footballer's earnings establishing yourself at your current address, I can't imagine the prospect of driving to Springfield and back every day would thrill you.

I know that is hardly an argument against the financial advantages of a 99-year peppercorn lease. But I'd be very surprised if it's not an issue for at least some of our current players...

 

[Hollow Knight]

Agree that long-term, most of our players would probably base themselves that side of town. Certainly for any new players arriving at the club it would make sense. But thinking short-term, if you were someone like, say Redden for instance, and you'd been at the club long enough to spend a considerable amount of your professional footballer's earnings establishing yourself at your current address, I can't imagine the prospect of driving to Springfield and back every day would thrill you.

I know that is hardly an argument against the financial advantages of a 99-year peppercorn lease. But I'd be very surprised if it's not an issue for at least some of our current players...

Pretty bloody small one to be honest. Much less of an upheaval than moving back to South Australia to make a point.

 

[Danny3]

Pretty bloody small one to be honest. Much less of an upheaval than moving back to South Australia to make a point.

Player managers do say the darndest things come contract negotiation time.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Player managers do say the darndest things come contract negotiation time.

Yeah but they could also play the "the Crows are able to offer Jack outstanding world class facilities" card too.

 

[chopperduck]

Players will be much more worried about facilities, which can directly impact the performance and potential of their footy career, than driving an extra 15 min to training.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Players will be much more worried about facilities, which can directly impact the performance and potential of their footy career, than driving an extra 15 min to training.

Phase 2 should include a few on-site accommodation suites for players who might just prefer to crash on site after a long day at the office. Especially if they are injured and getting physio late at night or something.

 

[James North]

Phase 2 should include a few on-suite accommodation suties for players who might just prefer to crash on site after a long day at the office. Especially if they are injured and getting physio late at night or something.

So, it might be a good investment for a player to buy one of the many available and fine quality properties at Springfield?

 

[patfullfankezz]

Player managers do say the darndest things come contract negotiation time.

It's not just the Sprungport (?) issue, a lot of things at this Club would make any decent player manager strongly advise their clients to jump ship.

 

[patfullfankezz]

So, it might be a good investment for a player to buy one of the many available and fine quality properties at Springfield?

I'd be tempted to just stick it to Bobby and his merry men and point blank refuse to move to Springport, nor would I spend any money at any of the establishments there at all.

But I'm a nasty person like that.

 

[dlanod]

I can't dig up a list right now, but I will today just to add to this discussion. What I would say now is that I find it hard to believe in a one team city that is the Brisbane Lions all we can find is a place that is actually part of the Ipswich council, which coincidentally is rather beneficial to our current chairmans personal business interests (of all people) and that our previous chairman is now chairman of the bloody place we are so "eager" to move to.

The BF Lions board here has been discussing this on and off since it was first announced. The general gist is that every other example fall into three categories:
- On landfill, so not suitable to build on.
- Flood prone, so unlikely to receive development proposal.
- Not large enough.

The exceptions seem to be QE2 and now Burpengary. The former has fewer entities coming to the table offering funding, and the latter only just came to the table.

I'd be curious to see what you can add to the list of considered sites that haven't already been floated by one or another over the last year or more.