New facilities in Springfield. Update: all systems go!

Fatcat08

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Bugger it if it's that important to them I'll get my sister and her fiance (both chefs) and open up a Cafe in an old mechanics shed filled with mismatch furniture from the demo warehouse down the road. Doesn't get more trendy than that.

Fwiw there would be a hundred more places and things to do within a 5 min drive of there when compared with the airport although the airport does have the driving range.

But no doubt as patty has alluded to any design would incorporate those sort of areas to make it easier. I'd imagine there would be a kitchen there too.
 

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Lionheart182

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Bugger it if it's that important to them I'll get my sister and her fiance (both chefs) and open up a Cafe in an old mechanics shed filled with mismatch furniture from the demo warehouse down the road. Doesn't get more trendy than that.

Fwiw there would be a hundred more places and things to do within a 5 min drive of there when compared with the airport although the airport does have the driving range.

But no doubt as patty has alluded to any design would incorporate those sort of areas to make it easier. I'd imagine there would be a kitchen there too.
Geelong actually hire a full time chef to work at their home ground. Might be an idea.
 

adey115

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So you're a gun player who is a Free Agent..... four Melbourne clubs come and offer you the same amount of money.
Collingwood shows your their centre near the MCG precinct.
North Melbourne shows your their new centre in inner Melbourne.
The Bulldogs show your their new centre.
St Kilda takes you to Seaford....

All other factors being equal (ladder, opportunity, yada yada), if you're a mid to late twenties guy on several hundred thousand dollars per year, location, surroundings and the environment in which you spend the vast majority of your working day, is going to be a factor. I know which on the list I'd have as fourth (all other factors being equal).

I am not saying it is the "only" factor, but I firmly believe it is a factor. We want to recruit people. We want them to stay. There is no use saying or thinking it wouldn't effect "me" as a person - there aren't many of us in here who are fit, skilled, draft age or mid twenties superstar free agent age, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, and being courted by various clubs.
 

Dylan12

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So you're a gun player who is a Free Agent..... four Melbourne clubs come and offer you the same amount of money.
Collingwood shows your their centre near the MCG precinct.
North Melbourne shows your their new centre in inner Melbourne.
The Bulldogs show your their new centre.
St Kilda takes you to Seaford....

All other factors being equal (ladder, opportunity, yada yada), if you're a mid to late twenties guy on several hundred thousand dollars per year, location, surroundings and the environment in which you spend the vast majority of your working day, is going to be a factor. I know which on the list I'd have as fourth (all other factors being equal).

I am not saying it is the "only" factor, but I firmly believe it is a factor. We want to recruit people. We want them to stay. There is no use saying or thinking it wouldn't effect "me" as a person - there aren't many of us in here who are fit, skilled, draft age or mid twenties superstar free agent age, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, and being courted by various clubs.
True, but it didn't stop Jake Carlisle choosing the Saints over a few other clubs on similar dollars whose facilities could be described as more favourable as the Saints.
 

chopperduck

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Problem still stands that it is not easy to get large chunks of land within the CBD area and get millions of dollars worth of funding to build something. Government wont shout us new facilities for a sport that doesn't attract enough interest up here.

Id say this will probably be the best offer we get, in hitting as many of the needs we are after. I do not believe we will get this amount of funding any closer to the city.

Will come down to slacks creek or the airport. Need to reach a decision by mid year so a start can be made and maybe be using the facilities for 2018 season.
 

Fatcat08

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I've missed something or forgotten - what is the funding available for the Airport option?
nothing in concrete yet. I think I may have read somewhere that the BAC were interested in raising the profile of the area so may look at helping fund some of the construction costs, but i can't recall seeing any specific figures. Although I may have just made that last part up in my head.

One thing I keep wondering about with the airport as a negative is the noise. I guess the dons have moved at least that close to the airport, but I do wonder whether it causes them any issues. I live under a bit of a flight path albeit an intermittant one and a fair way from the airport, and when a plane comes in you really can't hear much. Would imagine it would be quite a bit worse out on a field right near the airport, where every landing and take off will have some affect, especially with the second runway. Certainly not a reason to rule it out as we can be too choosy, however it would have to be a factor.
 
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harvester

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If they build great modern facilities, all infrastructure around it will increase in value. Everything around it will improve.
At Runaway Bay (north gold coast) they have built a sports super centre. Athletes around the world will train there. Something similar at logan would be great.
 

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Old Den

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As long as you're out before dark and the shooting starts.:p
I'm tempted to say that,after dark,only the brave deserve the fare at The Manor.:)....but I have never experienced anything untoward in the vicinity at night so those particular gastronomical delights are set to continue for me.
 

Skoob

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I'm tempted to say that,after dark,only the brave deserve the fare at The Manor.:)....but I have never experienced anything untoward in the vicinity at night so those particular gastronomical delights are set to continue for me.
Things have probably changed. I think The Glen was a bit notorious 20-30 years ago. Maybe a bit of a bikie pub?
 

adey115

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True, but it didn't stop Jake Carlisle choosing the Saints over a few other clubs on similar dollars whose facilities could be described as more favourable as the Saints.
"All factors being equal". I don't think that was the case with Jake. He's also not the sharpest tool in the shed, so using him as a decision making beacon is possibly worth arguing too.... :)
 

MacMum

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Seaford/Frankston is just a crappy, old uninteresting part of the a... end of melbourne. Nothing to recommend at all imo.

Can understand Saints wanting to move.
 

Lionheart182

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And FYI, not a decent cafe in sight :cool: 10 mins away minimum.
Yeah they have the trade park area where all the workers eat on their lunch break. Closest decent strip would be Keilor road/Moonee Ponds which is probably 15 minutes drive from there. The facility itself is incredible though so that probably helps.
 

BrizzyBandit

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I'm just relieved there's an option at all.
I was seriously worried.

Logan region is booming at the moment.

My sister lives close by. An easy commute going against the traffic.

Get it done.
 

BigCat2

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As long the AFL come to the party and chip in the required amount, I think is our best option at present. Seriously it's not that far the CBD or the east side suburbs where many of our players live. It is no New Farm or Bulimba when it comes to Cafes but neither is it a barren wasteland - there are restaurants within short driving distance to the site. Geographically it is also much closer than Springfield.

I'm not worried by the Seaford situation, as they're really not comparable. Right now when our players train at Coorparoo there are no fancy places nearby either. I suppose it is closer to home and that they can go home for lunch, but I wonder how often players actually do that. It won't be overly difficult to open a restaurant nearby that is run by the club, with a menu that is largely dedicated to healthy eating that will make it easy for our players to go there and maintain a good diet.

It is possible for a better offer to come along in the future, but the current political atmosphere means there will be very little chance of funding from federal or state level. We really have to rely on local councils and/or large land development companies otherwise we're stuck.

Timing is also important. We have been speaking about a new training and admin site for too long now. The longer we're stuck at the Gabba, the longer our club will haemorrhage money and be handicapped in terms of our training limitations. For a young list on the rise, it really needs every advantage we can get to help us become competitive. Not to mention retaining and attracting new talent.

Unless the airport comes up quickly with a superior counter-offer, it is a no brainer for me.

Greg Swann must have worked incredibly hard to even get this far. Government and organisations don't just cough up good offers spontaneously. Well done Swanny.
 
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