Olympic Park/Westpac Centre Redevelopment

[millsy29gopies]

Thought it might be good to have a thread on this. There is actually a picture of the new training oval in the Collingwood yearbook, will upload tonight.

 

[millsy29gopies]

The Redevelopment includes:

New MCG sized oval with two-lane running track and lights
New extended sprung floor training zone and interactive AV Screen
State of the art gymnasium equipment & sports technology
New mezzanine training platform & altitude training room
New Sports science centre medical centre and testing labs
New coaches zone and player meeting rooms
New recruiting department
Extended player lounge and change facilities
New extended foyer entrance and retail area
New meeting and presentation rooms
New media and multi-media departments and internal media studio
And a new in-house membership call centre

Thoughts?

 

[Frankie23]

We were falling a bit behind the pack with clubs like NM and St.Kilda passing us with their facilities.

This should see us back on top.

 

[mattys123]

The Redevelopment includes:

New MCG sized oval with two-lane running track and lights
New extended sprung floor training zone and interactive AV Screen
State of the art gymnasium equipment & sports technology
New mezzanine training platform & altitude training room
New Sports science centre medical centre and testing labs
New coaches zone and player meeting rooms
New recruiting department
Extended player lounge and change facilities
New extended foyer entrance and retail area
New meeting and presentation rooms
New media and multi-media departments and internal media studio
And a new in-house membership call centre

Thoughts?

It all sounds awesome really, as some clubs were just starting to say that the Westpac Centre was starting to fall behind the times, all these changes should in fact put us back out in front.

 

[76woodenspooners]

By way of comparison, a few details of the proposed Essendon facilities can be found here ...

http://www.melbourneairport.com.au/...rt-a355d24e-9daf-4a4c-9b5e-34c779bdf16b-0.pdf

... and a site plan here ...

http://www.melbourneairport.com.au/Media/docs/Site Plan-bd1cdb79-e723-4fdb-b094-aee177179ad3-0.pdf

They've got two grounds planned. One is MCG size. I think the other one is Etihad size but I'm not so sure of that. The all-weather training facilities are meant to be very large. A lot of the design ideas are meant to be a result of Hirdy travelling around the Soccer clubs of Europe.

 

[mattys123]

Nice design and ideas from the Bummers there, just one question to Hird and Co;

Can you walk from that training ground to the MCG in 5 minutes?

I say that because the best sporting teams on Earth believe that recovery after a game is just as important, if not more important then what happens in the pre season, or the week leading into a game. Heck, we won a flag only 14 months ago largely because we recovered better then our opposition after a drawn GF.

Where are the Essendon players going to recover after a game? On a bus for 30 minutes?

Collingwood, Melbourne (AAMI Park) and Richmond have the best facilities of the Melbourne based AFL clubs, simply because of their location IMO.

 

[76woodenspooners]

The Redevelopment includes:

New MCG sized oval with two-lane running track and lights
New extended sprung floor training zone and interactive AV Screen
State of the art gymnasium equipment & sports technology
New mezzanine training platform & altitude training room
New Sports science centre medical centre and testing labs
New coaches zone and player meeting rooms
New recruiting department
Extended player lounge and change facilities
New extended foyer entrance and retail area
New meeting and presentation rooms
New media and multi-media departments and internal media studio
And a new in-house membership call centre

Thoughts?

We moved into the then Lexus Centre in 2004? I guess it's fair that a revamp is due after 7 years.

All these features sound very generic. In principle they sound good. But it's hard to have an opinion without seeing further detail.

From a supporters point of view, a visit to the Westpac centre isn't overly inspiring at the moment (well, it wasn't a year ago when I last visited). There's a merchandise shop to buy some Collingwood FC stubby holders, a bar next door to buy a beer to put in the stubby holders, and a small cafe I to buy a muffin. Not so inspiring.

There's no museum in the plans? Or is that intended for Victoria Park?

There doesn't seem to be much there for the members and supporters. Apart from the in-house call centre, and that's a little quaint.

 

[vjknight]

also ask jimmy how they plan to replicate the MCG or etihad when the wind is a howling gale, like it is up at tulla on a permanent basis

 

[unplugged]

When is this looking to be all done and dusted?

 

[Optimax]

Start of next preseason

 

[76woodenspooners]

Have the membership and supporters been consulted for input on this?

Obviously it's not for us to have an opinion about whether Butters should get a bigger altitude room or not.

But we should have input into the member and supporters facilities.

 

[76woodenspooners]

I wonder what the disruption is going to be like during redevelopment?

 

[Ed D]

I was reading that the new altitude room will be so big so that the plars can do training drills in it and they were even talking about building some bedrooms into it so players can spend a few days in there. Sounded pretty impressive, just like the rest of the upgrades.

 

[Tassieboy]

Nice design and ideas from the Bummers there, just one question to Hird and Co;

Can you walk from that training ground to the MCG in 5 minutes?

I say that because the best sporting teams on Earth believe that recovery after a game is just as important, if not more important then what happens in the pre season, or the week leading into a game. Heck, we won a flag only 14 months ago largely because we recovered better then our opposition after a drawn GF.

Where are the Essendon players going to recover after a game? On a bus for 30 minutes?

Collingwood, Melbourne (AAMI Park) and Richmond have the best facilities of the Melbourne based AFL clubs, simply because of their location IMO.

That's a really good point. Although Windy Hill isn't that much closer.

 

[TradeDraft]

What do us Fans get from this?

 

[Shellz]

Personally don't care what the fans get out of the redevelopment. For me it's about what's best for the players and stating ahead of the pack. Any advantage is a good advantage.

 

[blaze036]

Being able to sleep in an altitude room is a terrific idea. Absolutly CRITICAL for athletes like those in the tour de france to sleep in an altitude tent then train at sea level, gives fantastic bonuses for little effort (expensive though)

 

[Hotpiescoldbeers]

What do us Fans get from this?

Premierships!!

 

[Mansons Haircut]

Premierships!!

Quoted for accuracy.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Where are the Essendon players going to recover after a game? On a bus for 30 minutes?

Here's a business plan:

Step 1: Rent a truck from Budget or Avis or whoever - $109
Step 2: Buy a couple of 12 foot kiddies pools from Target - 2 x $99 = $198
Step 3: Put pools in back of truck and blow up with truck tire pump
Step 4: Buy 60 packets of ice from the servo - $200 (bulk discount)
Step 5: Drive to the MCG, fill pools with water from council taps - free
Step 6: Add ice to pool.
Step 7: Park illegally out the front of the players exit - $119 (parking fine)
Step 8: Charge Essendon $100 a player to use the recovery pools
Step 9: End of the night, dump the water and ice in the Yarra - free
Step 10: Following morning, fill up with petrol and return truck - $50

Costs: $676
Turnover: 22 * 100 = $2200
Profit: $1524 !

 

[Ed D]

What do us Fans get from this?

A better prepared team to watch.

 

[mattys123]

Profit: $1524 !

Sorry that's all that stood out for me.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[Quicky]

Here's a business plan:

Step 1: Rent a truck from Budget or Avis or whoever - $109
Step 2: Buy a couple of 12 foot kiddies pools from Target - 2 x $99 = $198
Step 3: Put pools in back of truck and blow up with truck tire pump
Step 4: Buy 60 packets of ice from the servo - $200 (bulk discount)
Step 5: Drive to the MCG, fill pools with water from council taps - free
Step 6: Add ice to pool.
Step 7: Park illegally out the front of the players exit - $119 (parking fine)
Step 8: Charge Essendon $100 a player to use the recovery pools
Step 9: End of the night, dump the water and ice in the Yarra - free
Step 10: Following morning, fill up with petrol and return truck - $50

Costs: $676
Turnover: 22 * 100 = $2200
Profit: $1524 !

The EPA might have something to say about that. Water bathed in by Essendon players has to be considered some sort of contaminant.

 

[vjknight]

The EPA might have something to say about that. Water bathed in by Essendon players has to be considered some sort of contaminant.

surely more cash to be made bottling this putrid slime and selling it to the blood stained fans as some sort of tonic.

hirds cure (sweet f)all elixir

 

[Quicky]

surely more cash to be made bottling this putrid slime and selling it to the blood stained fans as some sort of tonic.

hirds cure (sweet f)all elixir

Hmmm it could be a profitable enterprise. But at what cost? I wonder what the half life Essendon slime is? I bet uranium's got nothing. We must protect our environment for posterity so future generations can enjoy it.

Consulting the Environmental Protection act:

(1) A person shall not pollute any waters so that the condition of the waters
is so changed as to make or be reasonably expected to make those waters-
(a) noxious or poisonous;
(b) harmful or potentially harmful to the health, welfare, safety or
property of human beings;
(c) poisonous, harmful or potentially harmful to animals, birds, wildlife,
fish or other aquatic life;
(d) poisonous, harmful or potentially harmful to plants or other
vegetation; or
(e) detrimental to any beneficial use made of those waters.

I'd say Essendon slime ticks all of the above. The penalty is:

2400 penalty units and in the case of a continuing offence to a daily penalty of not more than 1200 penalty units for each day the offence continues after conviction

Thats $24,000 dollars and up to $12,000 for every day the offense continues. Pretty steep for improved recovery!!

*As an aside ice is actually potentially a pretty bad contaminant for waters. The change in temperature ****s around with all sorts of things not least of which is the disolved oxygen content which aquatic life requires to, well, live.