Moved Thread Optus Stadium capacity should be increased to 80,000

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Feb 23, 2009
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80,000 probably would have gone un-used a lot of the time, but you could still possibly have justified it at the time.
What you can't justify is asking to upgrade it when it's only been around 18 months, that's just lunacy. You don't ask for an upgrade based on one year of results, and you certainly don't spend additional millions of dollars on top of a stadium that already cost hundreds of millions to build and only just got built.

That stadium shouldn't even be spoke about in terms of upgrade for a minimum of 10 years, and most likely longer. To do that is just throwing the millions and millions they've already spent down the toilet.
 

nameless

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From the time Barnett announced the stadium would be at Burswood (mid-2011) I thought 60,000 was too small at the time.

We should be building infrastructure for the long-term, and I thought it should be 70,000 from the outset with the potential to be redeveloped to 80,000.

Does anyone know:

a) How many matches were sold out at Optus in 2018 and
b) How many people are on West Coast's waiting list?

West Coast had 80,000 members in 2018.
I'm not sure of the breakdown between full members, in the wings and interstate.
Assume it's 60,000 / 15,000 / 5,000

I think most games were classified as 'sell out' for West Coast, although not actually reaching 60,000

Rd. 1 - 53,553
Rd. 3 - 54,535
Rd. 4 - 51,774
Rd. 6 - 56,521 (away v Freo)
Rd. 7 - 50,516
Rd. 9 - 57,616
Rd. 11 - 54,188
Rd. 14 - 51,409
Rd. 16 - 52,105
Rd. 18 - 46,854
Rd. 20 - 55,824
QF - 59,585
PF - 59,608

I think a strong case could be made that we need a 70,000 seat stadium.
With 1 match under 50,000 and generally being 5-10,000 off capacity it shows there is a huge interest.

Yes, West Coast were doing very well and the allure of a new stadium does inflate the numbers, but I know a lot of non-members who didn't even bother trying to get tickets assuming games were sold out, or prices were $60-80 for the lowest category ticket.
 
Feb 23, 2009
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West Coast had 80,000 members in 2018.
I'm not sure of the breakdown between full members, in the wings and interstate.
Assume it's 60,000 / 15,000 / 5,000

I think most games were classified as 'sell out' for West Coast, although not actually reaching 60,000

Rd. 1 - 53,553
Rd. 3 - 54,535
Rd. 4 - 51,774
Rd. 6 - 56,521 (away v Freo)
Rd. 7 - 50,516
Rd. 9 - 57,616
Rd. 11 - 54,188
Rd. 14 - 51,409
Rd. 16 - 52,105
Rd. 18 - 46,854
Rd. 20 - 55,824
QF - 59,585
PF - 59,608

I think a strong case could be made that we need a 70,000 seat stadium.
With 1 match under 50,000 and generally being 5-10,000 off capacity it shows there is a huge interest.

Yes, West Coast were doing very well and the allure of a new stadium does inflate the numbers, but I know a lot of non-members who didn't even bother trying to get tickets assuming games were sold out, or prices were $60-80 for the lowest category ticket.
Making a case for an extra 10,000 after the first year of opening which creates added interest and West Coast being premiership material which also drives numbers is a short term view. It doesnt mitigate for risk for potentially in 5 years time when hypothetically both WA teams are bottom 4 and everyone has been to the stadium 20 times so novelty has worn off.

It's also effectively throwing away money already spent to make it the 60k stadium it is today. Unless they built it ready to go upgradable but I dont think they did. Packed stadiums are always better than stadiums 70% filled.
 

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nameless

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Making a case for an extra 10,000 after the first year of opening which creates added interest and West Coast being premiership material which also drives numbers is a short term view. It doesnt mitigate for risk for potentially in 5 years time when hypothetically both WA teams are bottom 4 and everyone has been to the stadium 20 times so novelty has worn off.

It's also effectively throwing away money already spent to make it the 60k stadium it is today. Unless they built it ready to go upgradable but I dont think they did. Packed stadiums are always better than stadiums 70% filled.
Not sure where i said it should increase this year?

I said a case can be made for an increase to 70,000 in the future, but also stated that the attendance could be inflated for several reasons.
While also acknowledging there is still a stigma that general admission will always be sold out.
 
If I’m to be 100% honest
I think they got the size right, or maybe slightly small (60-65 ideal, maybe 70 max)

The mcg contract means you can’t draw the event which will increase tourism to get the money to offset the cost.

So the expansion will mean you’ll need to rely on afl, cricket, concerts or one off events.
Freo and scorcher crowds won’t go up.

So it’s a cost with no roi there.
And what one off events could you get which might sell out? Maybe a Socceroos match vs Japan? But you’d have to hope we become half decent again. And then you’d have to poach it off the mcg or stadium Australia. And best case scenerio is once a year. Realistically, once every 4 years, assuming we draw them every available chance.

You’d be relying on west coast and concerts to make it worth it. If that’s the only events which can justify it, it’d take maybe 10-15 years to pay it off.

Yeah, it probably should’ve been marginally bigger when it was built. But redevelopment costs will be too high. If it’s even suggested seriously beyond west coast fans or spoilt Victorians who want everything to be like the mcg in the next 10 years I’ll be shocked.

2030 is probably the earliest realistic chance we could get
And in all honest. Even then I doubt it’ll happen.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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There is no room for half measures. A 3rd WA team must play at the big stadium or else it is not worth it.

Realistically there is no need for the WACA to be maintained in the current format, it should be downsized.

Can cricket crowds justify ($s) playing at the new stadium, guess the financials will tell the story. I'd keep the WACA as is.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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Not sure where i said it should increase this year?

I said a case can be made for an increase to 70,000 in the future, but also stated that the attendance could be inflated for several reasons.
While also acknowledging there is still a stigma that general admission will always be sold out.

Understand the call for more cheap seats, what stigma, the PC army?

When an Eagles game is fixtured all the allocated seating is sold out - its the other seating including those allocated to tourism, to the visiting club, to GA that you need to look at.
 

Admiral Byng

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Can cricket crowds justify ($s) playing at the new stadium, guess the financials will tell the story. I'd keep the WACA as is.

What events would the WACA host? Seems to me there are two two broad categories - under 10,000 events and over 25,000, there's not really going to be much in that 10-25K range that would be exactly suited to the WACA in the current configuration - maybe Test matches against Pakistan, Sri Lanka or West Indies once every 2 or 3 years. But not much would fit into that sweet-spot. For some games I reckon they'll need to close the top deck at Optus to save the coinage, but that would still be about 30-35K seats.
 
Aug 14, 2011
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What events would the WACA host? Seems to me there are two two broad categories - under 10,000 events and over 25,000, there's not really going to be much in that 10-25K range that would be exactly suited to the WACA in the current configuration - maybe Test matches against Pakistan, Sri Lanka or West Indies once every 2 or 3 years. But not much would fit into that sweet-spot. For some games I reckon they'll need to close the top deck at Optus to save the coinage, but that would still be about 30-35K seats.

Whats crickets record to date? Havent had the time to view any of the BBL matches.
 

Admiral Byng

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Whats crickets record to date? Havent had the time to view any of the BBL matches.

ODI v South Africa got about 24K
Teast matches got 19-20K on the first three days, then about 10K for the Monday and Tuesday.
Two Scorchers matches have had just a tick over 40K each.

The WACA us only about 20K without temporary stands. The test match might have been played there, but it is arguable the lower than expected crowds are due to the ball tampering issue rather than the stadium. Crowds have been down on expectations at other venues too.
 

Mighty Eagles

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... I know a lot of non-members who didn't even bother trying to get tickets assuming games were sold out, or prices were $60-80 for the lowest category ticket.

I know of a lot of people over the years, mainly in the early 2000's that wanted to go to the footy and bought a Freo membership so that could happen with West Coast having lengthy waiting lists so they became Freo supporters. There would be thousands of people in this camp.

Thus confirming that the demand, mainly for West Coast, was that the stadium be greater than 60K when it opened.

It'll be interesting to see how long until Optus Stadium becomes too small. I think it'll be within 20 years.
 

R Chee Manning

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Apr 27, 2019
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80,000 would be amazing for a Derby - the place would rock...

But I'd hate to think how cavernous the place would feel on other occasions - say for the BBL or ODI.

If you're going to build another tier - put out a tender for some tarps as well... it's be the top of Mount Davis all over again.
 

RedV3x

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It doesnt mitigate for risk for potentially in 5 years time when hypothetically both WA teams are bottom 4 and everyone has been to the stadium 20 times so novelty has worn off.

You don't seem to understand that the interstate teams are just getting more and more powerful.
People are talking about a 3rd team for Perth.
Even allowing for the low possibility of both WA teams underperforming there will still be great crowds because WA is football state.
The moment the Subiaco upgrade was complete the stadium was too small.

It's also effectively throwing away money already spent to make it the 60k stadium it is today.

I'm not sure there is too much logic in that statement.

Unless they built it ready to go upgradable but I dont think they did.

It's stated as "upgradable". On the thrird level you can clearly see the space that could be utilised between the last seating and the outer wall.
It definitely looks "expandable" but I question whether the plyons will restrict the field of view.

Packed stadiums are always better than stadiums 70% filled.

Yes, so why does the NRL persist with ANZ playing to under 20%. Recently the NRL attracted only 6,711 to a game at ANZ
 

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