News Simonds Stadium Stage 4 Redevelopment

[samtheman1979]

Just to keep the thread ticking over here is the concept of what the stadium should look like when stages 4 & 5 are complete-

Final seating capacity of around 36,500.

 

[alfy!]

Just to keep the thread ticking over here is the concept of what the stadium should look like when stages 4 & 5 are complete-

Final seating capacity of around 36,500.

Looks beautiful.

What will total capacity be? I understand somewhere close to, or just over, 40,000?

 

[samtheman1979]

Looks beautiful.

What will total capacity be? I understand somewhere close to, or just over, 40,000?

Brian Cook quoted over the past two weeks as saying stadium capacity will be around 36,500. This is due to the cutbacks of stage 3.

 

[CF]

I hope it gets done but I have a feeling the money will be hard to get as some in Govt will see what we have now as being adequate, and no need for further development in the short term.

 

[alfy!]

Brian Cook quoted over the past two weeks as saying stadium capacity will be around 36,500. This is due to the cutbacks of stage 3.

That's incredibly disappointing to me. So stages 4 and 5 only add ~3-4000 capacity?

I thought it was always going to be a ~40,000 stadium when completed.

 

[samtheman1979]

That's incredibly disappointing to me. So stages 4 and 5 only add ~3-4000 capacity?

I thought it was always going to be a ~40,000 stadium when completed.

Unless they change the design or profile of the next two stages it can't get to 40,000. If you take what is already there, Players Stand- 9350, Premiership Stand- 4500 and times that by two as that's the same coverage as the Jennings, Ford and Ablett sections, add to that the Hickey- 6500 and then replacement of the 1500 seat Brownlow and give it a conservative 500 seat upgrade that gets a total of 36,200.

 

[CF]

didn't they downgrade their capacity prior to stage 3 so they could afford getting it done. IIRC originally they were going for a 40,000 seat stadium.

 

[Willo_]

Looks beautiful.

What will total capacity be? I understand somewhere close to, or just over, 40,000?

Interesting question considering you quoted the answer

 

[Willo_]

Will look like such a rounded complete stadium if they get the funding to make out all happen....

I also hope for sentimental reasons if it happens that they replicate the `GO CATS` in the same position it is currently in....it's something I have loved since I was a kid...I don't care how lame or dated it is

 

[alfy!]

Interesting question considering you quoted the answer

I thought seating capacity would have been different to total capacity

 

[Willo_]

I thought seating capacity would have been different to total capacity

I'm picking up what you're putting down

 

[Turbocat]

I hope it gets done but I have a feeling the money will be hard to get as some in Govt will see what we have now as being adequate, and no need for further development in the short term.

Easier in good times to gather dollars , so much bad news in the area lately it might seem misguide by some to be channeling dollars into a sport stadium (not my opinion), especially one that has had its fair share. Look at the responses in media , comments from the public. People can get terse about money being tossed at a footy club , ( a club that they might not even barrack for).

On the capacity. If we make an estimate that most of these additions/renovations are good for 20/30 years , 36/37 thousand is not a bad size. On must keep focus on staying profitable. Too many seats erodes that. It keeps demand high and MCG / Dome is just up the road for the big games. We will never ever play mega games down here , its for the games like Sat night. 8 out 18 are interstate sides , make a profit from them and your balance sheet will be looking black. Ask the Dogs if they would like to earn over 1M for playing the Suns.

Stage 4 and Stage 5. If Cook can get that done they really should name a stand after him. Hardest challenge ever !!!

 

[supahoops]

Talking to some it might be an idea to finish stage 3 first. Seems the gap at the top of level 1 players stand that saw the wind and rain coming through into the premium undercover seats has upset a few.

 

[Turbocat]

Talking to some it might be an idea to finish stage 3 first. Seems the gap at the top of level 1 players stand that saw the wind and rain coming through into the premium undercover seats has upset a few.

There was always going to be some tuneup required. As long as the clubs doesn't just put there head down and ignore all should be fine.

 

[CatAttack84]

Put it this way, with "half" the ground done, and now the new lights, and the clear indication GFC is staying in finals contention for years to come, we are in a much safer place then ever before.

Granted we'll likely need to wait longer (a World Cup win would've guaranteed all stages the Fed Gov had said) we're in a good place to continue. Granted KP is no MCG, but look how long it took to get the MCG to the 3 level monster we all love today. Hell, even the Southern Stand is very due for a refurb in the next year or two I think I read somewhere.

So with Cook and co seem happy to continue on at GFC, and with all the workforce focus on Geelong politically (marginal seats, Ford, Shell, Alcoa, Target, etc) I'm sure when and where they can lobby for cash they'll find some.

I'm just happy our club is really healthy for the first time in my lifetime.

 

[lionbear]

Ess and the other will not play in Geelong EVER.

If the final stage at Skilled is done, the capacity difference between Crapihad and Skilled would not be that great, I don't see why the Cats couldn't play teams like the Bombers down at the Cattery, what the AFL say about my thoughts would be greatly different though.

 

[samtheman1979]

The Geelong Football Club starting to push its case for redevelopment funding-

http://geelong.starcommunity.com.au/indy/2013-06-13/new-140m-funding-push-for-stadium-begins/

 

[The rabbi]

If the final stage at Skilled is done, the capacity difference between Crapihad and Skilled would not be that great, I don't see why the Cats couldn't play teams like the Bombers down at the Cattery, what the AFL say about my thoughts would be greatly different though.

Just shy of 17,000 is a significant number of people I would have thought.

 

[Henry85]

http://geelong.starcommunity.com.au/indy/2013-06-27/afl-backs-cats-in-bid-for-140m/

 

[vealesy]

What have the crowd figures been at the 3 games so far?

 

[Willo_]

What have the crowd figures been at the 3 games so far?

Over 30k the Gold Coast game, no idea the Freo one.. and I think only 22k or 24 for the Melbourne one.... conditions didn't help that last one obviously.. i would say more than half the crowd around me left at half time last week as well

 

[SkittleCats]

Over 30k the Gold Coast game, no idea the Freo one.. and I think only 22k or 24 for the Melbourne one.... conditions didn't help that last one obviously.. i would say more than half the crowd around me left at half time last week as well

I believe the Freo game was around 28k. Not bad if the club can average around 25-30k per game. Unless we get a string of weather like last week which will naturally keep people away.

 

[cats_09]

according to the info on footywire, the crowds were:
GC - 30,082
Freo - 26,743
Melbourne - 23,172 (bloody great effort considering the weather; not sure who went to the match against Port last year where we had similar weather, maybe slightly worse, and we only got 13,736).

Crowds going down a bit, but that does vary with the weather - good weather for our remaining matches and we should get crowds back around 30k you would hope.

 

[JUBJUB]

Melbourne - 23,172 (bloody great effort considering the weather; not sure who went to the match against Port last year where we had similar weather, maybe slightly worse, and we only got 13,736).

23,172 during the first qtr
10,172 just after 1/2 time

 

[speedybundy]

23,172 during the first qtr
10,172 just after 1/2 time

I only arrived at half time due to football in the morning, but tell you what the amount of people leaving was staggering. At least they got there for some of it though I guess!