Stadium Australia

[daddy_4_eyes]

Could anyone enlighten me as to why Stadium Australia is being redeveloped to make it smaller??

And why does the AFL not want to schedule games there?? I heard that both Sydney, Nth and the stadium people wanted games there.

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Go Eagles!!!

 

[sirreal]

The AFL do want to play games their. They are just playing hardball to improve their negotiating position.

A 110,000 seat stadium would rarely get filled in Sydney. 70,000 is a much more manageable size. Configuring it to suit AFL as well will increase patronage at the stadium wchich will help pay it off.

 

[AlfAndrews]

Reducing it to 70,000 is just plain daft.

At its present size it would have made a perfect Grand Final venue while the M.C.G. is being redeveloped.

But it seems large venues are unfashionable these days. The marketers have worked out that if you keep a stadium small you can charge a lot more for seats because you've created a scarcity. They've done the sums and worked out that they'll make more money by making attendance at the footy more of an elitist thing.

Essentially they're saying, "Screw the public ... profit rulz."



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**floreat pica**

 

[Sydneyfan]

I'd like to see Stadium Australia stay at its current size but sirreal does have a point that it will rarely get filled in Sydney with its current size. Apparently to accomodate an Australian Football size ground, the stadium has to be reconfigured which reduces its capacity.
They are going to get rid of the 2 ends of the stadium and leave the rest of stadium, which they say can be covered by a retractable roof possibly in the future. Leaving a capacity around 80,000 for rugby, soccer, etc. and 70,000 for Aussie Rules.
It's a shame that no AFL will be played there next year and with no Rugby League team calling there home next year, it will be a very quiet year for Stadium Australia having probably about 5 or 6 events (Rugby League State of Origin, Finals and Grand Final, Rugby Union Bledisloe Cup, etc.).
Apparently the ground surface of the stadium has to be raised several metres to allow everyone in the Stadium clear viewing and the AFL doesn't want a rushed job on it and aren't going to risk it like Colonial this season. So it won't be until at least 2002 until any AFL matches are played at Stadium Australia.

[This message has been edited by Sydneyfan (edited 29 December 2000).]

 

[Mags]

The 1st i looked for in next years draw is when Collingwood Plays Sydney at Stadium Australia.

The swans could pack Stadium Australia with games against Collingwood, Carlton etc...

When is the afl going to get off there arse in the sydney market!

Mags

 

[Same Old's]

Originally posted by Mags:
The 1st i looked for in next years draw is when Collingwood Plays Sydney at Stadium Australia.

The swans could pack Stadium Australia with games against Collingwood, Carlton etc...

When is the afl going to get off there arse in the sydney market!

Mags

They could start to get off their arse if they relocated the Kangaroos over there.

 

[Ms.Storm]

The Swans won't fill Stadium Australia even if Essendon or Collingwood play them.
AFL is not popular enough in NSW.
Rugby League and Union are the most popular codes in NSW.
I also think North Melb. will re-locate to Canberra not Sydney. The Bulldogs or perhaps St.Kilda will be the next team mooted for relocation, especially if they are not successful on field.

 

[Mags]

As an ex Sydney Resident the crowds for rugby league and union were very poor and the Swans (even some Kangaroos Home Games) games at the sydney cricket ground were getting more ppl there then League or Union!

I dont see the roos being Relocated too Canberra. No Suitable stadium, Not Many Ppl Live In The Canberra area and they are very big supporters of the Brumbies And the Raiders in Canberra.

Mags

 

[AlfAndrews]

Originally posted by Sydneyfan:
Apparently the ground surface of the stadium has to be raised several metres to allow everyone in the Stadium clear viewing ...

That's incredible!!! What a collossal waste of money the Olympic Games were. They spend squillions on a stadium that can only be used for two weeks.

With a bit of foresight and brains they could have come up with something that could actually be used afterwards without having to undergo major reconstruction. That is just so incredibly stupid.

As for the stadium being so large that it would hardly ever be filled ... so what. The M.C.G. is only filled to capacity two or three times a year. The important thing is that the capacity is there when you need it. If it costs too much to run a stadium of that size when it's only half full you can always close some sections of the ground when you're not expecting a full house.



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**floreat pica**

 

[Rob]

Rugby Union? You know how many times the NSW Rugby Union side filled the SFS last year? None. That's right, nought, zip, nada, nil. That's how popular Rugby Union is in Sydney. The only games were they can get good crowds are test matches.
Based on crowds, clearly the Swans are the most popular team in Sydney. If they were in premiership contention, games against the top sides would draw 50,000 plus. 1996 and 97 showed that, when they were selling out the SCG weeks in advance.

 

[Crows Lad]

I hope that Stadium Australia provides the AFL, or more specifically, the Swans, with a bigger ground for those "Big Matches" (much like when an Essendon game is moved from Colonial to the MCG), once the ground is raised.

It would be a very brave person to suggest that the Swans, let along the Kangaroos, would be able to get consistently 60000 at the Stadium week in and week out. The AFL here is still second fiddle to Rugby League (thought the gap is narrowing).

'I would like to see that' because:
- It would mean that more AFL (and not just Swans) suppoters in Sydney could get to see more of the big games.

- It would provide a fantastic atmosphere (I have been to games at the Stadium Australia when there have been sellouts and the atmosphere is fantastic)

- It is extremely embarrassing having 15000 people in an 80000 seat stadium (ask any Canterbury Bankstown Supporter).

 

[Stealth bomber]

I was just at Stadium Australia yesterday wondering all this same stuff. From what I could tell, nothing's been done to it yet. They wanted $27.00 for a tour of the place, to which we all scoffed at and refused.

The feeling I got from the whole Olympic park itself is that there had been a huge party the night before and it was all gone and nothing was left but the mess.

I went into the Aquatic Centre and saw a bunch of kids swimming in the pool and a big ugly inflatable slide with giant Coke bottles on either side set up on the diving platforms. Was kinda depressing really, thinking about what the place had become.

I would hate to see the stadium suffer the same fate.

 

[Same Old's]

Originally posted by Stealth bomber:
I went into the Aquatic Centre and saw a bunch of kids swimming in the pool and a big ugly inflatable slide with giant Coke bottles on either side set up on the diving platforms. Was kinda depressing really, thinking about what the place had become.

Don't be depressed, Stealthy because the aquatic centre is probably the only post-olympic facility that will turn a profit.

It was designed to be used as public swimming pool.

[This message has been edited by Same Old's (edited 29 December 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Same Old's (edited 29 December 2000).]

 

[Sydneyfan]

I'm hoping that Stadium Australia is used in the future as a regular AFL venue. Hopefully the Swans will play some of their matches against popular teams there (such as Carlton and Essendon), maybe having about 5 home and away matches there and 6 at the SCG each season.
Alf, you're right, it was an incredibly stupid decision to have the Stadium propose built for just one 2 week event, not fully looking into the long-term logistics of the Stadium (eg. the Stadium's surface).
Unfortunately, even though I'd like to see the Stadium kept at its current capacity it looks destined to be reduced.
I believe the Swans could quite easily full 60,000 people for their bigger matches, a lot of 'casual' AFL supporters in Sydney get browned off how you have virtually got to be a Swans members to get decent seats at the SCG, with Stadium Australia they would have the opportunity to see games more regularly without being a Swans member.
I was at Homebush Bay, the other week to see a Kings basketball match and the whole place is a bit of a white elephant at the moment, so empty compared to what it was during the Olympics. The NSW Government has launched a new initiative to get business, retail and redisential development in there to get a bit of life into the place because at the moment it's a bit of a ghost town.

[This message has been edited by Sydneyfan (edited 29 December 2000).]

 

[Stormer]

Originally posted by Mags:
As an ex Sydney Resident the crowds for rugby league and union were very poor and the Swans (even some Kangaroos Home Games) games at the sydney cricket ground were getting more ppl there then League or Union!

I dont see the roos being Relocated too Canberra. No Suitable stadium, Not Many Ppl Live In The Canberra area and they are very big supporters of the Brumbies And the Raiders in Canberra.

Mags

Mags,
Pls.total the attendances of r/league games and they would far outweigh Swans games. Don't forget Swans only afl team in Sydney and you are comparing them to one rugby league game and not total Sydney /(NSW) games on the day.
Have you been reading the newspapers of late? The Roos are very interested in playing games in Canberra. And I think I am right in saying a new stadium has just been built there (not 100% correct on this) and the Roos and AFL HAVE done their homework and the Roos are certain that there is potential of 7,000 Canberra members immediately.
Don't forget also many, many people like both codes - afl and rugby league/union....it's only in Melbourne and say Adelaide where there is a bias by many against other footy codes....I think this is a fear of the unknown or something that makes Melbournians scared to appreciate say soccer or rugby league or union.
Just speaking from experience here.
Cheers to everyone.

 

[Peter P]

Lots of spot on comments from nearly everyone here. Why did they not build the Stadium so it'd be easier to modifiy for post games football codes and cricket?

As for Swans support. I'm an Adelaide based Sydney fan (used to live in Sydney). When I got to see a Swans game at the SCG I got lousy seats up the back of the hill.....it was all that was going for the public, and we'd booked as quick as we could. The crowd was just an average 28,000 for a game against Port. All those Swans members seats vacant as the members waited for "bigger" games. Still plugger was on song.

The Swans would have got 100,000 to some games like the prelim final against Essendon and Pluggers record breaking game and the week before when they played Collingwood. The AFL needs a bigger stadium so footy fans who can't be members and curious Sydneysiders can see more live footy from decent seats.

PS more often than not the Swans draw a bigger crowd than all the SYDNEY BASED Rugby League games of the round. Just like the Lions draw more than the Broncos.

 

[Mags]

That is one of the reason why i got myself a Swans Membership when living in Sydney!

Coz the rest of the seats there are shit. I went to Stadium Australia once and that was to the Nrl Grand Final when the Storm won the Granny!

It was good being there in a large stadium which was packed!

They still wanna play on a field that is smaller then junior footy grounds i use to play on in sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

I have played footy (Little League and North Shore Rep Games) on the Sydney Cricket Ground and it is a very small ground to play footy on.

Mags