Synthetic Surfaces Close To Fruition

[redandtheblue]

from vafa website:
The AFL and Cricket Australia have released the criteria for artificial turf to be developed that will be suitable to be used on community grounds. The Criteria was developed by the University of Ballarat. A link to the report is included.
http://www.vafa.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Report_for_website.pdf

how many people have had a chance to look at this at all?
its a massive document of 68 pages of information so it is a lot to take in all at once.
its obviously a huge step forward in providing everyone with consistant playing surfaces and Im sure it is something new to everyone.
how does everyone feel about playing on synthetic surfaces in the not so distant future?
I myself am a little unsure on it, however after skipping over some of the document its evident that theyve done some serious testing in all of the appropriate areas and Im sure if we do end up playing on these surfaces it would be as safe, if not safer than what we play on week in week out currently.
what do all you other amateur footballers think about these plans for the future of community footy??

 

[Elainetto]

no - it would be horrible....wtf is wrong with grass?

 

[Jascave]

And there's the possibilty of knee injuries along the way. The VAFA Board would have to treat this issue with caution. How much would it cost to get the Synthetic Surfaces? Would local councils give it the green light?

 

[Uncle Mick]

no - it would be horrible....wtf is wrong with grass?

Nothing wrong with grass. Take a trip out to Melbourne High school or Oakleigh's Scammell Reserve and let us know when you find some.

 

[ultimate hater]

Jas, don't think "knees" are a big concern..

ground for grass is around $300,000... for synthetic its around $1.3mil...

due to rubber being in it, rather than when your head hits dirt its more likely to not bounce, it bounces a couple more times with the synthetic...

its suitable for cricket and the like, and possibly rugby where its not as highspeed... but don't think it suits AFL one bit...

 

[leftfootkick]

Nothing wrong with grass. Take a trip out to Melbourne High school or Oakleigh's Scammell Reserve and let us know when you find some.

Theres more grass on the Construction site down William Street then there is at Scammell...

 

[alo_saints_fan]

Jas, don't think "knees" are a big concern..

ground for grass is around $300,000... for synthetic its around $1.3mil...

due to rubber being in it, rather than when your head hits dirt its more likely to not bounce, it bounces a couple more times with the synthetic...

its suitable for cricket and the like, and possibly rugby where its not as highspeed... but don't think it suits AFL one bit...

Rather, when your head hits the synthetic grass you will get a bump on the old scone. Rather than getting KO'D on the rock hard grounds some teams are forced to play and train on.

weigh it up
bump/bruise vs. concussion and a trip to the medical room.

 

[Jack Mihocek]

Theres more grass on the Construction site down William Street then there is at Scammell...

You guys haven't seen Scammell recently I was out there last week to watch Friar v Oakleigh and the ground was magnificent! Without doubt the best ground we have played on all year!

 

[bigwaz]

Surely they are just talking about the synthetic pitches, not the whole bloody ground... that would be rediculous. Imagine how HOT it would get playing cricket on a plastic ground in the middle of summer!

It would be interesting to see whether people would walk their dogs on a synthetic ground, and what would the end result look like? The groundskeeper would have to walk around the ground before the match with a roll of plastic bags.

 

[Joe Dirt]

We have a new synthetic soccer pitch at St Bernards and can tell you it's not too far off being aussie rules standard. We trained on it in pre season and it's great. Good cushion under foot without being soft, and it's durable.

It would be difficult on grounds that host football and cricket as cricket grounds generally need a shorter cut of grass. It's expensive, about $10,000 per sq m, however it may be attractive to councils/clubs as a one off cost as opposed constant spending to upkeep a real ground, as it requires almost no maintenance

 

[alo_saints_fan]

Surely they are just talking about the synthetic pitches, not the whole bloody ground... that would be rediculous. Imagine how HOT it would get playing cricket on a plastic ground in the middle of summer!

It would be interesting to see whether people would walk their dogs on a synthetic ground, and what would the end result look like? The groundskeeper would have to walk around the ground before the match with a roll of plastic bags.

yeh because synthetic pitches have never been invented befor. ofcourse they ara talking the whole ground, silly. reads the report, it covers most problems usually assosiated with sythetic turf (ie "carpet" burns)

 

[bigwaz]

yeh because synthetic pitches have never been invented befor. ofcourse they ara talking the whole ground, silly. reads the report, it covers most problems usually assosiated with sythetic turf (ie "carpet" burns)

Bah humbug

 

[Brad Goodman]

The soccer centre in Darebin has synthetic pitches, they go alright. Would feel a bit strange playing cricket on it though.

 

[bigwaz]

The soccer centre in Darebin has synthetic pitches, they go alright. Would feel a bit strange playing cricket on it though.

There'll be a cold day in hell before they carpet KB reserve, but you never know... with global warming and all