The old suburban VFL/AFL grounds

[its been done]

The Jack Dyer Stand is now gone

 

[mountain roy]

VFL Park and Footscray both had massive build ups to their last games. As did Collingwood and Carlton. In contrast, the last game at North Melbourne was a very low-key affair, despite everyone knowing that it would be the last match there. North beat Richmond in front of a tiny crowd. I remember going on to the ground afterwards and being part of a group that was collecting souvenir Arden Street mud from the final day. Don't know where my mud got to. South Melbourne was my favourite league ground. I don't think that anyone knew that round 22 1981 was going to be the last match there, although I think there were Sydney rumours swirling around at the time.

A lot of footy supporters don't seem to place much importance on the abandonment of suburban grounds, but it is the aspect of the game that I miss the most. I had the good fortune to visit them all apart from Hawthorn, Richmond and Fitzroy. I'll rank them in descending order of my favourite to least-favourite:

Lake Oval - great old grandstands and pressbox. Good views over the palm trees to the lake. Interesting pedestrian tunnel in the outer. Utilitarian scoreboard. Terrific atmosphere. Surface was very good in dry weather but inclined to be very muddy in winter. Favourite memory is of taking an old red Tait train down from Flinders Street to Albert Park to see South play St.Kilda in bright sunshine on the Anzac Day weekend of 1980. John Roberts took the mark of the year that day. The only other game I saw there was in 1976 when Keith Greig took the mark of that year.

Junction Oval - saw a lot of Fitzroy games and a lot of VFA finals here. Wonderful grandstands, two of which are still around today. There was a lovely old wooden stand at the northern end. Excellent scoreboard, which is the only VFL scoreboard that still stands today. The best surface in the league. Favourite memory is of Port coming from a mile behind to knock off Coburg in the 1980 grand final.

Arden Street - I am biased, but I loved the smell and atmosphere of Arden Street. It wasn't pretty, but North Melbourne was a gritty industrial suburb in the '70s and '80s and the ground reflected that. Memories of Arden Street: Kevin Bartlett missing a late shot for goal in 1977 that would have cost North the double chance and the flag if it had gone through; Blight levelling the scores in deep mud against Hawthorn in '77, being given another kick after the siren only to miss and lose the game; beating Carlton by 111 points in '83; David Twomey's run for Collingwood in 1981.

MCG (the pre-1992 version) - it is a different ground now, of course. Loved the look of the old three-tier Northern Stand. The ancient and crumbling Southern Stand was a great place to watch the game. Best scoreboard in the business.

Western Oval - I liked Footscray. It had a similar feel to Arden St in some ways. Unusual shaped ground. Decent stands, the covered outer was a good place to watch the game from. Also, we always used to win there. And they played there for years longer than some of the other grounds, so I got to see a lot of games here in the '90s because I knew that it was all coming to an end. Favourite memories - round 1 1978 was a great day. Carey's game here in 1993 was one of the best individual performances I ever saw.

Windy Hill - quite an intimidating ground for an opposition follower (as was Victoria Park). Smallish playing area, impressive tallish grandstands around the north-western side. Interesting scoreboard, good terracing, the outer was usually packed. The school and palm trees behind the eastern goal. Favourite memories - Glendinning's shirtfront on Duckworth in 1986 was brutal. We could see him line up the Essendon player from 15 metres away. Perfectly legal then, of course. Today's supporters might not recognise the satisfaction of the perfectly-executed shirtfront. Not much fun for the recipient, of course. North kicked 8.5 to 0.1 with the breeze in the first quarter that day to set up a rare win at Windy Hill.

VFL Park - much maligned, but a very comfortable day at the football. Saw 116 matches here, so I got to know it well. Admittedly it was a fairly dismal place when your team was a mile behind and the rain was coming down. Favourite memories - Conlan's goal to sink Essendon in the '86 elimination. Hawthorn beating Melbourne after the siren in the 1987 prelim. The Geelong-St.Kilda final of 1991 was a great game. The lights going out before the first-ever night match there in 1977 and delaying the start of the Fitzroy-North game by 55 minutes. Carey's massive torpedo goal in the 1998 night final against St.Kilda.

Victoria Park - wasn't a huge fan at the time, but I took a wander around there while the stands and walls and scoreboard were still standing about 15 years ago and I might have underestimated the place. Favourite memory - watching Collingwood play South Melbourne in pelting rain from a position perched up on a wire fence at the back of the Rush Stand, 1980.

Princes Park - similar to Vic Park, the Carlton ground never did much for me at the time, but I went back a few years ago and it is still worth seeing even today. The Hawthorn Stand was very unusual. The old outer at the scoreboard end was a good place to watch the game. Favourite memories - David Dwyer's goal after to siren to beat Carlton in 1985, being part of a 35,000 crowd seeing Carlton play Richmond there in 1982. The souvenir stand catching fire in the Collingwood game a few weeks later. Holding Fitzroy to 1 goal there in '89. Seeing North reach 200 points against Fitzroy in 1995. Bill Swan kicking a massive goal to win a flag for Williamstown in 1990.

Moorabbin - had its good points, but naturally lacked a little on the history side of things compared to others. Excellent atmosphere though when there was a big crowd in. Favourite memories - Lockett's 100th and then winning goal against Footscray in '87. Melbourne's late comeback to knock over the Saints in 1977.

Kardinia Park - there was nothing wrong with Geelong, but it just didn't grab me like the others. Favourite memories: Silvagni versus Ablett in 1996. North storming home with 8 goals to 0 in the last to beat the Cats in 1991.

i remember that 89 game against fitzroy at princes park. i had never been to a game where it rained so much. north ran out and just rolled in the mud to condition themselves to the rain. fitzroy scored their only goal a couple of minutes into the third quarter- mark scott kicked the goal if memory serves. i stood in that sheltered stand if you call it that in the outer next to the hawthorn stand

 

[Freomaniac]

All we would need is one stadium with concrete terraces on the scoreboard wing and 25,000 capacity and then at least people could experience what it was like again. It shouldn't be too hard to achieve this if we can send men (sorry I mean people) to the moon.

Random question how much would it cost to turn Princes Park or ikon park to make it into a 30,000 seat capacity arena?

 

[Commando]

Random question how much would it cost to turn Princes Park or ikon park to make it into a 30,000 seat capacity arena?

Probably couldn't happen now because one end is Carlton training and administration base

Good venue for VFL AFLW

 

[RedOrWhite]

Probably couldn't happen now because one end is Carlton training and administration base

Good venue for VFL AFLW

Agree. Which sucks as it was the best option for a smaller 25/30k third stadium in Melb.

 

[Commando]

Agree. Which sucks as it was the best option for a smaller 25/30k third stadium in Melb.

Yep they could have made it a perfect boutique stadium and retained suburban feel