The tragedy that is the design of Docklands Stadium

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hitthepost

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 26, 2010
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Actually pretty neutral
unique north-south orientation of the ground
I've only been there for cricket, and only with the roof shut back in the 2005 Super Series vs the World XI, so I'm not hugely qualified to comment. The small roof opening compared to an open stadium does make the sunlight have somewhat of a "pinhole" effect where the brightness appears brighter and shadows appear darker when watching on TV.

However I'm unsure where this notion (not just from you; I've seen it reported in news outlets as well) that Marvel's north-south running field is "unique" comes from. The only AFL-used grounds I know that DON'T run north-south or something near to that are the MCG, the Gabba, and Optus Stadium. Subiaco didn't either.
Adelaide Oval is north-south, running the same way as the cricket pitch. GMHBA runs NNE-SSW. SCG runs north-south. Sydney Showground is NE-SW. Bellerive is N-S, as is York Park and Metricon.

I think it's more the design of the roof than the orientation of the stadium that causes the issue. However if it had been orientated E-W then the spectators on both wings would have the sun at their side not blazing directly into one side.
 

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Nov 10, 2013
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Hell no
A09F38C4-A6A0-4DCB-B169-92C2C285AAA8.jpeg
 

Silent Alarm

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I love Etihad with the roof open and sun beaming through. It's as close to summer footy as I've felt, aside from that North - Richmond final at the G in about 2015. Those few games you get in the first and last couple of rounds are unique. I dunno, reminds me of hungover days depleted on serotonin and wishing you could afford a 10 dollar box of chips.

Big night games with the roof closed are sick though. It literally keeps all of the atmosphere inside. The only example I remember being there for was the drawn St Kilda - Hawthorn game when both clubs were up and about in about 2008. It's a pity Melburnians have such a heavy hate for the ground and wouldn't attend a blockbuster there, because I'd love to see say a top 8 Hawthorn play a top 8 Richmond there.

In a way I kind of stick up for the ground because it's a product for my generation. I went to games there as a kid when travelling over and I went to games there as a young man. Walking down when I hadn't met any friends yet and spending a Saturday night at Bulldogs - Collingwood has a misplaced sort of saudade to it. Going with mates and seeing close matches when we couldn't afford a night out. Meeting up out the front of the big steps. Walking past when you'd be going to King Street. It sitting there, disliked for no real reason, always just in the background and without the romance and magnitude or magnetism but the dirty streets and wind tunnelled air... I kinda ****ed with that.
 

Gersman

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The only AFL-used grounds I know that DON'T run north-south or something near to that are the MCG, the Gabba, and Optus Stadium. Subiaco didn't either.
Adelaide Oval is north-south, running the same way as the cricket pitch. GMHBA runs NNE-SSW. SCG runs north-south. Sydney Showground is NE-SW. Bellerive is N-S, as is York Park and Metricon.
Bellerive (Blundstone Arena) was always a terrible ground to watch footy at even back in the days before it became a Test cricket venue.
If you happened to be watching from the river end or on the hill on a sunny day it was near on impossible to see the play up the other end.
Still is like that.
 
Dec 30, 2003
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Nailed it. Wayne Jackson worst president ever for the league. It is one thing for the designers to build a s**t stadium. The fool that buys it to shut down another is the complete deads**t. Worst move made in my time of watching football.

Bulldoze it would be ideal.

Crikey.

Shutting a s...hole like Waverley to build a modern stadium with a roof and with a bazillion public transport options is the worst move made in your footy watching time?
 
Aug 27, 2014
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Crikey.

Shutting a s...hole like Waverley to build a modern stadium with a roof and with a bazillion public transport options is the worst move made in your footy watching time?

Wrong.
Shutting a ground that held over 70,000 in a location that has lots of suburban population and people from beyond metro in Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley is a crime to football loving public of Victoria. Especially when it just adds another ground in city when we already got the MCG to cater inner city. Design is ****ed, capacity is ****ed, reserve seating costs is not anything we needed.
Worst move in my time of watching football and going to football in Victoria.
Wayne Jackson is worst president we had as a result.
 
Dec 30, 2003
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Wrong.
Shutting a ground that held over 70,000 in a location that has lots of suburban population and people from beyond metro in Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley is a crime to football loving public of Victoria. Especially when it just adds another ground in city when we already got the MCG to cater inner city. Design is f’ed, capacity is f’ed, reserve seating costs is not anything we needed.
Worst move in my time of watching football and going to football in Victoria.
Wayne Jackson is worst president we had as a result.

Apart from perhaps its location, Waverley as it was had NOTHING going for it.

Poorly designed for spectators, no public transport, cold, uninviting and often wet, access via local roads was difficult and getting out of the car park was a joke.

Marvel caters perfectly for the smaller attended games. You don't need another 70,000 seater in Melbourne.

Maybe a well designed 50k seater in SE Melbourne with good surrounding transport and infrastructure may change my mind but not Waverley as it was.
 
Aug 27, 2014
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Apart from perhaps its location, Waverley
You don't need another 70,000 seater in Melbourne.
It's location and capacity gone is the football crime.
You not understanding that importance for football going people is just your own ignorance showing.
Not to worry though. Wayne Jackson agreed with you and we got Darklands to thank him for.
 

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Bomberboyokay

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Wrong.
Shutting a ground that held over 70,000 in a location that has lots of suburban population and people from beyond metro in Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley is a crime to football loving public of Victoria. Especially when it just adds another ground in city when we already got the MCG to cater inner city. Design is f’ed, capacity is f’ed, reserve seating costs is not anything we needed.
Worst move in my time of watching football and going to football in Victoria.
Wayne Jackson is worst president we had as a result.

* country people. If Essendon played in Mulgrave and I had to drive or catch a bus I'd never go.
 
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fu** country people. If Essendon played in Mulgrave and I had to drive or catch a bus I'd never go.
I'm sure you are in the minority. Essendon fans went to Waverley Park in good numbers like my own fan base.
Wayne Jackson also said * the country people. * him and his Darklands.
 

HAPPY BUDDHA

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Subiaco was shockingly developed in the way the sun set out here. Everything with that ground was only designed for the spectators, and with that in mind it was only for the elitist flogs who could afford a grandstand seat to watch the sunset.
 

ash_1050

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Shutting a ground that held over 70,000 in a location that has lots of suburban population and people from beyond metro in Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley is a crime to football loving public of Victoria.

What about the rest of the regional population such as Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and beyond who find it much easier to catch a v-line to Southern Cross rather than then having to catch a train another 50 minutes on top to the middle of nowhere suburbia?
 
Aug 27, 2014
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What about the rest of the regional population such as Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and beyond who find it much easier to catch a v-line to Southern Cross rather than then having to catch a train another 50 minutes on top to the middle of nowhere suburbia?
There is the MCG a stone throw away. Plus Geeong have their own homeground and Ballarat even get games themselves now.
 

andon

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Dont like it at all, footy is an outside game played in wind and rain as well as sunny days.

If your team cant play in the wind, and rain then you will not win too many at the G.

I stopped going to Docklands after just a few times, the sound, the roof, the surface, and the zero atmosphere.

Used to go to Essendon games with mates or the family when the Bombers were at the G, along with nearly a 70,80,90,000+ other people now we just dont go anymore.

Essendon like Carlton had a huge supporter base and the most Flags (both teams 16) crazy to be at a small capacity indoor stadium given their massive supporter base, just makes no sens at all.

Essendon and Carlton have to be at the G to keep their big supporter bases, if not they will slowly fade away into also rans.
 
Sep 24, 2006
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These diagrams shows the orientation of Docklands Stadium as being clearly the worst amongst the major stadiums - it's the worst possible direction, being from Northwest to Southeast. This might be OK in Summer, but in and around the Winter months (i.e. the footy season), the Sun lowers through the afternoon in the Northwest - particularly moreso in the Southern latitudes like Melbourne, hence the problem of the Sun shining straight from the NW end to the SE in the Winter afternoons.

It was amazing that this obvious fatal error with the orientation wasn't picked up right from the first design concepts by the planners and architects, and the orientation changed accordingly before it was built. Then again, most modern planners and architects never seem to see the obvious when it comes to problems with designs.
 

Johnny Bananas

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Maybe a well designed 50k seater in SE Melbourne with good surrounding transport and infrastructure may change my mind but not Waverley as it was.
Sell it off, and build two 30k stadiums in the east and western suburbs.
Where would you suggest these stadia be built? The issue with the suburbs is that there are few connections that don't go through the city. Western Oval might work for the west, but there are few places that work in the east until the Suburban Rail Loop gets built. Dandenong maybe?
 
Aug 14, 2011
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Subiaco was shockingly developed in the way the sun set out here. Everything with that ground was only designed for the spectators, and with that in mind it was only for the elitist flogs who could afford a grandstand seat to watch the sunset.

Back in the WANFL days Subi & Bassendean* were the only grounds running east west with the Freo doctor & the sun meaning winning was the toss far more relevant than today.
Subi opened in 1908 & just maybe AFL crowds werent given a thought ;)

* maybe also the WACA of the 50s
 
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