Western Bulldogs and their partnership with Ballarat a success

[Ricky_Lake]

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm certainly not having a go at you. As a North supporter we get the same deal, but games hosted in Hobart aren't considered as 'sold off', they still remain classified as home games for us as Blundstone Arena is very much our home ground. Ballarat is in a similar category for the Bulldogs. For North it isn't an issue these days to our supporters (all 60 of us) as we have been doing this for three decades since Arden Street closed, so we are old hands at this. That said, the whole Ballarat thing is new territory for the Bulldogs and its supporters and the club do seem to be doing things a little differently (partly because of the constraints of only hosting one game in Ballarat this season and also because of the limitations of the capacity of the ground). When you buy your membership next year, you will likely have a number of different options which include 'Melbourne only' games, 'Melbourne and Ballarat' (given that two games will be played there next season), and of course 'home and away' packages.

So don't despair too much, consider that over time the novelty factor will subside (to some degree) in Ballarat which will make it easier to get access to games there, and the ground at Ballarat will also eventually be expanded to accommodate larger crowds.

Remember that these games are still "home games" for the Bulldogs and their supporters and it is not as if they are being horse-traded to play in Sydney, the Gold Coast, Darwin or Cairns. Now North have truly 'sold-off' home games in the past whereby they played what should have been home games instead against Freemantle and West Coast at Subiaco, and Gold Coast in Queensland in the interests of paying down their club debts. That's when us Roos supporters truly had something to be upset about.

We also have the Cairns game sold off and is still classed as a home game, so next year we will effectively have 3 home games that we still have to pay extra to attend.
Im not sure how North Melbourne have their membership categories but we dont have "Melbourne only games" as an option, Thus making it not being a fair deal considering the price goes up every year.
The only thing the club has done for us with this game is offer priority purchase of a ticket, which to me isnt good enough considering my membership is in excess of $570 per year just for mine.
Its a great concept for Ballarat but not for me.

 

[Roogal]

We also have the Cairns game sold off and is still classed as a home game, so next year we will effectively have 3 home games that we still have to pay extra to attend.
Im not sure how North Melbourne have their membership categories but we dont have "Melbourne only games" as an option, Thus making it not being a fair deal considering the price goes up every year.
The only thing the club has done for us with this game is offer priority purchase of a ticket, which to me isnt good enough considering my membership is in excess of $570 per year just for mine.
Its a great concept for Ballarat but not for me.

I understand that very much and as I said, this year is a little different for the Bulldogs supporters because it is only one game, and the very first one at that. Next year Ballarat does host 2 games (which makes a combined package more attractive). I imagine that you will be offered packages similar to what is on offer to North supporters in 2018. I am currently on a 5 home game in Melbourne only package for NMFC, but I also had different options of Home Game in Melbourne plus Away games, and I also had Melbourne and Tassie combined packages. For us there is always a substantial array of options.

At least in Ballarat your ground will always be filled to capacity, whereas for us in Hobart we are struggling to get 10,000 to a game, and the Hawks are struggling to get 14,000 to their games in venues designed to hold 20,000.

Perhaps the Doggies will shift to that ticketing and membership model as I hear very few (if any) grumbles from North supporters about their ticketing and membership options, in fact I would probably say that we are spoiled for choice.

 

[Roogal]

On the Ballarat Council website:

 

[ringa5]

Drove past the new kennel today.Looking good! Hope they can increase the capacity in the coming years.
There is another ground in Ballarat, which resembles the junction oval with its old historic grandstand.Any body know anything about it?l imagine it must be the cricket ground owned by the council.

 

[lachy]

Not for or against our move into Ballarat. Would have preferred the funds to be spent at our actual home but can see and understand the move to Ballarat.

Need the stadium to hold a minimum of 20,000 and us to play 3 games there a year with support for our regular supporters and their access to reserved seats an ga. No Cairns games.

 

[Pugz89]

Thinking of popping down to the Rebels game on Sunday to suss it all out in person. Will be weather dependent though.

 

[Roogal]

Drove past the new kennel today.Looking good! Hope they can increase the capacity in the coming years.
There is another ground in Ballarat, which resembles the junction oval with its old historic grandstand.Any body know anything about it?l imagine it must be the cricket ground owned by the council.

You probably drove past the City Oval (holds about 12,000 (mostly standing) which is earmarked to have its oval rebuilt later this year to Etihad dimensions as well as new irrigation and drainage upgraded.

The Eastern Oval which is near the railway station holds 8,000 has the look and feel of Melbourne's old Brunswick street oval is having a number of upgrades to enable it to become a premier cricket oval including a major lighting upgrade.

 

[Roogal]

Big first impressions
Melanie Whelan

14 Jul 2017, 4:30 p.m.

HOMETOWN PROUD: Western Bulldogs Jordan Roughead gets his first look at Mars Stadium. Picture: Kate Healy

JORDAN Roughead was happily surprised to find a junior Western Bulldogs fan on a walk in his hometown on Friday morning. Growing up as a Bulldogs’ supporter, Roughead said he rarely saw another kid wearing his colours. Now, the Western Bulldogs’ premiership player is starting to notice a change in Ballarat.

Roughead had his first look at the redeveloped Mars Stadium on Friday, five weeks out from the Bulldogs hosting Ballarat’s first AFL premiership season game. “It’s looking unbelievable. The stands look terrific and I can imagine what a full crowd will be like,” Roughead said. “Back then (playing under-18s) this wasn’t even considered, playing an AFL game in Ballarat. I played one NAB Cup game here and even then, it wasn’t considered.

“It’s something I certainly wasn’t expecting, playing here and representing my club.” Roughead played junior football with Lake Wendouree and TAC Cup under-18s with North Ballarat Rebels. He is the second Bulldogs’ player to see the all-but-complete stadium that will become the club’s boutique kennel.
Injured premiership player Josh Dunkley visited the stadium last month amid a series of club community engagements.

Roughead was a special guest for a Central Bulldogs District lunch for community stakeholders at North Ballarat Sports Club on Friday. He talked football on a panel with Bulldogs’ Hall of Famer Rohan Smith, who is now the club’s development manager, and AFLW midfielder Kirsty Lamb. Western Bulldogs chief executive officer Gary Kent was also a key note speaker, reiterating how the club very much wanted to make a mark on and off the field. This includes community development projects, working in partnership with Ballarat specialists, in men’s health, children’s literacy, youth leadership and Auskick.

Mars Stadium is open to the public from 10am on Saturday July 29.

UP FOR A CHAT: Bulldogs' development manager Rohan Smith, Ballarat's Jordan Roughead and AFLW midfielder Kirsty Lamb. Picture: Kate Healy

 

[Roogal]

Mars Stadium Community Open Day

This is the Ballarat community’s chance to check out the redeveloped Mars Stadium, from the undercover seating to inspecting the players’ change-rooms and the coaches’ box.

NO ACCESS TO THE GROUND WILL BE AVAILABLE.

Free sausage sizzle. Mars Stadium will also be officially opened.

Don’t miss this FREE opportunity.

Keep checking back for more information. via FACEBOOK

 

[Pugz89]

Mars Stadium Community Open Day

This is the Ballarat community’s chance to check out the redeveloped Mars Stadium, from the undercover seating to inspecting the players’ change-rooms and the coaches’ box.

NO ACCESS TO THE GROUND WILL BE AVAILABLE.

Free sausage sizzle. Mars Stadium will also be officially opened.

Don’t miss this FREE opportunity.

Keep checking back for more information. via FACEBOOK

I'll head down for this, missed out on the Rebels game today, so this looks like as good a chance as any to have a bit of a look around. Fingers crossed we find out seat allocation before then so I can suss out my view as well.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

I'll head down for this, missed out on the Rebels game today, so this looks like as good a chance as any to have a bit of a look around. Fingers crossed we find out seat allocation before then so I can suss out my view as well.

This will give you and anyone else an idea to match up with ticket for later.

 

[Pugz89]

This will give you and anyone else an idea to match up with ticket for later.

View attachment 393159

Legend, thanks for posting. Well I know the Ballarat add-on guaranteed an actual seat, there was no way I was standing out in mush in the middle of winter for 150mins. Might give the club a call this week to find out if/when we will receive our special Ballarat membership card to get in.

 

[Roogal]

Legend, thanks for posting. Well I know the Ballarat add-on guaranteed an actual seat, there was no way I was standing out in mush in the middle of winter for 150mins. Might give the club a call this week to find out if/when we will receive our special Ballarat membership card to get in.

Bay 7 is definitely not the best seat in the house because it sits at an open entrance at the Northern end of the ground and has no rear protection from the elements. I imagine that it will be drafty and chilly in those seats as wind is funneled through there in Winter.

I am pretty sure that the mounds won't turn to mush as they are very well drained and I found them to be very firm under foot recently. If anything the grass and soil is a little dry because of the well below average rainfall that Victoria has had this Winter.

 

[Roogal]

I'll head down for this, missed out on the Rebels game today, so this looks like as good a chance as any to have a bit of a look around. Fingers crossed we find out seat allocation before then so I can suss out my view as well.

Up for a bit of a gander ...

 

[Pugz89]

Up for a bit of a gander ...

Will you be there? Would be cool to put a face to the name...

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Roogal i really appreciate the time you have taken to give us updates on this project.

 

[Roogal]

Will you be there? Would be cool to put a face to the name...

No I have already had a good sticky beek around the site. But wouldn't mind getting to the live site if my kids will let me tear myself away from Geelong for the Saturday.

 

[Roogal]

Roogal i really appreciate the time you have taken to give us updates on this project.

No worries, it's been an interest of mine too.

 

[MYOB]

Roogal i really appreciate the time you have taken to give us updates on this project.

I would like to reiterate this.

I have been away and just caught up with the last couple of pages. The crap you had to put up with is disgraceful.
All you have ever done is provide us with information, keeping us up to date with this important project for the club.

Thank you for your wonderful updates, including the pictures and videos.

 

[Pugz89]

No I have already had a good sticky beek around the site. But wouldn't mind getting to the live site if my kids will let me tear myself away from Geelong for the Saturday.

That you have! Well if you do, feel free to shoot me a message, otherwise enjoy it! Echoing the sentiments of gratitude to you also.

 

[Gigantor]

I just wanted to say that personally I like this idea of one game at Ballarat each season, preferably, it should mean that you have no other home games outside of Melbourne, ever.

I think Port is a good first up game, and as it turns out, might be huge as far as the ladder goes. I hope it's a great success.

 

[Pugz89]

I just wanted to say that personally I like this idea of one game at Ballarat each season, preferably, it should mean that you have no other home games outside of Melbourne, ever.

I think Port is a good first up game, and as it turns out, might be huge as far as the ladder goes. I hope it's a great success.

It is only one game a season this year, it will go up to two or three games next year I believe.

 

[Sharkey66]

I just wanted to say that personally I like this idea of one game at Ballarat each season, preferably, it should mean that you have no other home games outside of Melbourne, ever.

I think Port is a good first up game, and as it turns out, might be huge as far as the ladder goes. I hope it's a great success.

out of interest, what are your thoughts on playing your mob there?

 

[BulldogJake]

It is only one game a season this year, it will go up to two or three games next year I believe.

Two would be fine for me as long as we ditch the Cairns game, but three is far too much imo especially with its tiny capacity.

Two AFL H&A games, 1 pre-season, 1 AFLW, 1 AFLW pre season would be fair imo.

 

[Senor Ed]

Any matches at Ballarat should also be included in our memberships and not have to pay for a ticket to attend this game.

I thought that was a bit rich to have access only to a pre-sale of a ticket as fully paid up home and away member.