Opinion What unpopular AFL opinions do you have? - Part 2
- Thread starter Mordecai
- Start date
- Tagged users None
megadeth86
Team Captain
- Jul 15, 2020
- 393
- 285
- AFL Club
- Carlton
For the atmosphere and the tradition. Traditional home grounds are vital components of many people's growing-up years and best memories. I guess it would have to be just for games versus the low-drawing teams. Even one game a year there is better than nothing. But to me a home ground is integrally tied up with club identity. If eight clubs share a home ground, how can they maintain unique identities?
Again - I don't disagree. Certainly for us oldies it would be a nice bit of Nostalgia. But most people below the age of 35 would have no association with the 'original' home ground.
Carlton - last home game at Princes Park - 2005 (Princes Park was the '3rd stadium' in Melbourne, so got significant upgrades in the 1980s-2000s until it was shown that MCG and Docklands could handle all the games - scheduling and turf management issues had to be worked out. It was used by Carlton for about half of its home games, and other Melbourne teams for the interstate games - and the occasional small drawing local game).
Collingwood - Vic Park - 1999
Essendon - Windy Hill - 1991
Hawthorn - GlenFerrie - 1973
Bulldogs - Western Oval - 1997
St Kilda - Junction Oval - 1964 (as home team - they played in the 1970s and 80s as the away team to Fitzroy when they were using it as a home ground)
North - Arden Street - 1985 (they were only using it occasionally then - 2-3 times a year which would have pleased us oldies, but following the Bradford stadium fire in the UK, a quick review of stadiums around Australia(Aussie Rules, NRL, soccer etc) caused several to be marked 'not for use again unless significantly upgraded.
Richmond - Punt Rd - 1964 (and really - the MCG is not that far removed - it's still within the same suburb - which, interestingly, is actually NOT Richmond, but rather East Melbourne).
melbournemartin
Brownlow Medallist
As cool as it would be to have a unique upgraded Kardina Park-esque stadium for all of the Melbourne teams to play non-blockbuster games in, it just isn't financially feasible. The AFL isn't as big business as many seem to think it is, and of course took a covid hit.
That was the logic behind VFL park and I'm sure the same with Football Park in Adelaide. VFL Park was originally meant to seat 150,000 but various factors, both political and practical, never saw the full vision of what VFL Park could have been, realised.
It is worth noting none of the tenant teams get to train at the MCG. That being said and even as an MCG tenant, I'd support this. The stadium would have to cater for I'm guessing 75,000. I reckon the Showgrounds could be a viable option - it has train lines, tram lines, they cope with big crowds going to the races, so a lot of the infrastructure is already in place.
It won't happen though.
- Jan 13, 2004
- 8,387
- 13,753
- AFL Club
- Western Bulldogs
- Other Teams
- Harry's Heroes
Every rule change the AFL has bought in in the last 20 or so years (sliding/contact below the knees, rushed behind rule, 6-6-6, 3rd Man Up banning and ruckman nomination, hands in the back, the tinkering with holding the ball rule) has been flat out wrong and unnecessary.
- Feb 5, 2018
- 14,113
- 34,037
- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
- Other Teams
- Chicago Blackhawks Melb Renegades
I welcome any rule change in relation to kicking out from full back after a behind.
1. Abolishing the chip kick to oneself has sped up play after a behind.
2. Further potential loosening will make kicking for goal an even more important skill. If defenders are given more ground to take their kick suddenly rebound from defence will be far more dangerous for the inaccurate side.
1. Abolishing the chip kick to oneself has sped up play after a behind.
2. Further potential loosening will make kicking for goal an even more important skill. If defenders are given more ground to take their kick suddenly rebound from defence will be far more dangerous for the inaccurate side.
megadeth86
Team Captain
- Jul 15, 2020
- 393
- 285
- AFL Club
- Carlton
Why then can it happen in (say) League Two of England, fourth-tier of the pyramid, with average home crowds 2,000 to 10,000?
melbournemartin
Brownlow Medallist
None of those grounds would be AFL standard in terms of playing surface, media facilities, change rooms and overall capacity (and quality of the seating).
People look back on suburban football with rose tinted glasses and forget the mud bowls, splintery benches and horrible parking.
KissKiss
Norm Smith Medallist
- Nov 26, 2012
- 7,743
- 8,760
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
People often raise Icon Park as being one of the closest to being able to able to play games at, but I went there last preseason and (while it was a great experience) it was a long way off proper AFL standard. Would need massive upgrades to being close to be acceptable
melbournemartin
Brownlow Medallist
Yep, 100%.
People bemoan that AFL lacks the suburban feel these days, but it's a) no longer a suburban league and b) suburban footy still exists in spades! Go watch some VAFA or EFL or EDFL and you'll have a great atmosphere, good quality sport and it'll be a * tonne cheaper.
Left field, but the bastardisation of the old VFA, now VFL, probably contributes to that. Very few people care about those teams beyond them being reserves. If that ever got some strength back then that would be a great suburban feel for AFL fans.
Last edited:
Are you saying the AFL should become a semi pro league with smaller crowds than the A league.
I mean, your right, if that happened, clubs could afford to play in suburban boutique venues.
I just don't understand why that is seen as desirable.
On moto g(6) plus using BigFooty.com mobile app
megadeth86
Team Captain
- Jul 15, 2020
- 393
- 285
- AFL Club
- Carlton
No, that was not my point at all. My argument was that these English clubs can afford their own all-seater stadiums with average crowds of 2,000 to 10,000. Why then couldn't the AFL clubs afford their own boutique stadiums when their crowds are much higher?
That's the economic argument. But the emotional argument is that for me as a fan, having your own stadium is very important to identity and meaning. My WAFL club, West Perth, gave up their traditional stadium and moved 30 kilometres in 1994. But I still make pilgrimages to the old ground on weekdays to reminisce and bring the memories back. I get that many AFL fans can still do that at their suburban grounds, which still exist, but why not go a step further and play a couple of games a year at each one?
Watching hours of FoxFooty over their summer of re-runs confirms to me that any dynasty team of the past would most likely get trounced by the subsequent dynasty team. As much as I was in awe of the Lions of 2001-04 and completely admired their devastating offensive weaponry and skills - Voss, Aker, Black, Leppa etc were scintillating to watch - they'd be totally blanketed by the sustained pressure and turnover scoring of 2020 top level footy. In fact I've got no doubt that the Cats of 07-11 would've beaten that incredible Lions machine, and then the Hawks of 12-15 stepped it up another notch from there. Similarly the next batch of innovations, preparation and strategies will undoubtedly supercede what has become the dominant extreme high/extreme low-structured playing style of the Tigers thoughout 2017-20.
I always find it funny when people say things aren't 'AFL standard'. What exactly is AFL standard? Bournemouth played in the premier league until this season in a stadium that holds 12 thousand people in a league that has $6 Billion in revenue a year. Have you seen the Buffalo Bills stadium? Sure it holds 70k but is literally in the middle of nowhere, and the seats are metal bleachers. The NFL is the richest league in the world.
'Not AFL standard'
I always find it funny when people say things aren't 'AFL standard'. What exactly is AFL standard? Bournemouth played in the premier league until this season in a stadium that holds 12 thousand people in a league that has $6 Billion in revenue a year. Have you seen the Buffalo Bills stadium? Sure it holds 70k but is literally in the middle of nowhere, and the seats are metal bleachers. The NFL is the richest league in the world.
'Not AFL standard'
I always find it funny when people say things aren't 'AFL standard'. What exactly is AFL standard? Bournemouth played in the premier league until this season in a stadium that holds 12 thousand people in a league that has $6 Billion in revenue a year. Have you seen the Buffalo Bills stadium? Sure it holds 70k but is literally in the middle of nowhere, and the seats are metal bleachers. The NFL is the richest league in the world.
'Not AFL standard'
Bills stadium is a lot closer to Buffalo than VFL Park was to Melbourne.I always find it funny when people say things aren't 'AFL standard'. What exactly is AFL standard? Bournemouth played in the premier league until this season in a stadium that holds 12 thousand people in a league that has $6 Billion in revenue a year. Have you seen the Buffalo Bills stadium? Sure it holds 70k but is literally in the middle of nowhere, and the seats are metal bleachers. The NFL is the richest league in the world.
'Not AFL standard'
Freshly renovated. No problem there.
On SM-A530F using BigFooty.com mobile app
Freshly renovated? Have you been there?
Yep. Three times. Last visited in 2016. My profile pic is on the field. It pales in comparison to the newer billion dollar stadiums like the Cowboys obviously but so does every other stadium I've been to.
On SM-A530F using BigFooty.com mobile app
So you know it’s the furthest thing from a world class venue or ‘AFL standard’ parameters people keep saying.
melbournemartin
Brownlow Medallist
I always find it funny when people say things aren't 'AFL standard'. What exactly is AFL standard? Bournemouth played in the premier league until this season in a stadium that holds 12 thousand people in a league that has $6 Billion in revenue a year. Have you seen the Buffalo Bills stadium? Sure it holds 70k but is literally in the middle of nowhere, and the seats are metal bleachers. The NFL is the richest league in the world.
'Not AFL standard'
Just because they have a 12k stadium in the EPL doesn't mean I'd want it in the AFL on a regular basis.
- Aug 2, 2012
- 34,820
- 56,389
- AFL Club
- Geelong
A 12k stadium might be overkill for Melbourne FC
Hold up, that's about 3000 tartan rugs
