What would be the Best Football History Trip you could make in one day in Melbourne?

[Michael Riley]

If you had a car and one day in Melbourne. How could you best get an idea of Football history. Which Grounds, Museums, Pubs should you go to...excluding the MCG.

There have been a few posts on old VFL/VFA Grounds and Pubs.
Not all museums are open each day...Hmmm Maybe I need to publish a list of Club Museums and when they are open.

I'll have a go to start.

Start at the AFL house and check out the fantastic painting/mural in their foyer. Get a photo where all the Channel 7 reporters stand outside the building.

Drive to Port Melbourne Oval. Its VFA and the Association has a proud tradition.
You Cann't see much but it is worth a quick stop on the way through.

Drive to Albert Park past the Railway Hotel in South Melbourne(Opposite the South Melbourne Market)
At Albert Park see the old Lake Oval (heavily renovated) and the Junction Oval (locked up but worth getting out and looking through the fence)

Drive to the MCG and park the car
Have a look at the Collingwood memorabilia at the Westpac Centre, maybe visit the old Olympic Park, and Punt Road Ovals.

Richmond Museum is open at Punt Road at the Jack Dyer Stand, is open on Mondays between 10am and 3pm. (Check before going)

Drive to Victoria Park in Collingwood and then to Brunswick Street Oval, both are worth a visit
Brunswick street is open to the public.

In the afternoon

The Hawks museum is worth a visit, but you have to be committed to travel that far our of town
Glenferrie Oval is also a great place and slightly closer.

The Western Oval has a Cafe and their memorabilia is on public display. Maybe the Western Oval and return to the city via Yarraville (more VFA).

Which pubs have stuff worth looking at?
What is open to the public and available for you to walk in and look at?

Where was the old Sherrin factory in Collingwood?

Where would you go..?

 

[Michael Riley]

OK I can add
Site of First Sherrin Factory (No Plaque)
32-34 Wellington St, Collingwood

old Parade Hotel, East Melbourne - - now disused
180 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne - opposite Jolimont Station, beside the Hilton
Where Melbourne FC formed and first Australian Rules written up

 

[fabulousphil]

I think there is a huge and untapped market in Melbourne for football related tours just waiting for the right person/s, clubs etc to develop.

For example, many thousands of people descend on Melbourne during footy season from interstate and even O/S, i would be interested to know how many Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon fans etc actually visit the suburb that their favourite team comes from, how many visit these old home grounds, and in some cases the pubs that their club was formed in, many fans would not have a clue how to get to those suburbs.

For example a Collingwood tour would include Vic Park, museum, (if it had one) with a stack of old photos etc, and maybe lunch and a beer or two at the Yarra Hotel ( scene of the clubs first change rooms) or Grace Darling Hotel ( where the club was formed ), perhaps a stop where the old Sherrin factory was and John Wrens Tote, then perhaps on to the MCG for a game.

A Collingwood tour may be also incude something like a drive past William Beazley's house, Collingwoods first President in 1892, he lived in a house directly next to the ground, a house that you can see in the background of every match that was televised from the ground.

Obviously the tour guide needs good general knowledge of the club, and of course needs to be able to tell a yarn or 2.

You could do the same for a stack of clubs, or you could incorporate a general football one, which was what the OP was referring to.

Suprised there are no clubs doing something like this.

 

[Michael Riley]

I agree totally......How many people come over from England and do a 'Neighbours' tour... Surely there is a day's worth of football touring in Melbourne.

I have driven around Melbourne a few times taking photos of various stadiums for my website, each time I enjoyed the experience. But since then, I have though about the pubs and museums and what you could do in a day.

Oh...and Collingwood has a small but good display of stuff at the Westpac Centre beside Olympic Park...there are a few old cups that they won ...among other things, such as the oldest Aussie Rules Football that I have found so far (1894). You can walk in and have a look for free. Probably a good place for it for tourists going to the MCG and Sports museum. Though it would be nice to have something at Victoria Park.

I did not know about Beazley's house. That is a good one. There is also the Brewery where so many of them worked, including Jock McHale....which had a reasonable footy team of its own.

I have gone to the Australian Football Heritage Group Meetings (for the last year or so) and have seen a number of the club museums.

Some museums include:

Hawks (Waverly)
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=Hawks Museum Collection

Lions
http://www.lions.com.au/portal/site...10VgnVCM100000976fb70aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default?

One Photo of Geelong's Museum at Kardinia Park
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=Oldest+Footballs

Bulldogs Museum (Whitten Oval)
http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/club/history/museum

 

[fabulousphil]

I agree totally......How many people come over from England and do a 'Neighbours' tour... Surely there is a day's worth of football touring in Melbourne.

I have driven around Melbourne a few times taking photos of various stadiums for my website, each time I enjoyed the experience. But since then, I have though about the pubs and museums and what you could do in a day.

Oh...and Collingwood has a small but good display of stuff at the Westpac Centre beside Olympic Park...there are a few old cups that they won ...among other things, such as the oldest Aussie Rules Football that I have found so far (1894). You can walk in and have a look for free. Probably a good place for it for tourists going to the MCG and Sports museum. Though it would be nice to have something at Victoria Park.

I did not know about Beazley's house. That is a good one. There is also the Brewery where so many of them worked, including Jock McHale....which had a reasonable footy team of its own.

I have gone to the Australian Football Heritage Group Meetings (for the last year or so) and have seen a number of the club museums.

Some museums include:

Hawks (Waverly)
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=Hawks Museum Collection

Lions
http://www.lions.com.au/portal/site/BrisbaneLions/menuitem.a91f0236d35fb6bc193c168258ef8a0c/?vgnextoid=fb3dfbde9aa78310VgnVCM100000976fb70aRCRD&vgnextchannel=59baddfd09158310VgnVCM100000976fb70aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default?

One Photo of Geelong's Museum at Kardinia Park
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=Oldest Footballs

Bulldogs Museum (Whitten Oval)
http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/club/history/museum

Exagerated a bit, Beazley lived at number 1 Bath Street till his death in 1912, the houses you can see during the TV broadcasts from Vic Park are the 2 story ones a couple of houses up.

Pan around and you can see the old wall ( now gone )at Vic park.

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&q=1 Bath St, Abbotsford, Victoria&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x6ad6430448e96b51:0x65b8b0bfb907e42b,1 Bath St, Abbotsford VIC 3067&gl=au&ei=qpV6UMqNPObqiAfyoIGYAg&ved=0CCIQ8gEwAA

And TBH, there is a market for this in Perth as well as Adelaide IMO.

 

[stmookeyj]

If only Waverley and Moorabbin (to a lesser extent) were near train stations, theoretically you could do most of if not all the old Melbourne grounds in a day via trains or trams.

 

[Michael Riley]

Yes, that is the idea I started with, a tour of the old stadiums. But some of the grounds are locked or heavily rennovated.

So that made me think of the pubs and museums and the idea of what a footy tour might look like.

(And yeah, you could easily do SA and WA especially for a Victorian like me who would like a one day summary of the history of WA football/SA Football). I am sure there is a pub in SA with goalposts in it from an old SANFL game?....Something like that would be great.

I have a Google Map for those who are interested
http://goo.gl/maps/bJr1v

 

[speedybundy]

If you can be bothered to drive an hour down the highway Simonds Stadium has Geelongs premiership cups on full public display, along with stadium tours. While you're in Geelong there is also a plaque on the former sight of Corio Oval.

Whitten oval would be worth a peak also, real throwback to the old suburban ground and has a museum as already alluded to. I know you said excluding the G but the National Sports Museum has some pretty fantastic football memorabilia in there. Princess Park would be another on the list for mine, the football grounds surrounding it are currently used in the VFA competition and the main oval has obvious historical reference in the AFL and VFL.

If it where my journey though I'd want to visit at least one ground from every VFL/AFL club, I would start at Simonds Stadium before driving to Brunswick St Oval (Fitzroy's home until 1966). Next to Whitten Oval before Windy Hill, from there onto Princes Park and Arden St. Then to Etihad Stadium and AFL House, have lunch at one of the above mentioned pubs before visiting Albert Park and South Melbourne's former home ground (name escapes me, isn't know an athletics track?). Then onto the MCG and sports museum, along with Punt Road and the Westpac Centre. Next would be Victoria Park, before then Waverley Park and concluding at Morrabbin. Safe to say an extremely busy day

 

[Silent Alarm]

If you can be bothered to drive an hour down the highway Simonds Stadium has Geelongs premiership cups on full public display, along with stadium tours. While you're in Geelong there is also a plaque on the former sight of Corio Oval.

Whitten oval would be worth a peak also, real throwback to the old suburban ground and has a museum as already alluded to. I know you said excluding the G but the National Sports Museum has some pretty fantastic football memorabilia in there. Princess Park would be another on the list for mine, the football grounds surrounding it are currently used in the VFA competition and the main oval has obvious historical reference in the AFL and VFL.

If it where my journey though I'd want to visit at least one ground from every VFL/AFL club, I would start at Simonds Stadium before driving to Brunswick St Oval (Fitzroy's home until 1966). Next to Whitten Oval before Windy Hill, from there onto Princes Park and Arden St. Then to Etihad Stadium and AFL House, have lunch at one of the above mentioned pubs before visiting Albert Park and South Melbourne's former home ground (name escapes me, isn't know an athletics track?). Then onto the MCG and sports museum, along with Punt Road and the Westpac Centre. Next would be Victoria Park, before then Waverley Park and concluding at Morrabbin. Safe to say an extremely busy day

Start at the 'G. Right across from that is Punt Road Oval.

From there head up to the inner north: walk to Victoria Park, cross back to Brunswick Street, then over to Optus Oval.

Get back to the city and check out Etihad. Then walk a few paces to SouCro and jump onto the Craigieburn line, but get off at Essendon station – a jaunt to Windy Hill. Then walk back to Essendon station and take it towards the city, getting off at North Melbourne to look at Arden Street. Go back to NM station which heads to West Footscray, conveniently close to Whitten Oval.

Glenferrie Oval and the old South Melbs ground are pretty accessible and close to the city. But they'd be a bit of a detour for any kind of 'tour.' Both interesting grounds though, with Lake Oval showcasing a pretty impressive collage of old and new (the beautiful old stands still.. aahhh.. stands, but there's a soccer stadium and athletics centre all nestled in there now. It looks really good).

I haven't been to Junction Oval yet. I don't think there's a lot there. I might suss out Waverley one day when I'm extremely bored, but I don't think you can step around the old stand.

Moorabbin is alright. A fair bit still left, though less than I anticipated. Nice suburban vibe, even if the pokies genuinely depressed me.

 

[Michael Riley]

Waverly is worth it as the Hawthorn Museum is out there and the ground is ok
see http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=VFL+Park+(Mulgrave)

If you could get in to the Junction Oval it would be great..otherwise
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=Junction+Oval+(St+Kilda)

The plaque for Corio Oval is very hard to find. It is like a mystery tour as it is not obvious.
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=Corio+Oval,+Geelong

Geelong's Mugs are well displayed - Photos on the page below
http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=Kardinia+Park,+Geelong

The Lake Oval is a bit of a monster...A mix of old with new stuff built over it. It is also not always available for public access (Not sure on the details)
But...getting to the lake oval is great. South Melbourne has a great 'feel' for Old Melbourne and you can drive round the Albert Park Grand Prix circuit on your way through to the Junction Oval.


I actually think it would be hard to see all the grounds in one day. You would have to be very determined.
I am certainly not as fit as Silent Alarm. I would be driving

 

[fabulousphil]

People may be interested in this .

http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/memoir-melbournes-good-fortune/

 

[Silent Alarm]

People may be interested in this .

http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/memoir-melbournes-good-fortune/

"Arden St is a humble ground in a quiet suburb of North Melbourne. It makes me wonder if Football clubs are like fish that can only grow to their surroundings. It is a modest ground, and as I stroll up and down the wing, is that anger I feel towards this club? Have they let their home dwindle? Seneca said that modesty, once extinguised, knows not how to return. I believe in Shinboner spirit, and I hope that it has a home. I am not sure what they are building during this next phase of redevelopment, a grandstand, a terrace, but without a place for the people that love the club to sit or stand at their home ground, I sense there is nothing to keep that mysical spirit in."

I think the spirit of North Melbourne comes in another form and so I don't believe in 'Shinboner spirit' wank. But Arden Street is just a victim of its owners. That old grandstand could never be maintained, so how could it be retained? The club evidently skimped a bit on the boldness of what's their HQ and training and so it's a little lifeless.

Thankfully, though, they still train at the ground that is as North Melbourne as any other. That can't be said for the Dees, Pies, Sainters, Hawks, and now Essendon.

 

[Teagueeee15]

The original plan certainly looks better than the final result. I think it's disappointing that they knocked down the Henderson pavilion and didn't even replace it with anything. The cricket club could have certainly kept using those facilities over the summer months.

 

[fabulousphil]

Has anyone heard of this or been on it, sounds interesting to me.

The Collingwood Historical Footy Tour

http://www.collingwoodfootytour.com/

 

[Giantman]

OK I can add
Site of First Sherrin Factory (No Plaque)
32-34 Wellington St, Collingwood

old Parade Hotel, East Melbourne - - now disused
180 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne - opposite Jolimont Station, beside the Hilton
Where Melbourne FC formed and first Australian Rules written up

Like your thinking here. I would also have a photo taken by the Tom Wills statue outside the MCC Members and then grab a footy and have a kick in the car park amongst the gum trees where the first recorded game of Australian Rules was played. Check out the aboriginal carvings in the trees which were there even before that match was played.

 

[Michael Riley]

That is true. A great spot for a kick

I will add Young and Jacksons to the list as well.....For many years, home of the VFA meetings (before 1897) and home of the joint VFL/VFA meeting in March 1897 where the new League met the VFA delegates for the first time after the split.

FOOTBALL. A QUESTION OF FINANCE. (1897, February 20). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 11. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9170944

 

[brisbane13]

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/club/history/virtual-hall-of-fame

the only footy tour needed

 

[Bulldogsroar]

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/club/history/virtual-hall-of-fame

the only footy tour needed

 

[Bulldogsroar]

Skinner Reserve , many practice matches played there and Foot V Swans reserve game when the plane was late from Sydney
Toorak park div 2 VFA finals

 

[Heardy_101]

Did part of this a few years ago. Took a week because I didn't have a car so was reliant on Public Transport plus I had other commitments whilst in Melbourne.

Went to Princes Park, Glenferrie, Waverley Park, MCG, Princes Park, Junction Oval, Lake Oval, Whitten/Western Oval, Moorabbin, Arden St, and Windy Hill. Ran out of time and sadly missed out on Brunswick St, Victoria Park and Etihad

 

[TJ Hendricks]

This is exactly what I want to do. But over 10 days so I can see games as well. If anyone can add to it, that'd be great.