Whitten Oval Redevelopment Plans (UPDATE: No AFL Games)

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A view that probably won't be seen again for a very very long time (photo taken by my father this morning)...

IMG_8498.jpeg

And here is a recent view of the entire ground from Ameet...

 

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How long does it take for the grass to establish? I know they were targeting the start of the season without being an expert I feel as though that once the grass comes through that you'd have to wait a while until it's in a usable condition and can withstand an AFL side.
 
Golden_6 said:
How long does it take for the grass to establish? I know they were targeting the start of the season without being an expert I feel as though that once the grass comes through that you'd have to wait a while until it's in a usable condition and can withstand an AFL side.
Click to expand...
They'll use turf rather than seed id imagine, so essentially just need to wait to ensure roots are penetrative the ground and then it'd be fine. VFL and AFLW will continue to train at Skinner this year, so it'd only be dealing with the AFL side training on it for the first 9-12 months anyway.
 
Golden_6 said:
How long does it take for the grass to establish? I know they were targeting the start of the season without being an expert I feel as though that once the grass comes through that you'd have to wait a while until it's in a usable condition and can withstand an AFL side.
Click to expand...

The turf laying seems to be on schedule, with Ameet saying six months ago that the turf would be laid by the end of February. Probably add 1-2 months for the turf to settle.

Pugz89 said:
They'll use turf rather than seed id imagine, so essentially just need to wait to ensure roots are penetrative the ground and then it'd be fine. VFL and AFLW will continue to train at Skinner this year, so it'd only be dealing with the AFL side training on it for the first 9-12 months anyway.
Click to expand...

No VFL/VFLW matches are scheduled at Whitten Oval until the end of June but nothing confirmed after that and last I heard we are still aiming to play some AFLW home games at home as well.
 
Golden_6 said:
How long does it take for the grass to establish? I know they were targeting the start of the season without being an expert I feel as though that once the grass comes through that you'd have to wait a while until it's in a usable condition and can withstand an AFL side.
Click to expand...
grassman75 ?
 
Depends on the situation.

I'm going to assume they've layed couch grass on the surface. That stuff starts putting roots down almost immediately that it contacts the sand layer. I'm also going to assume they've put down good nutrition in the subsurface to encourage the roots down.

They will water the bejesus out of it and with warm weather you are having (38-40 is a bit warm) it will establish really quickly.

Given they won't want to risk the surface shifting and heaven forbid a player getting injured, I'd estimate 6-8 weeks from laying the turf (that doesn't mean it won't be earlier - the powers that be don't always listen to the greenkeepers)

In my golf course days, when there was less pressure on the surface, we would lay turf in mega rolls - which are rolls of grass approx 1m wide X 10m long on one day and golfers would play on it the next day.this isn't ideal, but time is money.

Maybe we could run a nearest the pin comp as to when they get back on it. If they've only just started laying it, I reckon it would be negligent to play / train on it before round 1
 

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Freshwater said:
Why wouldn’t they put some tiered seating in front of that new building directly behind the goals? If only 20 rows. It would look great on tv for AFLW and maybe even a future AFL game? But with nothing there it will look dead. Shortsighted?
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Wouldn't call it shortsighted, there is only 9m between the fence and the path in front of the new indoor field...

Screenshot 2023-02-18 at 3.10.19 pm.png

The amount of empty space at the Barkly St end has been reduced about as much as it can be while retaining playing dimensions of 160m x 129m (Docklands)...

Screenshot 2023-02-18 at 3.26.59 pm.png
Screenshot 2023-02-18 at 3.27.05 pm.png

I have to say in my opinion that the WO redevelopment is one of the more fan-friendly redevelopments while still allowing for an elite training facility. Spectators can walk around the entire oval and sit/stand pretty much anywhere. Just look at Princes Park since their redevelopment spectators are pretty much forced to sit exclusively in the Legends Stand or in front of the new match day pavilion and there is almost never access allowed on the broadcast side.
 
Oliver Gigacz said:
Wouldn't call it shortsighted, there is only 9m between the fence and the path in front of the new indoor field...

View attachment 1610513

The amount of empty space at the Barkly St end has been reduced about as much as it can be while retaining playing dimensions of 160m x 129m (Docklands)...

View attachment 1610518
View attachment 1610519

I have to say in my opinion that the WO redevelopment is one of the more fan-friendly redevelopments while still allowing for an elite training facility. Spectators can walk around the entire oval and sit/stand pretty much anywhere. Just look at Princes Park since their redevelopment spectators are pretty much forced to sit exclusively in the Legends Stand or in front of the new match day pavilion and there is almost never access allowed on the broadcast side.
Click to expand...

Have they widened the ground at all?


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Whitten Oval at twilight. Nice to see the boundary fence installed.
d38d5db96a052080c1c112d85c024c7d.jpg

c05e748727760ddb24cf7f9fb513a903.jpg
 
Vinegar Mess said:
Whitten Oval at twilight. Nice to see the boundary fence installed.
d38d5db96a052080c1c112d85c024c7d.jpg

c05e748727760ddb24cf7f9fb513a903.jpg
Click to expand...
Ethereal.
In that first one I was sort of expecting to see a shaft of light with the hand of the Almighty (flanked by the beatific presence of Charlie Sutton and EJ) anointing the Whitten Oval with the 2023 Premiership Cup.*



*May yet happen.
 
grassman75 said:
Depends on the situation.

I'm going to assume they've layed couch grass on the surface. That stuff starts putting roots down almost immediately that it contacts the sand layer. I'm also going to assume they've put down good nutrition in the subsurface to encourage the roots down.

They will water the bejesus out of it and with warm weather you are having (38-40 is a bit warm) it will establish really quickly.

Given they won't want to risk the surface shifting and heaven forbid a player getting injured, I'd estimate 6-8 weeks from laying the turf (that doesn't mean it won't be earlier - the powers that be don't always listen to the greenkeepers)

In my golf course days, when there was less pressure on the surface, we would lay turf in mega rolls - which are rolls of grass approx 1m wide X 10m long on one day and golfers would play on it the next day.this isn't ideal, but time is money.

Maybe we could run a nearest the pin comp as to when they get back on it. If they've only just started laying it, I reckon it would be negligent to play / train on it before round 1
Click to expand...
I've got a bit of landscaping to do in the backyard. Are you available?
 
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