General consensus is that the AFL heavies wouldn’t have been too disappointed with the result, but that fails to appreciate what a tremendous boost for sporting infrastructure in this country that a successful bid would have led to and that the AFL would have been one of the beneficiaries.
But now that the Canberra purse strings have been tightened, the league is now partnering with state governments in order to fight the stadium battles.
And they are proving to be tough fights, particularly in South Australia.
The machinations in Adelaide are fascinating. By throwing its weight behind plans for a $535 million redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval and making it the home of football from 2014, the AFL has signed the death warrant for AAMI Stadium.
But there are still three years left of football at West Lakes and the league has left itself, the SANFL, the Crows and Port Adelaide the considerable challenge in that period of creating excitement about a stadium that will soon come tumbling down.
Hence the parochial “See it for yourself” ad campaign that was launched in Adelaide over the weekend that uses former Adelaide and Port greats such as Nigel Smart, Shaun Rehn, Mark Bickley, Gavin Wanganeen and Warren Tredrea to promote the present-day stars of South Australian footy.
It is almost a plea for those who have eschewed live footy for the TV instead, to again start making the trek to AAMI Stadium to enjoy the spectacle, if not the venue.
Crowds at AAMI Stadium have dropped alarmingly. The Crows averaged 43,588 at the ground in 2005, compared to 35,849 in 2010. In that same period, Port’s average crowd has dropped from 35,180 to just 24,487. Even the much-vaunted Showdowns are now being played in front of large tracts of empty seats.
To be fair, neither side played finals last year whereas in 2005, the Crows were flying near the top for most of the year (remember the Crow-bots?) while Port was the reigning premier.
If South Australia isn’t football’s heartland, it is the next best thing. The appeal of a move to the Adelaide Oval is understandable for Port, for as long as it plays its home games at the administrative and training base of the Crows, it will always feel like a second-class citizen.
But the Adelaide Oval numbers also stack up well for the Crows and despite AAMI Stadium having long been a cauldron for them, they’re happy to decamp instead to “the world’s most beautiful cricket ground”.
However, the move isn’t all that straightforward and there are reports of considerable opposition to the planned joint venture between the AFL, the SANFL, the SACA and the state government.
Some are calling it a battle among the birth certificates, with the over 40s wanting the football to stay away, while the under 40s are agitating for change.
The main arguments against the redevelopment are based in fears that it is an AFL takeover of the famous venue, that it would kill the aesthetics and fears that the drop-in pitches will destroy what the locals like to believe to be the best cricket wicket in Australia.
Not even assurances from the doyen of cricket curators, Les Burdett ('Sir Les' to the locals) that the standard of the wicket won’t suffer, has deterred a sizeable ‘no’ campaign from gaining ground.
Now, your average South Australian doesn’t have much time for anything Victorian, but they do like visiting for the footy and the inner-city Melbourne football experience - footy plus shopping, dining, the galleries and a show, all without needing a car - has left its mark with younger football fans in Adelaide, and they’re the ones backing football’s move to the Adelaide Oval.
Adelaide can replicate that pleasurable experience, as anyone who has walked from the city, across the Torrens to the Adelaide Oval, Memorial Drive or even the Arts Centre would attest. Not that too many readers of this column are necessarily patrons of the South Australian arts scene.
South Australian Cricket Association have their say in May. It will take a 75 per cent ‘yes’ vote for the AFL football to be allowed in.
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The future of the NAB Cup has been the topic of the week, but if Friday night’s clash is to be the last pre-season Grand Final as we know it, then it will go out with a bang. Essendon v Collingwood at a sure-to-be sold-out Etihad Stadium. Let the hype begin.
The Bombers have improved. Even their coach will now admit as much, saying that the clash with Collingwood will be a measure of that improvement. For Collingwood, it is yet another Grand Final and if you listen to the buzz, their third in seven games.
A quick check with the AFL confirms that both the Collingwood-St Kilda matches at the end of last season count equally in terms of their status as Grand Finals. So add to those to what the Magpies have played this season and it becomes official - this will be Collingwood’s third Grand Final in seven matches. Does that qualify for juggernaut status?
Looking at things another way, St Kilda has played three Grand Finals in two years and won none of them. Hence the sense of urgency down Seaford way this season.
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CLUB BY CLUB
1. Collingwood: Has started the push to play all 11 home games at the MCG from next season. And which clubs would have to reduce their MCG entitlements to make way the Magpies?
2. St Kilda: The Bombers have provided the template for beating the Saints. Load up your side with runners and put the skates on. But who else has the personnel to execute such a plan?
3. Hawthorn: Taking last year’s elimination final, the NAB Challenge, the NAB Cup and round one of the 2011 season into account, the Hawks will have played six straight games outside of Melbourne.
4. Geelong: The foxing at the Cattery has started. 14 regulars missing in Adelaide last Friday, not a whole lot more to return for the final tune-up against Carlton on the weekend.
5. Fremantle: All but one goal of the NAB Challenge game against the Bulldogs in Bunbury were kicked at the same end of the ground.
6. Carlton: Matthew Kreuzer as a ruck-rover? Scary thought.
7. Sydney: Adam Goodes kicked six goals against the Suns on Saturday. Must have put on quite a show.
8. Western Bulldogs: Zephaniah Skinner. Could be this year’s Liam Jurrah.
9. Essendon: The first tick James Hird gets is for creating genuine competition for various places in the side. So impressive has ruckman Tom Bellchambers been through the pre-season that David Hille must be
itching to get back into the side.
10. North Melbourne: If the idea for the Kangas to play home games at North Ballarat has any legs whatsoever, then the locals need to turn up in numbers for Saturday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs.
11. Adelaide: Neil Craig was admirably stoic after the calamitous hit-out at Visy Park, but must have been cursing his luck privately. And the Crows go back there again this Friday.
12. West Coast: No doubting the enthusiasm and the intent against the Pies. But the skill level was still way too short.
13. Melbourne: Tom Scully will be better for the run, as they say in the racing game.
14. Richmond: The Tigers must have been ‘going ordinary’, as Jack Dyer used to say, if Damien Hardwick needed to give them a bake at half-time last Friday against the Hawks.
15. Gold Coast: First game in front of the locals on the weekend for a sum total of three goals. A few of the locals were hoping for a bit more.
16. Port Adelaide: Won’t have had the hardest of hit-outs in the lead-up to round one, what with a weakened Geelong and the Giants. First up opponent? Collingwood at Etihad.
17. Brisbane Lions: You could sense the relief felt by Michael Voss just by reading his post-match remarks. At this stage, any win is a good win.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
34 possessions, including 14 contested, five clearances and five inside 50s. Not a bad night’s work from Scott Pendlebury for Collingwood against West Coast on Saturday night.
THE TWITTERATI
“Just saw Embleys bump-what a ripper! Perfect execution-good 2 C the bump is still alive (just no fun on the receiving end-haha)That's footy!” Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell (@maxy_05) gives the thumbs-up to the bump from Andrew Embley that will keep him out of the NAB Cup Grand Final and almost certainly the season opener against Port Adelaide a fortnight after that.
“Hit the jack pot with those whiting you caught today @Steviejohnson20! Great day fishing, we may have us found a secret spot Steven..” Tom Hawks (@tomhawkins_) after catching a few with Steve Johnson.
“Scans are looking ok. Wont know 4 sure until monday so not jumping to conclusions just yet but reasonably hopeful the ACL is still together” Crows wingman Brodie Martin (Brodie_Martin41) holds out hope that he won’t need another knee reconstruction after hurting himself against the Blues last Friday.
GAME TO WATCH
The NAB Cup Grand Final between Essendon and Collingwood, for starters. The league only hands out two pieces of silverware per season and this is one of them. But some of the NAB Challenge matches are intriguing. Melbourne’s big summer has abated after a pair of disappointing outings the last fortnight and now travels to Launceston to meet the Hawks on Friday night. By their own reckoning, the Demons need to show a bit more. We also have a Queensland derby featuring the Lions and the Suns at Southport. It is never too early to score some bragging rights.
The views expressed by author are not necessarily those of the AFL or the clubs.
You can follow Ashley Browne on twitter at twitter.com/hashbrowne.
