The rise and fall of Waverley Park

[Dry Rot]

I came across this interesting video on YouTube. I knew nothing about the history of this ground.

The rise and fall of Waverley Park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvvLwiRCx4s

I have come across the odd mention of Waverley Park on WOOF, but not much more. From memory, the comments were far from complimentary.

What did you think of Waverley Park?

What were some of the great games that you saw there?

Are you glad that it is gone?

[chef]

I came across this interesting video on YouTube. I knew nothing about the history of this ground.

The rise and fall of Waverley Park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvvLwiRCx4s

I have come across the odd mention of Waverley Park on WOOF, but not much more. From memory, the comments were far from complimentary.

What did you think of Waverley Park?

What were some of the great games that you saw there?

Are you glad that it is gone?

It was cold, wet and windy. It was a real pain in the arse to get too as well. It was built in the wrong spot.

Only went there a few of times but they were memorable.

I witnessed the Cats/Saints final there with Geelong winning by 7 and Brownless(8) and Lockett(9) putting on a show.

Also was there the night the lights went out and also caught the 4th quarter the following Tuesday(?) night. Stange experience.

Im glad its gone.

[Hotdog60]

The travel didn't bother me and I liked the stadium I think from memory you needed to park yourself half forward to wing to have the best view across the ground.
The most memorable game was Jimmy Edmonds going on a first quarter rampage against Richmond that had us 10 goal to one or two points only to win by 2 points in the end.
The memory is getting a bit foggy from back then maybe someone else was there to confirm.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Growing up nearby in Noble Park, my first experiences of VFL football were entirely at Waverley Park. The big gravel carpark...kicking the footy on the concrete concourses around the stadium.
MY first footy match was there against Melbourne in 84, KT from memory kicked 6 for Melbourne and they flogged us by 78 points or something.

I subsequently saw us beat Richmond, North Melbourne there in 84, I think I may've seen us play twice against Richmond that year??? one win/one loss.. or it might've been early 85 before I moved to Qld, a bit hazy. I must've seen a game in 85, because I do recall seeing Brad Hardie and Allan Daniels.

I also know I saw us play a night game -I guess the old Fosters Cup or Escort Cup..also against North. think that might've been pre-season 84 or 85.

More what I remember was that proximity to Waverley Park meant that I used to head up to the school oval at Harrisfield Primary School - I used to live on Callendar Rd Noble Park, on a late Saturday arvo and all the kids coming back from Waverly would descend onto the oval and an informal scratch match of footy would ensue.

[Grantysghost]

It was cold, wet and windy. It was a real pain in the arse to get too as well. It was built in the wrong spot.

Only went there a few of times but they were memorable.

I witnessed the Cats/Saints final there with Geelong winning by 7 and Brownless(8) and Lockett(9) putting on a show.

Also was there the night the lights went out and also caught the 4th quarter the following Tuesday(?) night. Stange experience.

Im glad its gone.
First paragraph you mixed it up with Ballarat ;)

It had a uniqueness about it. The humming scoreboard, the clinking flag poles, the massiveness of the arena.

I'm not sad it's gone though. It took forever and that carpark was a nightmare.

[bornadog]

The most memorable game was Jimmy Edmonds going on a first quarter rampage against Richmond that had us 10 goal to one or two points only to win by 2 points in the end..

That game was at the G, ANZAC day clash

[bulldogtragic]

Was a bloody huge ground. I umpired the school boys final basically in front of family and club scouts which I think was the very last game there. I was knackered by half time. The ground size was so big, it looked big from the stands but out there was huge. And cold.

It had the worst ‘modern’ scoreboard.

Despite the things like the wind, cold, location, scoreboard etc - I didn’t mind going there but it could be hard to see the play in the other side/end of the ground. That was probably the biggest negative for me.

[Axe Man]

Coming from Gippsland Waverley was the only ground Dad would take us. Very rarely went to the MCG and only went to Whitten Oval when I was a teen in it's final few years as an AFL venue.

It was easy for us to get to, but always a pain to get out of the carpark. As a kid I never noticed it being cold and we probably didn't go if it was wet.

One game that sticks out in the memory was the 1986 preliminary final, Hawthorn v Fitzroy. I'm fairly sure we just rocked up and got tickets at the gate. Unfortunately the Hawks won easily in Bernie Quinlan's last game (which I discussed with Bernie when I ran into him many years later on a footy trip after many beers).

[GVGjr]

It was an awful venue to watch footy at and because so many state governments failed to link it up with the rail network it was never likely to succeed.

[bornadog]

I actually hated that ground, as BT said it was too big and difficult to watch the game when the ball was on the other side of the ground. Winter time it was freezing cold and it earned the nickname Arctic Park.

When I lived out at West Sunshine and without a car license it was so difficult to get there. I did make the trek out there for the elimination final in 1974 v Pies. The last final was in 1961, so a long drought. We got done by 69 points and it was a long trip home. Bus to Glen Waverley, then train to city, change for train to Sunshine, followed by either bus home, or just walk.

In 1976, we made the elimination again v Geelong, however, this time went in a mates car. When we got to our mates house he had wrapped the entire car in RWB, complete with flags. I felt kinda embarrassed being in the car :D We lost that game by 7 points after leading at 3/4 time.

In the 80s I moved to East Doncaster into my first home and it was quicker to get there. In 1983, we celebrated our centenary v Fitzroy who were also playing theirs. Both clubs formed in 1883, we won.

The 1985 season, one of our most memorable seasons, we played Hawks in the prelim and lost that by 10 points. It was a close match all day, with 1 point in it at 3/4 time. The last quarter was a goal fest, we kicked 5 goals but Hawks kicked 6:mad:

I am glad it was bulldozed, and now is the Hawks training ground (soon to move)

[angelopetraglia]

So many memories of Waverely Park. I went to so many games there over the years. My enduring memory is being stuck in the carpark after the game.

Three things stand out in my memory when I think about Waverely Park.

1) 1985 Prelim versus Hawthorn. Leigh Matthews broke my heart that day.

2) 1992 Semi-Final versus StKilda. A young Chris Grant in the #29 kicked five goals.

3) Being stuck in the carpark after the game on April 28th 1996 after we lost a game to StKilda. Hearing about the tragic breaking news of the Port Arthur Massacre.

[Sedat]

It was an awful venue to watch footy at and because so many state governments failed to link it up with the rail network it was never likely to succeed.
Spot on. The old money MCC mafia successfully pressured Vic State Govts to ensure that Waverley would never get the rail link extension from the Glen Waverley line it was promised in the 1960's. That would have changed everything.

[jeemak]

I came across this interesting video on YouTube. I knew nothing about the history of this ground.

The rise and fall of Waverley Park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvvLwiRCx4s

I have come across the odd mention of Waverley Park on WOOF, but not much more. From memory, the comments were far from complimentary.

What did you think of Waverley Park?

What were some of the great games that you saw there?

Are you glad that it is gone?

I watched this the other day, funnily enough.

Given I lived a ten minute walk from the ground it was convenient for me growing up. I went to a lot of Hawthorn and Carlton games there, and loved the opportunity to see the Dogs play even if it wasn't always a happy hunting ground. One win against the Hawks in the early nineties really stands out.

My brother and I used to stay out on the oval kicking the footy until it was dark, being the last two in the stadium after a game a few times. I played little league there, and it was a big enough ground across the field let alone full length prior to it being shortened (it was still huge even after they shortened it), to me with a better design in the stands the oval would be a perfect size for today's game.

We'd have winter friends parking their cars in our driveway. It got a bit awkward when relationships ended but people still wanted to park the car.

On holidays we'd break into the ground and play gang tiggy, other times we'd just walk through the front door and nobody would do anything about a bunch of kids running around an empty stadium.

Awesome memories of that place, but I get why people hated it.

[Flamethrower]

I have a lot of memories of VFL Park.

My 1st visit to the ground was to play against South Melbourne for Footscray little league in 1978 We lost 1.1.7 to 0. I played half a game and froze as the ball never came near me in the forward line. The highlight was getting a pie and strawberry Big M after the game, and getting to explore the massive members grand stand and change rooms that the public never get to see.

My family went to many games between 1978 and 1995, including all of the finals (heartbreak in 1985, and took hours to get out of the carpark), and joy in 1992. I remember Beazer kicking 8 against Geelong, and Dunstall kicking 14 against us. Most of all though what I remember was how far the action was from the stands and the long rides home that were made bearable because Dad always got us hot donuts to eat on the way home.

In 1996 I joined as an AFL Member and my memories of Waverley were much better. I went to heaps of non-Bulldog games once I found out where to park to make a quick getaway after the game - I could be home in Williamstown within 30 minutes if I timed it right. Sitting in the AFL Members was great for mixing with who's who of the AFL, and it was the best spot to view the games.

Finally I also went to a World Series cricket game there between Australia and the West Indies, and many Australian Baseball League games when the Waverley Reds used VFL Park as their home field. The games between the Reds and the Melbourne Monarchs were particularly memorable, especially if you like a good old fashioned all in brawl. There was one almost every game.

[jeemak]

Ron Carothers was a star for the Waverley Reds!!!!

[bornadog]

joy in 1992.

I missed 1992 as I was overseas in the 90s

Beaser loved the open spaces and kicked lots of bags, especially in 1985. The best was 12 against the Tigers when we thumped them by 10 goals

[mighty_west]

I have a lot of memories of VFL Park.

My 1st visit to the ground was to play against South Melbourne for Footscray little league in 1978 We lost 1.1.7 to 0. I played half a game and froze as the ball never came near me in the forward line. The highlight was getting a pie and strawberry Big M after the game, and getting to explore the massive members grand stand and change rooms that the public never get to see.

My family went to many games between 1978 and 1995, including all of the finals (heartbreak in 1985, and took hours to get out of the carpark), and joy in 1992. I remember Beazer kicking 8 against Geelong, and Dunstall kicking 14 against us. Most of all though what I remember was how far the action was from the stands and the long rides home that were made bearable because Dad always got us hot donuts to eat on the way home.

In 1996 I joined as an AFL Member and my memories of Waverley were much better. I went to heaps of non-Bulldog games once I found out where to park to make a quick getaway after the game - I could be home in Williamstown within 30 minutes if I timed it right. Sitting in the AFL Members was great for mixing with who's who of the AFL, and it was the best spot to view the games.

Finally I also went to a World Series cricket game there between Australia and the West Indies, and many Australian Baseball League games when the Waverley Reds used VFL Park as their home field. The games between the Reds and the Melbourne Monarchs were particularly memorable, especially if you like a good old fashioned all in brawl. There was one almost every game.

A lot of that sounds familiar FT, i'm pretty sure i also played a little league game (when the little league was an actual team and not different schools every week) at VFL Park, watching the Aussies take on the mighty West Indies in all their glory, so many Doggies games, the '85 Prelim, '92, a game v Hawks when this young gun booted 5, Russell Shields in 1988, looked like a star in the making but didn't do much after that, may have only played a couple of games.

Also a U2 concert, but that car park getting out after a big crowd was shocking, and cold, very cold and windy with no protection from the stands.

[angelopetraglia]

In the 80s I moved to East Doncaster into my first home and it was quicker to get there. In 1983, we celebrated our centenary v Fitzroy who were also playing theirs. Both clubs formed in 1883, we won.


I also bought my first home in Donncaster East. However in the early 2000s.

[Hotdog60]

That game was at the G, ANZAC day clash

Well I did say the memory is going one wooden bench looks like any other. :)

[Twodogs]

It was a shit hole, an absolute shit hole. It was miles away from the western suburbs, it was always cold and wet there was no proper public transport to the ground and if you drove the car park was knee deep in mud and took 3 hours to get out of after the game.

Apart from that the only problems were the overall depressing feeling the ground exuded, you couldn't see the play from one side to the other and the masses of concrete was probably carcinogenic.

It's also where Kelvin Templeton did his knee in the fading moments of one of those pointless Escort night matches against Melbourne in the preseason after he'd won the Brownlow.