Why are we playing at Ballarat for the final game?

[Mantis]

It's just ****ing dumb!

Why the **** would you play a (meaningful) rd 24 game at a venue that holds just over 10K?

For a number of reasons, I couldn't confirm I could go until this week and when trying to purchase tickets I'm greeted with the 'We couldn't find the tickets you searched for' line.

If we are going to play at this ground, get the games out of the way early in the season.

[The Pie Man]

Agree with this - we’d probably be on Friday night if played in Melbourne

[chef]

I like Ballarat, got me ticket and can't wait. Suburban feel.

Love standing at the footy.

[Mantis]

I like Ballarat, got me ticket and can't wait. Suburban feel.

Love standing at the footy.

Where did I say I didn't like Ballarat?

I've been to 5-6 games there in the past and have no issue with the venue.

My issue is playing a Rd 24 game there and denying a large portion of our supporter base the opportunity to go to a meaningful game.

[Rocco Jones]

Where did I say I didn't like Ballarat?

I've been to 5-6 games there in the past and have no issue with the venue.

My issue is playing a Rd 24 game there and denying a large portion of our supporter base the opportunity to go to a meaningful game.

I'm with you here.

I like Mars Stadium and I'm actually goung, but of all the rounds. It's gonna either be a dead rubber or really important. Any round that from 2-23 is fine.

[Grantysghost]

It's just ****ing dumb!

Why the **** would you play a (meaningful) rd 24 game at a venue that holds just over 10K?

For a number of reasons, I couldn't confirm I could go until this week and when trying to purchase tickets I'm greeted with the 'We couldn't find the tickets you searched for' line.

If we are going to play at this ground, get the games out of the way early in the season.
Hard agree it's a dumb decision. My guess would be the weather. They try to avoid the worst of it and this game being closer to spring was maybe part of the equation.

I'd be happy to just play the two first home games there and move on from it.

[GVGjr]

It's a fair point you raise Mantis. Such a critical game to be in a venue that holds 10k
I wonder if our traditionally poor crowd numbers against interstate clubs had worked against us?

[bornadog]

. My guess would be the weather. They try to avoid the worst of it and this game being closer to spring was maybe part of the equation.

I believe this is the reason and they have tried to split the two over the season.

[Sedat]

Where did I say I didn't like Ballarat?

I've been to 5-6 games there in the past and have no issue with the venue.

My issue is playing a Rd 24 game there and denying a large portion of our supporter base the opportunity to go to a meaningful game.
I reckon lessons were learned after the debacle v Port Adelaide in mid July 2018, when it was 5 degrees and hailing sideways with a 3.20pm start time (coldest day I've ever been at the footy by a mile). Since then games at Mars have been either very early or very late in the season to give the best chance of having good weather.

We played there in the last round of 2019 against Adelaide and the weather was perfect - was a very enjoyable day at the footy as we booked our ticket into finals that year.

It's a quirk of the results this season that the game is so high stakes this year - it could easily have been a dead rubber or of lesser relevance than it has ended up being.

[Grantysghost]

60,000 members and only a 6th can attend.
There's been a dilution of the membership product for ages now.

Another point many don't consider is accessibility.

The parking is horrendous, it's miles from the station so to get the elderly there is a saga.

[comrade]

Obviously I?m pretty happy it?s in Ballarat this week but yeah, we shouldn?t be playing the final game here. Usually August is ok weather wise, play it first or second week of the month and leave the last game for Marvel.

[Sedat]

The parking is horrendous, it's miles from the station so to get the elderly there is a saga.
Topic for another day but the V-Line train line runs right past Mars Stadium (across the road from Showgrounds). There is ample room for a new station/platform there (it would almost be right in between Ballarat Central and Wendouree stations, so would be very welcome for residents and businesses in the area, not just for Mars Stadium), but I guess we have other bigger priorities in Victoria like feeding the insatiable consumer demand for a multi billion dollar train line from Cheltenham to Box Hill. Oh and the new scoreboard for Pork Barrell Park.

[Grantysghost]

Ground size is interesting
Docklands and Eureka identical and Giants stadium pretty close.
https://i.postimg.cc/63syYkVw/Screenshot-20240820-132742.png (https://postimg.cc/VSRfNHHH)

[bornadog]

60,000 members and only a 6th can attend.
There's been a dilution of the membership product for ages now.

Another point many don't consider is accessibility.

The parking is horrendous, it's miles from the station so to get the elderly there is a saga.

I have been to almost every game and it has rarely been a sell out, if at all. (missed two due to travel overseas)

Sunday only 33,000 people showed up and we have 60k members and North have around the same, so your analogy doesn't work.

Parking - never a problem for me, you need to know where to park :D

I get it if people don't want to go to Ballarat, but it is good for the future of the club, financially and building membership outside of Melbourne. Ballarat is about the size of Launceston.

[comrade]

I know the OP isn?t arguing it, but we?ll see the ongoing benefits in the future of our partnership with Ballarat from a revenue and membership perspective. I?ve got multiple mates who support other clubs and their kids are obsessed with the Dogs and make their dads take them to our games simply because the Bulldogs sponsor their junior competition and visit the schools all the time. And as a kid growing up in Ballarat through the 90s and early 2000s and being the only Dogs fan I knew of here, it?s pretty crazy to see how many kids these days are wearing Bulldogs merch. It?s everywhere.

[Grantysghost]

I have been to almost every game and it has rarely been a sell out, if at all. (missed two due to travel overseas)

Sunday only 33,000 people showed up and we have 60k members and North have around the same, so your analogy doesn't work.

Parking - never a problem for me, you need to know where to park :D

I get it if people don't want to go to Ballarat, but it is good for the future of the club, financially and building membership outside of Melbourne. Ballarat is about the size of Launceston.
I thought 33k wasn't too bad actually.

We have about 25k hard core go to every home game members.
That's still 15k that can't go.

It's here to stay and I get the financial aspect of the deal.

Im still dirty I got sun burnt at the Suns game there :)

[The Adelaide Connection]

The OP has a fair point- I think the last two games could have been easily switched so we finish at Marvel. Obviously being such a big game we could have drawn a big Dogs crowd, but in a lean year it might also be the last chance to watch them for the year (still might be).

I don't get the Ballarat bashing though- people forget that in the short term this deal brings in a big cash injection and in the long term helps grow our brand/membership. We make a packet of chips for games at Marvel.

Would people prefer we go back to selling games to Darwin or Cairns?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

60,000 members and only a 6th can attend.
There's been a dilution of the membership product for ages now.

Another point many don't consider is accessibility.

The parking is horrendous, it's miles from the station so to get the elderly there is a saga.

You don't really believe we have 60,000 unique members do you?

Like all clubs there's probably about 60% unique and 1000 cats and dogs. The rest is marketing bullshit.

[bornadog]

Would people prefer we go back to selling games to Darwin or Cairns?

Although it was fun going up there and the cash was great for the club, but I don't believe we built up our brand much.

[Mofra]

There really should be a game early in the season and a game late in the season, and avoid winter there as much as possible. First game about 3 rounds in, and the second with 2-3 rounds to go in the season.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I suspect the club will have learnt from this season and we'll see the 2nd game in Ballarat next season in the 3rd or 2nd last week of the season.

[bornadog]

I suspect the club will have learnt from this season and we'll see the 2nd game in Ballarat next season in the 3rd or 2nd last week of the season.

The club can put in a request, but it is up to the AFL to allocate the timing.

[Grantysghost]

You don't really believe we have 60,000 unique members do you?

Like all clubs there's probably about 60% unique and 1000 cats and dogs. The rest is marketing bullshit.

No I don't but it sounded good in the argument :)

[Grantysghost]

The OP has a fair point- I think the last two games could have been easily switched so we finish at Marvel. Obviously being such a big game we could have drawn a big Dogs crowd, but in a lean year it might also be the last chance to watch them for the year (still might be).

I don't get the Ballarat bashing though- people forget that in the short term this deal brings in a big cash injection and in the long term helps grow our brand/membership. We make a packet of chips for games at Marvel.

Would people prefer we go back to selling games to Darwin or Cairns?

Shit yeah Cairns was awesome.

[bornadog]

Shit yeah Cairns was awesome.

You just destroyed your argument re Ballarat - all the reasons you put forward applying to Cairns, but ten times worse :D

[Grantysghost]

You just destroyed your argument re Ballarat - all the reasons you put forward applying to Cairns, but ten times worse :D

Cairns is tropical.

Ballarat sucks.

Also it was once a year, which I stated I'd be ok with in Ballarat.

So argument stands!

God Cairns was amazing. We'd have a little marquee, lots of food and drink, I won a signed 2016 footy, I sat with Steve Wallis on one occasion.

Why Ballarat why!!?

[bornadog]

Cairns is tropical.

Ballarat sucks.

Also it was once a year, which I stated I'd be ok with in Ballarat.

So argument stands!

God Cairns was amazing. We'd have a little marquee, lots of food and drink, I won a signed 2016 footy, I sat with Steve Wallis on one occasion.

Why Ballarat why!!?

You make me laugh


https://media.tenor.com/MCn_GMSSqAsAAAAM/lol-laughing-hysterically.gif

I went up to Darwin twice on a boys week and had a ball

[Sedat]

Why Ballarat why!!?
It's huge growth corridor from our spiritual home in Footscray heading west to Ballarat (which itself has many surrounding suburbs and is growing rapidly) - so many future supporters to lure across. Not to mention once we announce our boom recruit Zak Butters, he will automatically convert all of Bacchus Marsh/Darley.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

It's huge growth corridor from our spiritual home in Footscray heading west to Ballarat (which itself has many surrounding suburbs and is growing rapidly) - so many future supporters to lure across. Not to mention once we announce our boom recruit Zak Butters, he will automatically convert all of Bacchus Marsh/Darley.

Will that be announced after Sundays game or will we have to wait until the season is over for port?

[Grantysghost]

Will that be announced after Sundays game or will we have to wait until the season is over for port?
I think after we beat them in the GF it will be announced and he will join our celebrations.

[Grantysghost]

You make me laugh


https://media.tenor.com/MCn_GMSSqAsAAAAM/lol-laughing-hysterically.gif

I went up to Darwin twice on a boys week and had a ball
Yeah it's a lot of fun up there.

But clearly my arguments become a bit thin when I fawn over it!

[SonofScray]

Between this game, last years disastrous loss, and the 2019 Adelaide game, MARS has seen some really influential contests for us.

Now the facilities have been fixed up, I?d be OK with taking the risk of me dying of hypothermia and getting them done early to mid year. There was of course that Port game in the coldest and darkest conditions I?ve ever existed in.

[Stevo]

We shouldn't be playing there given how serious the consequences of the game are but we would battle to draw 22K to Marvel if we were to be totally honest.

[angelopetraglia]

Between this game, last years disastrous loss, and the 2019 Adelaide game, MARS has seen some really influential contests for us.

Now the facilities have been fixed up, I?d be OK with taking the risk of me dying of hypothermia and getting them done early to mid year. There was of course that Port game in the coldest and darkest conditions I?ve ever existed in.

We also lost to Port Adelaide in 2017 when we needed to win to keep our final chances alive.

[GVGjr]

We can't blame the venue at Ballarat but the scheduling isn't great for the club or the AFL competition.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Although it was fun going up there and the cash was great for the club, but I don't believe we built up our brand much.

Yep, that is my point. Also, it would completely destroy us for the next weekend after playing up there.

[Go_Dogs]

We can't blame the venue at Ballarat but the scheduling isn't great for the club or the AFL competition.

Surely with a floating fixture we had an opportunity to renegotiate this earlier in the year. I wonder if we tried and failed?

I agree with all the calls that we shouldn’t play our final H&A game there.

[GVGjr]

Surely with a floating fixture we had an opportunity to renegotiate this earlier in the year. I wonder if we tried and failed?

I agree with all the calls that we shouldn’t play our final H&A game there.

I get the sense it could also be for financial reasons as well. Our inability to draw decent crowds against some interstate clubs could weigh into the decision of if we challenge the AFL match fixture and the venues we play them at. I guess we committed to playing 2 games at Ballarat and I wonder what other game we could have moved there?

[Grantysghost]

I get the sense it could also be for financial reasons as well. Our inability to draw decent crowds against some interstate clubs could weigh into the decision of if we challenge the AFL match fixture and the venues we play them at. I guess we committed to playing 2 games at Ballarat and I wonder what other game we could have moved there?
Freo?

[jeemak]

The AFL fixturing department has absolutely nailed the final last few games of the season in terms of how finals will play out. No matter where we're playing all it's done is made me more suspicious of how manipulated the fixturing has been to give certain teams a leg up over the course of the season.

As for playing in Ballarat Sunday, we just need to suck it up and win. That we make more money getting **** all people at Mars versus a half decent crowd at Docklands is the real travesty, and we should try and deal with that over time.

[Bullies]

As Toby Greene said as well he is happy GWS are playing at Ballarat and not Marvel Stadium. I think we may have given up some decent home ground advantage with this one and in a game that counts as well.

[MrMahatma]

I'm not sure what our win:loss record at Ballarat is, but I NEVER feel confident playing there due to the scars of important losses.

Even old mate Toby Greene said on 360 last night that we're easier to beat at Ballarat than Marvel. I doesn't really feel like a home ground "advantage".

[bulldogsthru&thru]

As Toby Greene said as well he is happy GWS are playing at Ballarat and not Marvel Stadium. I think we may have given up some decent home ground advantage with this one and in a game that counts as well.

How many times have they played us there? Once?

I don't really disagree but wondering what he's basing that comment on. I can only recall 1 game against them at Ballarat.

[bornadog]

I'm not sure what our win:loss record at Ballarat is, but I NEVER feel confident playing there due to the scars of important losses.

Even old mate Toby Greene said on 360 last night that we're easier to beat at Ballarat than Marvel. I doesn't really feel like a home ground "advantage".

Won 8, and Lost 4

[Bullies]

How many times have they played us there? Once?

I don't really disagree but wondering what he's basing that comment on. I can only recall 1 game against them at Ballarat.

I think he is basing it on the fact that we are very good at Marvel and he would rather play us in the open spaces of Ballarat with a howling wind blowing than at Marvel.

[Grantysghost]

I think he is basing it on the fact that we are very good at Marvel and he would rather play us in the open of Ballarat with a howling wind blowing.

Absolutely - if you had the choice of playing us anywhere but Marvel that would be the preference.

If we finish 6th and Hawks 7th we should lobby for a home Marvel final. I don't want to play it at their home ground.

[Axe Man]

I think he is basing it on the fact that we are very good at Marvel and he would rather play us in the open spaces of Ballarat with a howling wind blowing than at Marvel.

Are we though? We are 8 from 12 at Marvel this season, and 3 of those wins were gimmes against North x2 and West Coast. It's only marginally better than our overall winning record for the year (as of course it should be at home).

We beat them in conditions that were nothing like Marvel earlier in the season.

Of course in an ideal world we would be playing this game at Marvel but I don't think there is any significant home ground advantage given up by playing at a ground we are much more familiar with than they are.

[Axe Man]

Absolutely - if you had the choice of playing us anywhere but Marvel that would be the preference.

If we finish 6th and Hawks 7th we should lobby for a home Marvel final. I don't want to play it at their home ground.

If we were playing GWS and their travelling horde of 10 supporters the game would probably still be at the MCG.

[bornadog]

How many times have they played us there? Once?

I don't really disagree but wondering what he's basing that comment on. I can only recall 1 game against them at Ballarat.

We have played them twice at Ballarat, winning one and as you recall losing by 5 points last year after 3 injuries including Bruce ACL, Keath Concussion.

Can't wait for Sunday

[Axe Man]

We have played them twice at Ballarat, winning one and as you recall losing by 5 points last year after 3 injuries including Bruce ACL, Keath Concussion.

Can't wait for Sunday

When did we beat them at Ballarat? I can't see any record of this game - we've only played them there once as far as I can tell.

[hujsh]

Are we though? We are 8 from 12 at Marvel this season, and 3 of those wins were gimmes against North x2 and West Coast. It's only marginally better than our overall winning record for the year (as of course it should be at home).

We beat them in conditions that were nothing like Marvel earlier in the season.

Of course in an ideal world we would be playing this game at Marvel but I don't think there is any significant home ground advantage given up by playing at a ground we are much more familiar with than they are.

There's no real home advantage to playing at Marvel aside from the travel for interstate teams. Everyone plays there pretty often.

Ballarat is the closest thing we have to a home ground IMO

[bulldogsthru&thru]

We have played them twice at Ballarat, winning one and as you recall losing by 5 points last year after 3 injuries including Bruce ACL, Keath Concussion.

Can't wait for Sunday

Oh wow BRUCE was playing for us last year!!?? Time has flown.

I also can't see any record of us playing them there before last year's game.

[Grantysghost]

There's no real home advantage to playing at Marvel aside from the travel for interstate teams. Everyone plays there pretty often.

Ballarat is the closest thing we have to a home ground IMO

I think there is. We love it there, the speed under the roof and lack of annoying goal kick destroying wind helps us.

I have no evidence to back this up. So no Narcs ;)

[Flamethrower]

It would have made more sense to play last week's game at Ballarat, and round 24 at Marvel given the importance of the game against the Giants. I disagree with the Giants' captain though - they play Marvel as well as we do as it suits their game style.

Early forecast for Sunday is for northerly 30 km/h winds with occasional showers - hardly makes for clean, accurate and efficient football and will put a lot of pressure on our already poor goal kicking accuracy. Giants seem to be winning a lot of games due to more accurate goal kicking (eg 13.4 to 8.16 v Lions). I suppose we can only hope the conditions make it impossible to kick goals with such accuracy and they are dragged down to our level.

Interesting that Hawthorn's must win game against North is also at their 2nd home in Launceston - Hawk games down there tend to be a lot closer than when they play at the MCG. If Sheezel is back and North actually compete it may not be the walkover that Hawthorn fans are expecting.

[Grantysghost]

When did we beat them at Ballarat? I can't see any record of this game - we've only played them there once as far as I can tell.

Yes that was the first time last year.

My guess is bad is looking at the GWS stats and seeing the GWS v GC game at Eureka during Covid.

[bornadog]

When did we beat them at Ballarat? I can't see any record of this game - we've only played them there once as far as I can tell.

ok, re checked. I looked at AFL tables and it showed GWS playing twice at Ballarat. Now looking into it further, GWS played GC there in 2021, which must have been during Covid.


Yes that was the first time last year.

My guess is bad is looking at the GWS stats and seeing the GWS v GC game at Eureka during Covid.

yes. Who would have thought they played GC there.

[1eyedog]

All the games that matter these finals will be played at an open air stadium so I'm open to playing at as many open air stadiums as possible.

[Rocco Jones]

Toby Greene loves to extract any possible advantage he can get and I think he was playing mind games when answering the question. He or not the notion is correct is purely incidental. I think he was answering from a place of trying to get into our heads and/or boost GWS confidence rather than a pure analysis of what's correct.

[bornadog]

Toby Greene loves to extract any possible advantage he can get and I think he was playing mind games when answering the question. He or not the notion is correct is purely incidental. I think he was answering from a place of trying to get into our heads and/or boost GWS confidence rather than a pure analysis of what's correct.

I hope we smash these plastic shits - can't stand this failed venture supported by two men and a dog.

Greene is still the biggest grub in the AFL and I don't care how talented he is.

Go Dogs!!! :D

PS: We will get more people at Ballarat than they do at that 30,000 stadium where they struggle to get 8k showing up.

[Plums]

The venue and the supporter experience there has always been really good, the AFL just needs to fixture it in a way to avoid it being a make or break game as the 10k capacity and the travel for supporters makes it hard to attend.

The suburban feel of the ground is an amazing experience but as the final game of the year and having to travel, im not so sure about the venue then.