Bulldogs, Mars Wrigley together for three more years with Ballarat Mars Stadium deal

[jazzadogs]

There should be replacement games, like we used to get for Canberra/Darwin, at a minimum.

Doesn't replace some of the coterie add-ons though.

[CAC]

I raised this as an issue to members and supporters earlier this year when it became apparent that hoardings had been placed up around half of the perimeter or all of the standing areas of Mars Stadium. Most supporters simply dismissed my concerns resigning themselves that the short term pain was worth it in the bigger picture.

Development there is in full swing with extensive Earth works already well advanced, a light tower removed and the video scoreboard dismantled. I was told by somebody in the know last week that there will be a new scoreboard being erected on the hill in place of the now demolished old brick scoreboard. I hope that they keep the existing video scoreboard and simply relocate it elsewhere. Perhaps on top of the old coaches box (Behind the players interchange benches). They definitely aren't mucking around there with work teams on site six days per week. From conversations that I have had with management at the North Ballarat Sports Club, they are of the opinion that they will try to get the stadium back up to a reasonable capacity by early 2026 and to have all of the stadium works completed by mid 2026. The athletics complex next door and new park land to the South West of the stadium will be completed a bit later during the second half of 2026.

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[jazzadogs]

I raised this as an issue to members and supporters earlier this year when it became apparent that hoardings had been placed up around half of the perimeter or all of the standing areas of Mars Stadium. Most supporters simply dismissed my concerns resigning themselves that the short term pain was worth it in the bigger picture.

Development there is in full swing with extensive Earth works already well advanced, a light tower removed and the video scoreboard dismantled. I was told by somebody in the know last week that there will be a new scoreboard being erected on the hill in place of the now demolished old brick scoreboard. I hope that they keep the existing video scoreboard and simply relocate it elsewhere. Perhaps on top of the old coaches box (Behind the players interchange benches). They definitely aren't mucking around there with work teams on site six days per week. From conversations that I have had with management at the North Ballarat Sports Club, they are of the opinion that they will try to get the stadium back up to a reasonable capacity by early 2026 and to have all of the stadium works completed by mid 2026. The athletics complex next door and new park land to the South West of the stadium will be completed a bit later during the second half of 2026.

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I think the changes are great and will be worth it - but we shouldn't have played any AFL games there while the works are underway.

[Bornadog]

I think the changes are great and will be worth it - but we shouldn't have played any AFL games there while the works are underway.

Yes agreed. I hope they make adjustments ie move the games, for the second game and next year if the works still effect the capacity.

[GVGjr]

I raised this as an issue to members and supporters earlier this year when it became apparent that hoardings had been placed up around half of the perimeter or all of the standing areas of Mars Stadium. Most supporters simply dismissed my concerns resigning themselves that the short term pain was worth it in the bigger picture.

Development there is in full swing with extensive Earth works already well advanced, a light tower removed and the video scoreboard dismantled. I was told by somebody in the know last week that there will be a new scoreboard being erected on the hill in place of the now demolished old brick scoreboard. I hope that they keep the existing video scoreboard and simply relocate it elsewhere. Perhaps on top of the old coaches box (Behind the players interchange benches). They definitely aren't mucking around there with work teams on site six days per week. From conversations that I have had with management at the North Ballarat Sports Club, they are of the opinion that they will try to get the stadium back up to a reasonable capacity by early 2026 and to have all of the stadium works completed by mid 2026. The athletics complex next door and new park land to the South West of the stadium will be completed a bit later during the second half of 2026.

I don't think anyone disputes that the ground could use a nice upgrade to improve the spectating experience for many members.
The concern is mainly about but the clubs communication to the members who will be impacted by this change as it's been exceptionally poor bordering on manipulative.
I'm sending the club an email later today expressing my concerns and asking them are they sure they could not have communicated about these changes earlier and could they have not switched at least one of the games back to Melbourne?
For what it's worth, based on the images you shared, these are not substantial changes and the time line that we are aware of for the completed works is excessive.

[Bornadog]

Tickets for reserve members to be redeemed on Wednesday

[CAC]

I don't think anyone disputes that the ground could use a nice upgrade to improve the spectating experience for many members.
The concern is mainly about but the clubs communication to the members who will be impacted by this change as it's been exceptionally poor bordering on manipulative.
I'm sending the club an email later today expressing my concerns and asking them are they sure they could not have communicated about these changes earlier and could they have not switched at least one of the games back to Melbourne?
For what it's worth, based on the images you shared, these are not substantial changes and the time line that we are aware of for the completed works is excessive.

I agree entirely. Although 12 months is a reasonable amount of time considering the scale of work. The stands will largely be prefabricated with many major components (the beams, piers, concrete levels and walls) already probably in production that will be trucked to the site and assembled like a huge Mecano set. It will be the athletic centre and all of the ground works that will take much longer because it has to mostly be built on site. I expect that we will likely see the stands mostly erected by Christmas and them being fitted out in the first quarter of next year. We may even have restricted access to them in time for our first 2026 game. By restricted access I mean that much of the surrounding concourse and new hill will be still out of bounds because there will be extensive earth works, landscaping and paving involved with the creation of new terraces, sealed pathways, concourses, thoroughfares, new fences and park land that will tie the stadium directly into the athletic centre. I reckon that by the first 2026 game capacity will likely be brought up to at least 10,000, but movement beyond the stands would be limited.

[Stevo]

I agree entirely. Although 12 months is a reasonable amount of time considering the scale of work. The stands will largely be prefabricated with many major components (the beams, piers, concrete levels and walls) already probably in production that will be trucked to the site and assembled like a huge Mecano set. It will be the athletic centre and all of the ground works that will take much longer because it has to mostly be built on site. I expect that we will likely see the stands mostly erected by Christmas and them being fitted out in the first quarter of next year. We may even have restricted access to them in time for our first 2026 game. By restricted access I mean that much of the surrounding concourse and new hill will be still out of bounds because there will be extensive earth works, landscaping and paving involved with the creation of new terraces, sealed pathways, concourses, thoroughfares, new fences and park land that will tie the stadium directly into the athletic centre. I reckon that by the first 2026 game capacity will likely be brought up to at least 10,000, but movement beyond the stands would be limited.

Do you know of any reason why the club and even the City of Ballarat took so long to share the announcement of the upgrade?
I don't want to sound ungrateful for what you have shared but based off the images it's a somewhat modest upgrade.

[Bornadog]

Do you know of any reason why the club and even the City of Ballarat took so long to share the announcement of the upgrade?
I don't want to sound ungrateful for what you have shared but based off the images it's a somewhat modest upgrade.

The upgrade was always going to be around now and as the stadium was being made ready for the Comm Games. When the Comm Games was cancelled, an announcement was made that the stadium would still be upgraded but not to the full extent required for the Games.

I think the issue is members should have been informed of the restricted capacity at the time of renewals.

[GVGjr]

Do you know of any reason why the club and even the City of Ballarat took so long to share the announcement of the upgrade?
I don't want to sound ungrateful for what you have shared but based off the images it's a somewhat modest upgrade.

The work barriers have been at the ground for a while now so a lot of people knew what was happening.
I believe the club didn't mange the comms very well but some might choose to believe their hands were tied somewhat.
Communication needed to come from the state government and or the City of Ballarat as it's clearly not on the Dogs to make announcements about works at Mars Stadium.
Where the club made an error, in my opinion, is not shutting down Ballarat memberships as soon as they had an idea that the capacity for the 2 games was going to be significantly impacted.
It would not have been hard from them to say "We have met our capacity' to anyone inquiring about Ballarat memberships.
That was a poor decision and they deserve some criticism for allowing things to meander along.

Regarding why one or two of the impacted Ballarat games weren't relocated back to Melbourne well that is for another discussion but the clubs hands were again tied.
The club needs to do a better job with their communication by being more proactive rather than in damage control.

[CAC]

Do you know of any reason why the club and even the City of Ballarat took so long to share the announcement of the upgrade?
I don't want to sound ungrateful for what you have shared but based off the images it's a somewhat modest upgrade.

No, I can't give you a reason why the club delayed making any official announcements. I predicted that this was going to happen last year in July after attending the public information session at the North Ballarat Sports Club. It isn't as modest an upgrade as you think. It's an $80 million rebuild of half the stadium plus the athletic centre. The work is being performed by mostly local construction companies and businesses, and much of the main construction components are being fabricated in Ballarat. The tradies required to complete the project are also engaged with building the massive new Ballarat Base Hospital upgrade and other commercial construction projects in and around Ballarat. Compounded to this is the State Governments "Big Build" projects in Melbourne that are sucking the oxygen away from construction across Victoria. Have you wondered why it takes over 12 months to build a new house, or 6 months to get a bathroom reno done? There are a lot of dynamics at play with construction in Victoria. I think that the construction element was the real reason why the Commonwealth Games got cancelled. The construction timeline was so tight and the CFMEU understood this and knew that they could name their very inflated prices to the government to ensure that the required Labor was prioritised to the Games projects in order to get the venues and villages built in time. The Games were not unachievable, but the costs involved with shifting workers away from other major projects would have caused blow outs and delays to many other projects around the State.

[SquirrelGrip]

The work barriers have been at the ground for a while now so a lot of people knew what was happening.
I believe the club didn't mange the comms very well but some might choose to believe their hands were tied somewhat.
Communication needed to come from the state government and or the City of Ballarat as it's clearly not on the Dogs to make announcements about works at Mars Stadium.
Where the club made an error, in my opinion, is not shutting down Ballarat memberships as soon as they had an idea that the capacity for the 2 games was going to be significantly impacted.
It would not have been hard from them to say "We have met our capacity' to anyone inquiring about Ballarat memberships.
That was a poor decision and they deserve some criticism for allowing things to meander along.

Regarding why one or two of the impacted Ballarat games weren't relocated back to Melbourne well that is for another discussion but the clubs hands were again tied.
The club needs to do a better job with their communication by being more proactive rather than in damage control.

I agree with what you say. Have we definitely met our capacity with Ballarat memberships this year?

[Grantysghost]

I agree with what you say. Have we definitely met our capacity with Ballarat memberships this year?

I don't think we have as a solution given to one of the coterie members was to "upgrade" a $4k membership to include a Ballarat membership. You can't write it. Wait, I just did.

[Bornadog]

I redeemed my seat - so I will be there

[Stevo]

I redeemed my seat - so I will be there

Great news. You have redeemed something that you already paid for.