Telstra Stadium.

[The Undertaker]

This ground is starting to grow on me,

As an AFL venue,its pretty damm good!

Great view,better facilities,more comfortable seats(than the SCG)and the lines up for drinks,food and toilets(Not all at the same time,lol)are quicker and better!

I still love the SCG,it still has a magic touch and feel to it but i have no problems going out to Telstra nowadays.

Telstra Stadium isn't too bad for a major rugby league game either,for a club game-it is rubbish.

Great crowd last week and lets hope it stays that way in the future for Telstra games.

Go the swans!

[Refried Noodle]

I don't think many people would disagree with you there.

Great facility and very roomy (but the pizza was pathetic), cept the SCG has the history.

The SCG in my opinion need a serious upgrade. Managed to get up there for a one-dayer this year and it's really drab (where I was - concourse).

[Beaussie]

I'm with you Undertaker, Telstra Stadium is fantastic. It certainly has great appeal to the people of Sydney too. How else can it be explained that our biggest crowds are always there? The SCG is a dump when compared to Telstra. The atmosphere at Telstra also seems better.

I wouldn't mind a few more games being transferred out west. Our future afterall is out there.

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by Beaussie
How else can it be explained that our biggest crowds are always there?

2 reasons:

1) Telstra holds twice as many people and with such a large percentage of seats at the SCG not available for public sale (due to SCG/Swans members), there is less scope for walk-up attendees to actually get a ticket and the crowd numbers are affected a lot more by members (SCG or Swans) not showing up
2) The 4 match super passes that are advertiseed heavily - these are aimed at casual attendees to include all the games at Telstra - compare this with the relative lack of advertising for games at the SCG (even compared to advertising for SCG games in previous years).

[blinddog]

As much as I preferred a day game at the Stadium to the nite games I still hate going there.

The members get a ****ty corner where you cannot see the whole ground. They only sell Tooheys beer. The beer gets cut off in the last quater. No after match function.

Also when I go to the SCG there are people I only see in the winter, a bit like an extended family. At the SCG I know they will be out back of the Noble and at the after function, at Telstra Stadium we rarely see them.

The Novatel brewery is a crap venue as well.

Also at teh SCG I feel I am a lot closer to the play

[Schneiderman]

Originally posted by blinddog
Also at teh SCG I feel I am a lot closer to the play

You get 30,000 vocal people at the SCG and it feels like 40,000. You get 50,000 at TS and it still feels like 40,000.

TS is a great venue, but its a "purpose" ground. It makes more money if the people turn up, so I have no problem with playing the big games there. But it is not better than the SCG by enough to play more than 4-5 games out there each year IMO.

[bricon]

Originally posted by Beaussie
How else can it be explained that our biggest crowds are always there?

The fixtures at Homebush are "cherry picked" to ensure large(r) crowds.

[BonBon]

I love Telstra Stadium and always have. My first game there was against Brisbane in the Prelim Final few years ago. It was night (obviously) and the atmosphere was amazing. Even when standing outside the Stadium, it's so nice to look at, but I am just blown away with atmospheres.

SCG is awesome too but even better when there's a full crowd.

I think we're lucky to have 2 home grounds.

[Bear]

Originally posted by BonBon
I think we're lucky to have 2 home grounds.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[Nico]

Said on TV we have won our last 5 there. That will do me.

[Xie Shan]

Originally posted by Nico
Said on TV we have won our last 5 there. That will do me.

Last 6 now, actually. Last defeat there was v Demons in 2004.

Starting to get a home ground advantage there now.

Personally I'm starting to warm to playing home games there - it really isn't that bad getting there, the facilities are so much better and BonBon is right - I'm still in awe of it looming ahead of us coming out of the train station.

[BonBon]

I'm glad it's a ground with larger dimensions than SCG. Somehow Telstra Stadium could be an asset to the team for when we play at MCG or Telstra Dome etc.

[Dave]

Originally posted by BonBon
it's a ground with larger dimensions than SCG.

Which is my main issue.

Well that and the crappy old stands at the SCG...

Telstra is a true stadium.

The SCG is good for hitting sixes.