Henson Park

[Rafters]

Of course the weather conditions were not the best but is Henson park the best ground for finals to be played in Sydney? I played there twice this year and watched it many times on Friday nights and I really think it is an ordinary ground & not worthy of the premier matches.

What are the positives of the ground?
- lights
- neutral venue
- grandstand
- inner city location

Negatives?
- ordinary surface
- shared with league
- great slope that results in alot of boundary throw-ins
- confusion with lines for athletics & league
- uneven surface with alot of topsoiling to fill in the big "holes"
- wind tunnel
- "Jets" in the plane path
- poor parking

Having played up in Cairns - where the annual rainfall is far more substantial than Sydney - the grounds & facilities are significantly better for a league that has been in operation for 51 years. Would be worthwhile talking to officials up there & getting a few secrets.

We need to have the big games played on the best grounds - I vote that we spend some of those millions on hiring the SCG or Telstra Stadium. Failing that grounds such as Monarch & Drummoyne & Kelso (in the future Kellyville & Blacktown) should be given preference to Henson.

[Norris Lurker]

Unfortunately the surface was exceptionally poor yesterday, but at least the ground was still open. Most other grounds would have put up the closed sign and the grand final would have been cancelled.
I'd have loved the grandstand to be bigger. Yesterday, after being behind the bench for one of the early games, I couldn't get back into the grandstand. And then during the main game my umbrella snapped in half and my mobile phone got waterlogged and 24 hours later still doesn't work. But at least some people got dry - more than would have at Kelso or Monarch; and certainly a lot more compared to the old days of playing the finals at Macquarie Uni.
If the weather had been good, there would have been no problem yesterday. In 2004 and 2005, Henson was a fantastic grand final venue (who could ever forget the Riverview people packing out the hill last year). But the rain in the last week would have chopped up any ground.
There's no doubt Henson is over-used; between us, the rugby league and everyone else who uses it, the ground just couldn't cope with it. But I don't think that's going to go away, especially with new Premier Division club Sydney Uni already looking at playing some games there next year.

[tigers_town]

I understand that the Sydney Showground is being looked at as a potential venue for the coming years . Also I agree the SCG should be used but availability could be a problem.

[shearer]

Best alternative is Erskinville Oval:

* Fantastic surface
* The right size for our game.
* Neutral
* Pretty central to everything

The Showground is way to small for Senior football.

[Norris Lurker]

Looking through some of the historical articles from earlier in the season in the Record, Erskinville's certainly been used for Sydney AFL before; but I can't remember it hosting any games. When would it last have been used?
I'm wondering if the ground used to have a fence around it. There's no way you could charge for admission at the ground now.

[Coastal Boy]

Originally posted by Norris Lurker
Looking through some of the historical articles from earlier in the season in the Record, Erskinville's certainly been used for Sydney AFL before; but I can't remember it hosting any games. When would it last have been used?
I'm wondering if the ground used to have a fence around it. There's no way you could charge for admission at the ground now.

I remember the GFs from the early 90s were played there.

[shearer]

Last Grand final was 1990, match of the round was also played there each week.

[The Rooster]

Originally posted by shearer
Last Grand final was 1990, match of the round was also played there each week.

Question to all brains trust... Monarch the ground which most cancelled games got played at this year....

What is it too big for the teams to play on..????

Surely playing it out there would have provided a great game... got the stand as well as parking round the ground..
Also how was Henson a neutral ground when East Coast played nearly every second week at the ground....?????

[KangaCoach]

Originally posted by shearer
Best alternative is Erskinville Oval:

* Fantastic surface
* The right size for our game.
* Neutral
* Pretty central to everything

The Showground is way to small for Senior football.

What are the dimesions of the ground and when did they stop playing senior AFL on it?

[shearer]

Monarch, because of the size of the place, has as much atmosphere as a funeral.

They played a few Grand Finals out there and even with a decent size crowd it was very quiet.

[Rafters]

Originally posted by Norris Lurker
Looking through some of the historical articles from earlier in the season in the Record, Erskinville's certainly been used for Sydney AFL before; but I can't remember it hosting any games. When would it last have been used?

1990 final series played there when the mighty parramatta Goannas beat North Shore 69-62 on a very windy day. Tony Smith from Norths won the "Podbury before it was called a Podbury" that day. Norths won the magoos by 2 from the Goannas whilst Campbelltown won the u19s (before the days of u18s & when there was an u/20s in SFA) that day with Lee Campbell playing a starring role.

There was also a "Trumper Cup" pre-season day played there in 1992 or 1993.

Goal posts were not square - like Syd Uni.

[Steiger]

Why isn't North Sydney oval used anymore? Even by North Shore for regular home and away games?

[Old Dragon]

Erskineville Oval

Erskineville Oval was built specifically for Aussie Rules.

The current Erskineville Oval was built in 1939 when it replaced a ground of the same name which was located slightly west where the pubic housing flats are. James Phelan after whom the medal is named was the person behind the new ground being built.

The ground had a 10 foot high timber fence all the way round.

In latter years, parking during finals was allowed in the small park opposite.

The negatives are parking, rugby league now has a mortgage on it, balls got kicked into the street quite often (and then stolen), public access etc.

The last time it was used, many cars were broken into by the local scumbags.

It has hosted many grand finals and interstate games with the original Erskineville Oval (mentioned earlier) also a venue for games since about 1909.

The lease of the ground was lost when the Newtown Club went out of action in the mid eighties. I understand an effort was made to retain it, the league even wanted to revamp the grandstand and move their offices there and then tried to get SUni to move there but nothing came of it.

I think the umpires trained there during the seventies.

[Norris Lurker]

Originally posted by Steiger
Why isn't North Sydney oval used anymore? Even by North Shore for regular home and away games?

I suspect it's to do with money, or the lack of it. The ground costs a fortune plus the council gets the canteen, not the home club.

[RPM]

Originally posted by shearer
Best alternative is Erskinville Oval:

* Fantastic surface
* The right size for our game.
* Neutral
* Pretty central to everything

The Showground is way to small for Senior football.

What about Rosedale ??????????