Season 2016 - early days

[Footy Barista]

Justa... thats a bit harsh. Other than East Coast no one in Sydney AFL has a good volunteer base.
What club are you involved in that has such great volunteers you can slag a club that gets a grant due to their ground be a Bog heap in winter. Congratulation Norths on getting a ground that all of Sydney AFL should look forward to playing on.

Can you play on that surface but?

[Pmcc2911]

it's By-election time at Gore Hill, and I see that one of the candidates is offering a Santa sack of money to develop the footy ground bigtime.
Sounds good....vote for him !!

But I see two road humps that won't be fixed by this offer...
Firstly, the ground is really a backup helipad, and the footballers can only use it if there is no unforeseen emergency. And haven't we all sat there for hours, hands in pockets, watching a stationary chopper in the centre square ?

Second, when I was there this season, they were so short on helpers that they had to rope in an off-duty GWS Giants supporter, who operated the scoreboard, acted as goal umpire, timekeeper, committee man, ground announcer and reporter. And probably was there at 8am marking out the lines.
There's no point having a fancy, enviable even, ground facility if they use up their supporters like that while the others prance around in their fancy black outfits without helping.

Sounds like a severe case of ground envy there.
I know the junior club that also use the ground (Willoughby Wildcats) have been working with council for the last couple of years so the project has been around for a while. Not just a Pork Barrel project, although granted the announcement does coincide with an upcoming by election. Coincidence maybe.......

[Pmcc2911]

Can you play on that surface but?

Not sure I would like to play full contact on the surface, AFL 9's is ok though.
The issue is that there are not enough slots for all the senior and junior teams that need to play and train, through in a bit of wet weather and the whole program falls in a heap.
I have been involved with junior team there and we were able to get 2 training sessions in during the first month of this years season, due to ground closures. Same team had two home games on Gore Hill this season, others washed out and/or transferred.
With parkland at a premium, artificial is the only way to go.

[Pekay]

Southern Power is/was the worst.

Nor-west simply because it's so far away.

Hey, at least it's your parents doing the driving.

[justabaraker]

So which are the best and worst grounds to play on and watch footy from across Sydney AFL?

As far as watching, my favourite is Picken where you can stand a little elevated, the surface seems pretty good (if a bit undulating !) and the backdrop is pretty. Canteen is good too.
Purser is alright though most spectators are looking into the afternoon sun. Canteen is good there too and parking is ok. But it's a bit irritating listening to all the commercials.
Cherrybrook and Olds are like cow paddocks with afternoon sun and poor parking at Olds. Not fussed about either of those.
Pennant Hills had atmos to die for, and the best bbq in the comp - pity about the playing surface and the cigar-shape.
BISP might have all the tricks but I don't like going there much - no atmos for our footy and the canteen is marginal (Unless Sydney Uni is in charge !)
Village Green is quaint and the ground has special characteristics that can be a wild card for visiting teams. The concrete cancer looks a bit suss there, but the backdrop is sublime. And Maccas is just down the alley way !
After Picken, I'd probably most enjoy Henson for quality viewing, pretty good surface and a bit of atmos. And the good memories that are starting to be collected.

[justabaraker]

Justa... thats a bit harsh. Other than East Coast no one in Sydney AFL has a good volunteer base.

Tom, I mostly don't go along with your comments but it's indeed true that volunteer bases are not a strong feature of our footy.
I have memories of going to Balmain games and Bruce Thingy was doing the bloody lot himself - everything from canteen to running the boundary to providing water at the breaks...and all in the same game !! My son and I went there one day as visiting team, and we ended up operating their scoreboard for them because none of their supporters wanted to do it.
And I have memories of poor old Gary Burkenshaw and his kids pushing the victory dais around BISP while the SFL mandarins sat in the stand sucking on energy drinks - i think the new regime at SFL HQ may be better now.

[andreww1]

Aren't all those off-field game day duties mostly rotated across the playing group either before or after their game?

[justabaraker]

Aren't all those off-field game day duties mostly rotated across the playing group either before or after their game?

andrew, where were you when Bruce Thingy and the off-duty GWS fan needed you ?

[Steiger]

...
I have memories of going to Balmain games and Bruce Thingy was doing the bloody lot himself - everything from canteen to running the boundary to providing water at the breaks...and all in the same game !! My son and I went there one day as visiting team, and we ended up operating their scoreboard for them because none of their supporters wanted to do it.
....

1. He and the committee of the day drove away the volunteers we did have, going by an old year book there were plenty.

2. Volunteers are supposed to do it for free right? So I wouldn't call him a volunteer

Volunteers are hard to come by, kudos to all the clubs that have a solid volunteer base and even bigger kudos goes to all the volunteers that give up their time for the game we all love.

[Mug Punter]

it's By-election time at Gore Hill, and I see that one of the candidates is offering a Santa sack of money to develop the footy ground bigtime.
Sounds good....vote for him !!

But I see two road humps that won't be fixed by this offer...
Firstly, the ground is really a backup helipad, and the footballers can only use it if there is no unforeseen emergency. And haven't we all sat there for hours, hands in pockets, watching a stationary chopper in the centre square ?

Second, when I was there this season, they were so short on helpers that they had to rope in an off-duty GWS Giants supporter, who operated the scoreboard, acted as goal umpire, timekeeper, committee man, ground announcer and reporter. And probably was there at 8am marking out the lines.
There's no point having a fancy, enviable even, ground facility if they use up their supporters like that while the others prance around in their fancy black outfits without helping.

It is a real shame that North Sydney Oval can't be used for North Shore again, it is such a great ground and rarely used.

Is it really too small given that they have played AFL Pre-season games there? Or is the ground hire just too expensive?

Perhaps every week might be a bit much and possibly it is just uneconomic but surely they could put three or four matches a year there. Here is a few examples

(1) Instead of having the ressies play GWS at Henson on April 9 the same days at the AFL why not have the Swans v GWS on Sunday afternoon with Norths SFL as the curtain-raiser. Nobody will trek to Henson and then race to the SCG on match day but I reckon more that a few people would catch the train to North Sydney the Sunday after the first AFL game to see our new recruits.

(2) Ditto with April 23, why not just get Southport to come down for a Sunday afternoon game, again woth Norths playing the curtain-raiser. And advertise it - hand out flyers to the local area and around North Sydney in the week leading to the game, get some sponsorship and really try to sell a local event

(3) Make the annual Norths v Penno derby a Back to North Sydney Oval Day and try and schedule it so that the Swans can attend if possible. Make it the annual old boys' day and have a dinner that night with speaker and auction etc. Have the three grades and also make it a full day festival of football with some junior games as well and some coaching clinics etc etc.

Am I being too ambitious here? The NEAFL and AFL draws are mutually exclusive when the AFL is on but the NEAFL, when the Swans are playing, is quite a drawcard for getting Sydney punters to pay to watch local footy. FFS why not use the NEAFL rather than scheduling it when people won't go and watch it.

[Footy Barista]

It is a real shame that North Sydney Oval can't be used for North Shore again, it is such a great ground and rarely used.

Is it really too small given that they have played AFL Pre-season games there? Or is the ground hire just too expensive?

Perhaps every week might be a bit much and possibly it is just uneconomic but surely they could put three or four matches a year there. Here is a few examples

(1) Instead of having the ressies play GWS at Henson on April 9 the same days at the AFL why not have the Swans v GWS on Sunday afternoon with Norths SFL as the curtain-raiser. Nobody will trek to Henson and then race to the SCG on match day but I reckon more that a few people would catch the train to North Sydney the Sunday after the first AFL game to see our new recruits.

(2) Ditto with April 23, why not just get Southport to come down for a Sunday afternoon game, again woth Norths playing the curtain-raiser. And advertise it - hand out flyers to the local area and around North Sydney in the week leading to the game, get some sponsorship and really try to sell a local event

(3) Make the annual Norths v Penno derby a Back to North Sydney Oval Day and try and schedule it so that the Swans can attend if possible. Make it the annual old boys' day and have a dinner that night with speaker and auction etc. Have the three grades and also make it a full day festival of football with some junior games as well and some coaching clinics etc etc.

Am I being too ambitious here? The NEAFL and AFL draws are mutually exclusive when the AFL is on but the NEAFL, when the Swans are playing, is quite a drawcard for getting Sydney punters to pay to watch local footy. FFS why not use the NEAFL rather than scheduling it when people won't go and watch it.

Doubt a whole lot of people would be out to see their local side be dominated by the premiers in both seniors and reserves mug but I like your ideas ....

They play rugby union there now Too also..... Furthermore I think no one really watches reserve grade either so who cares

[justabaraker]

1. He and the committee of the day drove away the volunteers we did have, going by an old year book there were plenty.

Steiger, it's a new world now for Balmain with the new coach and different culture - give us a heads-up on how you reckon the Tiges will go in 2016...on and off the field.

[Steiger]

Steiger, it's a new world now for Balmain with the new coach and different culture - give us a heads-up on how you reckon the Tiges will go in 2016...on and off the field.

Off field we're building a strong culture. We would lose 20+ players each year in the dark days, mostly to other clubs in Sydney. We're now retaining 90% of our players and they're turning up for training in droves in November. Ive been here for 15 years, and we never had big numbers in November. We're working hard to rebuild and get our off field stuff right, so there's still a few wrinkles here and there but I can assure you the committee know about it and are doing something about it.

On the field we will go alright. Im sure our coach Hugh will leave no stone unturned in his quest for a flag, as some might say. We have a couple of decent recruits and a couple of key players returning from serious injuries that will make up for the 3 first graders we have lost. We obviously wont have Bolt or Jarjoura, but we won plenty of games without them, and will continue to do so.

[saviour01]

Hey, at least it's your parents doing the driving.

They probably would if you guys encouraged a family friendly atmosphere out there.

[Pekay]

They probably would if you guys encouraged a family friendly atmosphere out there.

We foster a great family environment off the paddock. On it, we just want to rip your brain out through your neck.