Great news for AFL in Sydney

[ItsAllGoodes]

I will let moderators decide where this best lies but this articles is great news for AFL in Sydney

In the shorter terms the ability to have pre-season matches in Sydney

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=291922

[stellation]

I was assuming this was going to be something to do with Nick Davis making his way back into the senior side.

[ItsAllGoodes]

Originally posted by stellation
I was assuming this was going to be something to do with Nick Davis making his way back into the senior side.

Lets hope that also results in great news for the AFL in Sydney

[ScottH]

Kangaroos or Bulldogs?

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by ScottH
Kangaroos or Bulldogs?

Western Bulldogs, they don't even have to change their name.

[adnar]

I don't understand this, the AFL wants to have "a match in Sydney every week" which translates to a second team. Why the hell would they be investing in 10,000 seat stadium?? To train?! Surely the AFL is not looking at a team playing out of such a small amatueresque place.

Bite the bullet and put a new team at Telstra and expect to spend a great portion of the TV deal into it.

[nomae]

im a bit confused- is this new stadium open now or have they just decided to build it?
and i agree there cant be a team playing all their games in a 10,000 capacity stadium. if there were a new team they should be based out west and play their games at telstra. the new stadium should be for junior games or training and pre-season games for an AFL side.

[Dave]

Originally posted by nomae
im a bit confused- is this new stadium open now or have they just decided to build it?

"AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou was joined by NSW Premier, Morris Iemma, Cricket NSW chairman Bob Horsell and Blacktown Mayor Leo Kelly in breaking the ground at the new site."

You know, putting the spade in ceremoniously.

BTW it might be a good ground for some preseason practice as the SCG is always unavailable because of the bloody cricket...

[barry]

10,000 seat stadium to start off with.

Eg.
Year 1: 9 home games blacktown, 2 homebush (swans, and pies)
Year 2: 8, 3
Year 3: 7, 4
Year 4: 7, 4
Year 5: 6, 5

Depending on support, by year 10, they could be playing them all at telstra.

The blacktown ground just gives them a base, without committing to such a big ground like homebush from day 1.

[goswannie14]

I would imagine, if it's designed properly, that there will be the possibility of it being extended/expanded as the crowds grow.

[Old Royboy]

Hope they have included lighting in the plans - just too bloody hot out our way to play day games in February and March.

[Thunder Shaker]

It could make a good summer training base. That means no more training on dodgy grounds in woop-woop.

[Norris Lurker]

It's a good initiative. I doubt the ground would ever hold a home & away match - a capacity of 10,000 isn't enough. But that capacity would be more than sufficient to hold pre-season cup games.
As mentioned previously, it would be used as a pre-season training venue as well until the SCG is available. If a second Sydney team ever came into the AFL they would probably train on it and play their home games at Homebush.

And, putting on my RWO local footy hat, I'd like to see the ground also made available to the Sydney AFL. Especially on wet weekends.

[swansrock4eva]

The council/authority would probably close it anyway

Having said that, though, it'd also be great to host the carnivals for the juniors - things like the state carnivals, independent schools etc - surely better than some of the venues on offer currently! It gives an option beyond "we'll take anything we can get no matter what!" which can only be an improvement!

I can't see AFL H&A games being played there but I can see a huge amount of potential!