Swans chat Last Game at the Lake Oval

[Sandridge]

For RWOers of "a certain age," there's a fantastic article from the "On This Day" section of the club website about South Melbourne's last game at the Lake Oval.

On This Day: Last game at Lake Oval - sydneyswans.com.au

I was there. I don't remember much about the game - probably because we lost! - but I do remember going home thinking that Barry Round had clinched the Brownlow.

[Blood Fever]

For RWOers of "a certain age," there's a fantastic article from the "On This Day" section of the club website about South Melbourne's last game at the Lake Oval.

On This Day: Last game at Lake Oval - sydneyswans.com.au

I was there. I don't remember much about the game - probably because we lost! - but I do remember going home thinking that Barry Round had clinched the Brownlow.

Great aerial photo of the ground. Cream brick stand, social club and bowling green as well as tiny pressbox and scoreboard on half forward flank at the lake end.

[KSAS]

I had the pleasure of growing up & living within walking distance of the Lakeside Oval. Great suburb having the lake, beach, parks, market & pubs at your door step. (There was a folklore that South/Port Melb at one point had the most pubs per square mile in Australia. If you couldn't see one, you were most likely standing in front of one!). Well worth a visit for those interstate attending our Melbourne games, particularly that the club office is now located at the ground with Skilton's statue.

I was surprised to read Round saying merging with St Kilda was a possibility, which I didn't recall. I do recall however when the then VFL started looking at ground rationalisation, it was mooted we share ground with Fitzroy at Junction Oval or St.Kilda at Moorabbin.

I was also at that last game & sad that such a small crowd attended. I think Rodney Wright (NM) was the last to kick a goal at that ground (wished it was our Stevie Wright). I went to school with Peter Melesso being in the same class from primary to end of secondary. We were both mad Swans supporters (along with many other kids) & we often got caught talking about the Bloods during class. I remember when he was playing a game for West Coast against us at the SCG, he was lining up for a crucial goal and kicked it out on the full, which I thought he did deliberately!

I also had the pleasure of meeting up with Silvio Foschini few years ago through a friend, who still has the Swans close to his heart despite finishing up at the Saints. A really nice humble bloke, who told me what it was like when the club moved to Sydney. I was surprised that he didn't remember kicking 4 goals in the 1982 night grand final win! I showed him the DVD which he took note of to purchase himself!

Sorry for my long post, but topics like this are close to my heart.

[Meg]

Don’t apologise KSAS, we relatively newbies love to hear these old South Melbourne stories.

[Sandridge]

I had the pleasure of growing up & living within walking distance of the Lakeside Oval. Great suburb having the lake, beach, parks, market & pubs at your door step. (There was a folklore that South/Port Melb at one point had the most pubs per square mile in Australia. If you couldn't see one, you were most likely standing in front of one!). Well worth a visit for those interstate attending our Melbourne games, particularly that the club office is now located at the ground with Skilton's statue.

I was surprised to read Round saying merging with St Kilda was a possibility, which I didn't recall. I do recall however when the then VFL started looking at ground rationalisation, it was mooted we share ground with Fitzroy at Junction Oval or St.Kilda at Moorabbin.

I was also at that last game & sad that such a small crowd attended. I think Rodney Wright (NM) was the last to kick a goal at that ground (wished it was our Stevie Wright). I went to school with Peter Melesso being in the same class from primary to end of secondary. We were both mad Swans supporters (along with many other kids) & we often got caught talking about the Bloods during class. I remember when he was playing a game for West Coast against us at the SCG, he was lining up for a crucial goal and kicked it out on the full, which I thought he did deliberately!

I also had the pleasure of meeting up with Silvio Foschini few years ago through a friend, who still has the Swans close to his heart despite finishing up at the Saints. A really nice humble bloke, who told me what it was like when the club moved to Sydney. I was surprised that he didn't remember kicking 4 goals in the 1982 night grand final win! I showed him the DVD which he took note of to purchase himself!

Sorry for my long post, but topics like this are close to my heart.

Absolutely no need for an apology,KSAS! Love reading the thoughts and memories of like-minded South Melbourne/Sydney Swans tragics!

[KSAS]

Great aerial photo of the ground. Cream brick stand, social club and bowling green as well as tiny pressbox and scoreboard on half forward flank at the lake end.

Back in 94 I was attending a course for work near the Lakeside Oval just before it was due to be demolished (last ever Aussie Rules match was played there the previous weekend between 2 amauter teams in commeration). I snuck into the ground during one of my lunch breaks & sat in the cream brick stand reminiscing whilst watching the sail boats on the lake. Bulldozer on the opposite side of the ground had just started demolishing the boundary picket fence. It felt like a dagger to the heart seeing my spiritual home being taken down. So rapt when the club were able to save the condemned wooden stand from being demolished & now having their Melb office located there, (Also the oval configuration returning to the ground with the Athletics track)

That scoreboard on the half forward flank was the oldest in operation in the VFL at the time prior to it's demise.

[Meg]

That scoreboard on the half forward flank was the oldest in operation in the VFL at the time prior to it's demise.

We are such Troglytes in Australia about preserving our heritage.

[Blood Fever]

Back in 94 I was attending a course for work near the Lakeside Oval just before it was due to be demolished (last ever Aussie Rules match was played there the previous weekend between 2 amauter teams in commeration). I snuck into the ground during one of my lunch breaks & sat in the cream brick stand reminiscing whilst watching the sail boats on the lake. Bulldozer on the opposite side of the ground had just started demolishing the boundary picket fence. It felt like a dagger to the heart seeing my spiritual home being taken down. So rapt when the club were able to save the condemned wooden stand from being demolished & now having their Melb office located there, (Also the oval configuration returning to the ground with the Athletics track)

That scoreboard on the half forward flank was the oldest in operation in the VFL at the time prior to it's demise.

Used to watch games standing on the outer wing. There was a bloke always there selling peanuts for a shilling a bag.

[Doctor J.]

I was also at that game and I don't remember a thing about it except the small crowd and the fact we lost. I used to stand behind the goals in front of the social club, and you could turn up to every game and the same people would be standing in the exact same places. These people were my Saturday afternoon football friends, passionate South Melbourne supporters who were there every week and followed South Melbourne unconditionally. Over the years we became good friends, that would meet every week and talk all things South Melbourne and hopefully cheer our team on to victory, then when the game finished it was a simple see you next week and off we would go to our lives outside of Saturday afternoon footy. The only thing we knew about each other was our names and we supported South.

I do remember when the game was over, a group of us hung around for a long time and talked about what the future would be like. I think we all realised that our Saturday afternoon football would never be the same again and that we would have to catch up at away games now.
I remember walking out of the ground thinking to myself that I had lost something more than just football at the Lake Oval, I'd just lost a good group of friends. That turned out to be true. Whilst some continued to go to away games, it was never the same, and some struggled to come to terms with the move north and were lost to the game or they may have just chosen to become a TV fan. Over the years I've bumped into a few of these "friends", but its not the same. The Lake Oval was our home. The place where our heroes provided us with so much pleasure, where we poured our emotions into support for South and where we embraced anyone who wore Red & White and everyone who did was your friend.

I too am glad they have kept the old grandstand, and now that there is a running track around the ground the oval configuration has sort of returned to the ground. Its just a pity that the ground couldn't be retained as a football ground and some other features be kept, like the press box scoreboard and the boundary picket fence.

[juliec]

I use to go to that ground every match we played there, started as a junior member in 1961, use to stand on the hill beside the social club with my uncle who was member, I remember the old lion drinking water fountain and who could forget the Cockatoo in the cage outside the social club with all his colourful language ???????? Didn’t win many games and I can tell you that because I went to all of them???? but lots of great memories ??

[Blood Fever]

I use to go to that ground every match we played there, started as a junior member in 1961, use to stand on the hill beside the social club with my uncle who was member, I remember the old lion drinking water fountain and who could forget the Cockatoo in the cage outside the social club with all his colourful language ???????? Didn’t win many games and I can tell you that because I went to all of them???? but lots of great memories ??

When the cockatoo's language got a bit too hot and there were women and/or kids around, an attendant would put a blanket over the cage to shut it up. Fascinating for a young boy as I was then when the F word was pretty much taboo in polite circles.

[dimelb]

Then the cockatoo did the crow call!

[Blood Fever]

Then the cockatoo did the crow call!

Many many times!

[Nico]

Great aerial photo of the ground. Cream brick stand, social club and bowling green as well as tiny pressbox and scoreboard on half forward flank at the lake end.

I think I can just make out the Pie Stand on the right hand wing. IIRC it caught on fire one day. You had to go down behind the terraces to buy your cans just next to the dunny.

[Sandridge]

I was also at that game and I don't remember a thing about it except the small crowd and the fact we lost. I used to stand behind the goals in front of the social club, and you could turn up to every game and the same people would be standing in the exact same places. These people were my Saturday afternoon football friends, passionate South Melbourne supporters who were there every week and followed South Melbourne unconditionally. Over the years we became good friends, that would meet every week and talk all things South Melbourne and hopefully cheer our team on to victory, then when the game finished it was a simple see you next week and off we would go to our lives outside of Saturday afternoon footy. The only thing we knew about each other was our names and we supported South.

I do remember when the game was over, a group of us hung around for a long time and talked about what the future would be like. I think we all realised that our Saturday afternoon football would never be the same again and that we would have to catch up at away games now.
I remember walking out of the ground thinking to myself that I had lost something more than just football at the Lake Oval, I'd just lost a good group of friends. That turned out to be true. Whilst some continued to go to away games, it was never the same, and some struggled to come to terms with the move north and were lost to the game or they may have just chosen to become a TV fan. Over the years I've bumped into a few of these "friends", but its not the same. The Lake Oval was our home. The place where our heroes provided us with so much pleasure, where we poured our emotions into support for South and where we embraced anyone who wore Red & White and everyone who did was your friend.

I too am glad they have kept the old grandstand, and now that there is a running track around the ground the oval configuration has sort of returned to the ground. Its just a pity that the ground couldn't be retained as a football ground and some other features be kept, like the press box scoreboard and the boundary picket fence.

So beautifully expressed Doctor. Know exactly what you're talking about!