What a real footy club is: heart, soul & a sense of place

[Dave McNamara]

This is from another 'well known' thread, but is deserving of its own. IMHO, a beautiful encapsulation of the issue by a fellow Saintsationalist. Someone who clearly understands that real footy clubs are about heart, soul and a sense of place.

Seaford is a joke and the Junction would be an absolute sensation for a whole host of cultural/corporate/signpost/community reasons.

You don't have to physically live in St Kilda to mentally associate with its culture and sense of place, etc.

It is WAY more than just 'where we train'. It goes to the heart and soul of the club.

Thank-you for that Con.

Come-on Saintas, doesn't matter how long it takes, but please, make.it.happen!

[Junction Oval]

Only money will make it happen, but it would be a great move

[stinger]

This is from another 'well known' thread, but is deserving of its own. IMHO, a beautiful encapsulation of the issue by a fellow Saintsationalist. Someone who clearly understands that real footy clubs are about heart, soul and a sense of place.

Seaford is a joke and the Junction would be an absolute sensation for a whole host of cultural/corporate/signpost/community reasons.

You don't have to physically live in St Kilda to mentally associate with its culture and sense of place, etc.

It is WAY more than just 'where we train'. It goes to the heart and soul of the club.

Thank-you for that Con.

Come-on Saintas, doesn't matter how long it takes, but please, make.it.happen!

from someone who was alive and visited the junction oval every second week during winter until my very late teens,i can assure you that the junction oval was crap.....no seating apart from old splintering benches in the grandstand....s*** toilets...and they really were shitty......crap facilities for the players and basically no facilities for some staff....with the cricket club raking off the cream of the money and basically in total control...........you guys are living a dream that never really existed......


don't want to rain on your parade but the reality is nothing like the dream.....

[plugger66]

This is from another 'well known' thread, but is deserving of its own. IMHO, a beautiful encapsulation of the issue by a fellow Saintsationalist. Someone who clearly understands that real footy clubs are about heart, soul and a sense of place.

Seaford is a joke and the Junction would be an absolute sensation for a whole host of cultural/corporate/signpost/community reasons.

You don't have to physically live in St Kilda to mentally associate with its culture and sense of place, etc.

It is WAY more than just 'where we train'. It goes to the heart and soul of the club.

Thank-you for that Con.

Come-on Saintas, doesn't matter how long it takes, but please, make.it.happen!

from someone who was alive and visited the junction oval every second week during winter until my very late teens,i can assure you that the junction oval was crap.....no seating apart from old splintering benches in the grandstand....s*** toilets...and they really were shitty......crap facilities for the players and basically no facilities for some staff....with the cricket club raking off the cream of the money and basically in total control...........you guys are living a dream that never really existed......


don't want to rain on your parade but the reality is nothing like the dream.....

At long last stinger we totally agree. Why would we ever want to train there if we have facilties at Moorabbin and Seaford. its complete fantasy land stuff to say we will player there. It will never happen as long as humans rule the world. Training there doesnt increase any sponsorship at all apart from the small local sponsors. St Kilda isnt renowned for an area that has long term residents. And 95% of our supporters would never have seen and AFL/VFL footy there. My dad lived near the area as a kid and a younger man. He said the ground was crap and made Moorabbin look like the G now. No parking, no train line but not that it matters as no one watches training. Heart and soul of the club? What does that even mean. Most people who follow the saints now would think either Moorabbin, Etihad or Waverley is the heart and soul of the club. See you in never never land shortly.

[Dave McNamara]

At long last stinger we totally agree.

Why would we ever want to train there if we have facilties at Moorabbin and Seaford. its complete fantasy land stuff to say we will player there. It will never happen as long as humans rule the world. Training there doesnt increase any sponsorship at all apart from the small local sponsors. St Kilda isnt renowned for an area that has long term residents. And 95% of our supporters would never have seen and AFL/VFL footy there. My dad lived near the area as a kid and a younger man. He said the ground was crap and made Moorabbin look like the G now. No parking, no train line but not that it matters as no one watches training. Heart and soul of the club? What does that even mean. Most people who follow the saints now would think either Moorabbin, Etihad or Waverley is the heart and soul of the club. See you in never never land shortly.

Snap!






Works every single time.

[spert]

Let's see....clubs who train in a place in accordance with their names (no particular order):
Freo- Freo
WCE- Perth (west coast)
Adelaide & PA - Adelaide
Sydney Swans- Sydney
GWS- Western Syd
Brisbane- Brisbane
GC- Gold Coast
Essendon druggies- Essendon
Carlton- Carlton
Footscray- Footscray
Richmond- Richmond
Melbourne- Melbourne
North Melb- North Melb
Geelong- Geelong

Exceptions to the rule:
St. Kilda- Seaford
Hawthorn- Waverley
Collingwood- Richmond?

Anyway, when you're winning, it doesn't matter if the toilets are bad and the pies are cold

[loris]

Let's see....clubs who train in a place in accordance with their names (no particular order):
Freo- Freo
WCE- Perth (west coast)
Adelaide & PA - Adelaide
Sydney Swans- Sydney
GWS- Western Syd
Brisbane- Brisbane
GC- Gold Coast
Essendon druggies- Essendon
Carlton- Carlton
Footscray- Footscray
Richmond- Richmond
Melbourne- Melbourne
North Melb- North Melb
Geelong- Geelong

Exceptions to the rule:
St. Kilda- Seaford
Hawthorn- Waverley
Collingwood- Richmond?





Anyway, when you're winning, it doesn't matter if the toilets are bad and the pies are cold

Oh there are some more changes happening............. the old spiritual homes are a-changing:


Freo are leaving the Fremantle oval and like the Saints swimming further down the coast in WA to Cockburn......... this happens in a few years time

Eagles are flying from their nest and spiritual home in Subiaco to Lathlain, which is a suburb across the other side of Perth........ this is also happening in a few years time.

Trend to leave the spiritual home is becoming fashionable. Saints were the trend setters, when they left the Junction Oval to go to Moorabbin, then they decided it was fun to be gypsies eh??????????

[plugger66]

Let's see....clubs who train in a place in accordance with their names (no particular order):
Freo- Freo
WCE- Perth (west coast)
Adelaide & PA - Adelaide
Sydney Swans- Sydney
GWS- Western Syd
Brisbane- Brisbane
GC- Gold Coast
Essendon druggies- Essendon
Carlton- Carlton
Footscray- Footscray
Richmond- Richmond
Melbourne- Melbourne
North Melb- North Melb
Geelong- Geelong

Exceptions to the rule:
St. Kilda- Seaford
Hawthorn- Waverley
Collingwood- Richmond?

Anyway, when you're winning, it doesn't matter if the toilets are bad and the pies are cold

Essendon Tullamarine. Melbourne surely they dont train in Melbourne. Brisbane dont train in Brisbane. Sydney dont train in Sydney. Adelaide dont train in adelaide.

[Turbo]

Moving to the Junction oval; we are being used, the real reason for wanting us there is to remove Sheffield Shield Cricket from the MCG and make it available for home-and-away games earlier in March!
If it goes ahead I would expect we would be ;ooled after financially ny the AFL.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/st-kilda-s ... 09xvs.html

[Austinnn]

Who cares how rubbish the Junction Oval used to be? The Saints are moving back to St Kilda, they'll be in the community, more tourists will see them, their home will not be hidden away in a suburb no one wants to go to.

Having said that, we absolutely need to claim it, not some kind of no ID shithole like Docklands stadium. This is our chance to build a strong identity that people will want to associate with.

[maverick]

Let's see....clubs who train in a place in accordance with their names (no particular order):
Freo- Freo
WCE- Perth (west coast)
Adelaide & PA - Adelaide
Sydney Swans- Sydney
GWS- Western Syd
Brisbane- Brisbane
GC- Gold Coast
Essendon druggies- Essendon
Carlton- Carlton
Footscray- Footscray
Richmond- Richmond
Melbourne- Melbourne
North Melb- North Melb
Geelong- Geelong

Exceptions to the rule:
St. Kilda- Seaford
Hawthorn- Waverley
Collingwood- Richmond?

Anyway, when you're winning, it doesn't matter if the toilets are bad and the pies are cold

Essendon Tullamarine. Melbourne surely they dont train in Melbourne. Brisbane dont train in Brisbane. Sydney dont train in Sydney. Adelaide dont train in adelaide.

Have to laugh
So if Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane don't train in those cities where do they train then?

[defacto]

Let's see....clubs who train in a place in accordance with their names (no particular order):
Freo- Freo
WCE- Perth (west coast)
Adelaide & PA - Adelaide
Sydney Swans- Sydney
GWS- Western Syd
Brisbane- Brisbane
GC- Gold Coast
Essendon druggies- Essendon
Carlton- Carlton
Footscray- Footscray
Richmond- Richmond
Melbourne- Melbourne
North Melb- North Melb
Geelong- Geelong

Exceptions to the rule:
St. Kilda- Seaford
Hawthorn- Waverley
Collingwood- Richmond?

Anyway, when you're winning, it doesn't matter if the toilets are bad and the pies are cold

someone already posted it, wce are currently based at the home of football in WA at subiaco. has a rich history. equivalent of the MCG. Freo are based in the heart of freo right at the end of the strip in an area rich in history.

both are moving away from those areas for different reasons. west coast is about logistics and space. they wanted two grounds. they wanted to be closer to the new stadium and to the airport.

freo moved away again for more space but also for financial reasons and issues with the fremantle council.

theres a stronger link of the dockers to freo than wce to subi

does make the alignment of wce to east perth interesting given they are moving in with perth football club

[BackFromTheChinaCafe]

Who cares how rubbish the Junction Oval used to be? The Saints are moving back to St Kilda, they'll be in the community, more tourists will see them, their home will not be hidden away in a suburb no one wants to go to.

Having said that, we absolutely need to claim it, not some kind of no ID shithole like Docklands stadium. This is our chance to build a strong identity that people will want to associate with.

Very happy news!

Very good for business!

[spert]

Let's see....clubs who train in a place in accordance with their names (no particular order):
Freo- Freo
WCE- Perth (west coast)
Adelaide & PA - Adelaide
Sydney Swans- Sydney
GWS- Western Syd
Brisbane- Brisbane
GC- Gold Coast
Essendon druggies- Essendon
Carlton- Carlton
Footscray- Footscray
Richmond- Richmond
Melbourne- Melbourne
North Melb- North Melb
Geelong- Geelong

Exceptions to the rule:
St. Kilda- Seaford
Hawthorn- Waverley
Collingwood- Richmond?

Anyway, when you're winning, it doesn't matter if the toilets are bad and the pies are cold

Essendon Tullamarine. Melbourne surely they dont train in Melbourne. Brisbane dont train in Brisbane. Sydney dont train in Sydney. Adelaide dont train in adelaide.

Whoops pedantic geography police on the job...anyway I don't care- I'm happy that St Kilda is returning to St Kilda, so planets align and I can sleep easy.

[Con Gorozidis]

I think small minded bastions of suburbanite mediocrity like plugger are missing the point. plugger is clearly gunning for Moorabin purely and simply because he happens to live in the area (or because somehow he is now an apologist for Archie Fraser as well). Then he can continue to push is 'I'm mates with the players' barrow.

(and yes Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney although train in prime inner city locations - although plugger will attempt to claim it isnt the 'cbd' so doesnt count as Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide ). The swans doing their recovery sessions at Bondi or Bronte has now become culturally iconic.

The bigger picture of being based in St Kilda is massive. National - and even international. It is not just another suburb like Essendon or Hawthorn - it is a MASSIVE natural competitive advantage that only the Saints have. Why not use your natural competitive advantage?

The reality is EVERYONE knows 'St Kilda'. It is culturally iconic. To have the club based there with the community, shops, commercial community and political support would be massive. It is a very transient place where many people live or visit at one stage of their life - even if for just a year or (think Kiwi backpackers or working holiday Irish people etc) - not to mention the visitors who come from all the suburbs. All these people will come across Saints culture and spirit and many will take it with them when they leave. All of a sudden we will get Germans and Dutch and you name it being Saints people. We will become a cultural icon! Top line players will want to play for us.

If the only negative on the junction is the seats and dunnies and surface- i think that can be fixed.
Everywhere had bad seats dunnies and surfaces back then.

[Dave McNamara]

To paraphrase some nobody...



This is 'a' defining moment in Australia's history.

This is THE defining moment in Australian Rules Football's history.









And... the Stick Man is back!!!

[Goddard Magic]

St. Kilda is one of the city's great iconic suburbs. It exudes character.

WTF is Seaford?

[The OtherThommo]

We used to have a ball going to the VFA finals at the Junction, for all the sorts of reasons those in favour of our move back there have mentioned.

Back in those days we'd go to most of the VFA finals because of the closer connection people had to the game. Some blokes would go to watch someone they worked with, some would go because of geographic ties to the VFA side, some would go to watch blokes who'd moved on from their VFL side, some would go for the day out (and the venue certainly helped...some very big post game evenings were had in the plethora of options nearby) and others would go 'cos they just liked the footy played.

The crowds were good, but not so big you couldn't engage with those on the ground. Like the part time night manager of our local establishment - he had about 27 jobs, one of them being a VFA umpire. The pre-game warm ups enabled some very humorous engagements.

And, you could get on the telly, too, if you were loud enough. Con's namesake was a particular target when he played for Sandy. The bugger used to nick smokes off people like me in the social club after games at Moorabbin (and at the Masters at Huntingdale).

Lines like "why don't you buy your own smokes Gor......., you thieving bast***?" delivered during the warm up laps, would not only get a smile and an upright thumb from the thieving bast***, but also questions the next day from those at work to confirm their recognition of the voice yelling it out while they were watching the day before.

Loved those days, loved the Junction.

And, it wasn't much worse than a lot of other VFL grounds when the Roy Boys played there, either. From memory, it was the fire risk rating of the old stands, and what it would have cost to bring them up to standard (given the heritage status) that made a significant contribution to the decision to move spectators away. Plus, the VFL were heading towards becoming the AFL, always wanted another new stadium and ground consolidation was underway to help the justification for that new spending.

The only risk I can see in us moving back is getting tagged as nomads by some media predators who require easy targets to earn a $. But, where we're moving is a return, not just another move, so the positive spin should be a pretty simple job.

[Enrico_Misso]

Question
Where do you think StKilda's heartland is?

Background information ....

Stkilda
Games
Played Venue
580 Junction Oval
254 Moorabbin Oval
214 M.C.G.
187 Docklands
173 Waverley Park
120 Princes Park
86 Victoria Park
71 Lake Oval
62 Brunswick St
58 Kardinia Park
56 Western Oval
54 Punt Rd
53 Windy Hill
49 Arden St
43 Corio Oval
39 Glenferrie Oval
31 Subiaco
29 S.C.G.
28 Football Park
27 East Melbourne
19 Gabba
12 Toorak Park
9 York Park
9 Carrara
7 W.A.C.A.
3 Stadium Australia
2 Manuka Oval
2 Wellington
1 North Hobart
1 Yallourn
1 Coburg Oval
1 Bellerive Oval
1 Adelaide Oval
1 Yarraville Oval
2283 Totals

[Con Gorozidis]

St. Kilda is one of the city's great iconic suburbs. It exudes character.

WTF is Seaford?

Yep and its not even Seaford proper anyway.
It is way out the back of Seaford on the border of Carrum Downs. In reality its not actually anywhere at all because its just Freeway reserve land.

Imagine the pre-season intra club at the Junction. Would absolutely go off.

P.S Change your Nic

[Con Gorozidis]

Question
Where do you think StKilda's heartland is?

Background information ....

Stkilda
Games
Played Venue
580 Junction Oval
254 Moorabbin Oval
214 M.C.G.
187 Docklands
173 Waverley Park
120 Princes Park
86 Victoria Park
71 Lake Oval
62 Brunswick St
58 Kardinia Park
56 Western Oval
54 Punt Rd
53 Windy Hill
49 Arden St
43 Corio Oval
39 Glenferrie Oval
31 Subiaco
29 S.C.G.
28 Football Park
27 East Melbourne
19 Gabba
12 Toorak Park
9 York Park
9 Carrara
7 W.A.C.A.
3 Stadium Australia
2 Manuka Oval
2 Wellington
1 North Hobart
1 Yallourn
1 Coburg Oval
1 Bellerive Oval
1 Adelaide Oval
1 Yarraville Oval
2283 Totals

Great numbers Enrico! Case close as far as Im concerned.

[Enrico_Misso]

Geez I miss Yallourn