Junction Oval on the brink of collapse

[mildurasaint]

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/ ... 2yhp8.html

Thought this might be of interest to some people.

[noddy]

“Our club and community now face a massive dilemma. If the current situation prevails, St Kilda Cricket Club may well be forced to follow in the footsteps of other suburban cricket clubs and relocate far outside of our community base, distant from our remarkable history and community,” club president Tim O’Sullivan said.

Sweet irony.

[philtee]

Would love to see the Saints do a serious pre-season training session there, or hold a family day there,
early next year.
It would tickle the media's interest with good photo opps, and it would show how we haven't forgotten our history.
Just need to get VCA's permission...

[thejiggingsaint]

Yes, would be a great PR exercise (IMHO)

[saintspremiers]

Is B4E still alive?

[bobmurray]

Who cares about the Junction Oval, modern StKilda trains at Seaford and plays at Etihad.

That'll do me.

[Dave McNamara]

Who cares about the Junction Oval, modern StKilda trains at Seaford and plays at Etihad.

That'll do me.

You should care Bob!

You did damn well at that venue... and the other one that proceeded it.

[Con Gorozidis]

Id happily chuck in a grand .
Every player would want to play for us if we trained there.

[bobmurray]

Who cares about the Junction Oval, modern StKilda trains at Seaford and plays at Etihad.

That'll do me.

You should care Bob!

You did damn well at that venue... and the other one that proceeded it.

I'm not that sentimental, that's my problem...

[HitTheBoundary]

Every player would want to play for us if we trained there.

Melbourne trained there until 2010. Didn't work out that well for them...

[plugger66]

Id happily chuck in a grand .
Every player would want to play for us if we trained there.

Why? makes no sense at all.

[bobmurray]

Id happily chuck in a grand .
Every player would want to play for us if we trained there.

Why waste your money Con, St Kilda left there in the mid 60's, i doubt they'll ever go back there, other clubs have used it since and what did it do for them...SFA.

Talking about going back there and all will be right is just sentimental hog wash, however...

It does give people something to talk about whilst there is absolutely nothing else happening in the world of football, well, that and possibly inappropriate fund raising.

[kosifantutti]

Id happily chuck in a grand .
Every player would want to play for us if we trained there.

Why? makes no sense at all.

So they can catch a tram there.

[bobmurray]

Id happily chuck in a grand .
Every player would want to play for us if we trained there.

Why? makes no sense at all.

So they can catch a tram there.

AND..... there are plenty of coffee shops

[Superstar]

Wasn't it going to be an elite cricket facility for the Vic's at one stage?

[bobmurray]

Wasn't it going to be an elite cricket facility for the Vic's at one stage?

That's the issue, it is reliant on money from the State government, which is NOT forthcoming.

[stinger]

Who cares about the Junction Oval, modern StKilda trains at Seaford and plays at Etihad.

That'll do me.

You should care Bob!

You did damn well at that venue... and the other one that proceeded it.

not true...far from it....

[Verdun66]

Who cares about the Junction Oval, modern StKilda trains at Seaford and plays at Etihad.

That'll do me.

You should care Bob!

You did damn well at that venue... and the other one that proceeded it.

not true...far from it....

Yeah, Bob wasn't much chop until he swapped with Verdun in 1965 v Melbourne at the G. THEN he got good, very good. Struggled up forward, but was a gun down the back.

[Dave McNamara]

You should care Bob!

You did damn well at that venue... and the other one that proceeded it.

not true...far from it....

Yeah, Bob wasn't much chop until he swapped in 1965 v Melbourne at the G. THEN he got good, very good. Struggled up forward, but was a gun down the back.

Yeah, I know Verdun... it was still all up to you in the Junction days... but hey guys... allow me a little poetic license...

[stinger]

not true...far from it....

Yeah, Bob wasn't much chop until he swapped with Verdun in 1965 v Melbourne at the G. THEN he got good, very good. Struggled up forward, but was a gun down the back.

i flew over from tassie for that game...melbourne had won the flag in 64 and were unbeaten at the time......no one could believe it when howell and murray swapped........we went on to win and top the vfl ladder...melbourne went backwards....and have never recovered.....howell made a good fist of playing full-forward once kicking 9 goals.....

[Verdun66]

not true...far from it....

Yeah, Bob wasn't much chop until he swapped with Verdun in 1965 v Melbourne at the G. THEN he got good, very good. Struggled up forward, but was a gun down the back.

i flew over from tassie for that game...melbourne had won the flag in 64 and were unbeaten at the time......no one could believe it when howell and murray swapped........we went on to win and top the vfl ladder...melbourne went backwards....and have never recovered.....howell made a good fist of playing full-forward once kicking 9 goals.....

I was there that day too. Great win, and a very significant day for the club. Was a definite changing of the guard. We were suddenly a very serious team because we thrashed them. Players didn't swap positions like Howell and Murray did that day. It was very unusual. I think it was three weeks later Verdun kicked 9 at Mooorabbin against the Hawks Stinger. But he was still pretty short for a key position and started to get some injuries, so went to the flanks eventually.

[onlooker2]

Verdun was the complete player. Had great skills in all facets of the game and the determination to succeed. Things ended up a bit messy with the Saints in the end with a dispute over which WA club the Saints would clear him to.

[Verdun66]

Verdun was the complete player. Had great skills in all facets of the game and the determination to succeed. Things ended up a bit messy with the Saints in the end with a dispute over which WA club the Saints would clear him to.

When he was fit, and a bit younger, he had amazing break away speed. One of the very few full backs of that day that would run off down the ground . The full forwards didn't chase of course! And he took some towering marks.

[samuraisaint]

Id happily chuck in a grand .
Every player would want to play for us if we trained there.

Why waste your money Con, St Kilda left there in the mid 60's, i doubt they'll ever go back there, other clubs have used it since and what did it do for them...SFA.

Talking about going back there and all will be right is just sentimental hog wash, however...

It does give people something to talk about whilst there is absolutely nothing else happening in the world of football, well, that and possibly inappropriate fund raising.

Fitzroy did alright out of it; five finals series in 7 years - until the VFL basically forced them out.

[onlooker2]

A few comments about the Fitzroy St ground. According to my information StK Football Club left the ground because the financial arrangements with the StK Cricket Club had never worked in the fooball club's favour. It was costing the football club too much money to stay and retain Fitzroy St as its home ground. I could be wrong but his is what my father told me.

When the opportunity to move to Linton St came up following the demise of the resident VFA Club the decision was made to relocate.

Melbourne FC used the Fitzroy St ground as its training base but eventually came up against the problem that Victorian Cricket had prime call on the ground and pre season training therefore became a real issue insofar as a venue was concerned . In fact Fitzroy St is/was Victorian Ciricket's No 2 venue so when the MCG wasn't available to host Sheffield Shield and some international games they went to Fitzroy St.

I haven't seen the Fitzroy St ground for many years so I don't know what the facilities etc are like but for a central training location it's hard to beat and perhaps the costs of maintaining the facility would be a lot less for the football club because the expense of 1st grade turf wickets would go.

If the State Govt aren't going to continue to subsidise the ground as a cricket venue Saints should seriously look at it and evaluate it (eg sponsoship) against Linton St relocation which has been suggested.