New Stadium

[Surandy]

The Victorian Government will soon announce an expensive refurbishment of Olympic Park, making it a 20,000-seat rectangular stadium, purpose built for the Storm and Melbourne's new A-League team, the Victory. If bums on seats ever exceed 20,000, extensions have been permitted.

This was from an article he wrote on 22/4/05, unfortunately I don't have a link to the article. The rest of the article was comparing the difference between AFL and NRL regarding the AFL using large capacity grounds to the code's advantage whilst the NRL is still predominantly using local suburban crowds.

Last I recall the government is expected to make an announcement regarding this matter sometime in May. I guess it will be included in the state budget.

[Thunderstruck]

Here's the article

[simo]

Well its only taken 8 years to get there act together, not bad for Victorian politicians I guess.

[Super Cronk]

great news if it really does happen

[jellyhead]

That article just goes to show you how much Ch 9 has got the NRL by the short & curlies

[Lord Reynoldson]

I am absolutely dumbfounded. Are they serious? When is it expected to take place? Are you sh*tting us? Victorian government doing something to help rugby league.....and they ACTUALLY mentioned the STORM in the Victorian Newspapers? I don't know what to say.

[Thunderstruck]

If you clicked on the link above, you'll find that it's actually it's Roy Masters writing for the SMH, so no surprises there.

[KimmorleyKiller]

They probly would have built a lang park look-a-like for a union team...

[JAMIE]

Look I like Olympic Park. And yes, an upgrade would be nice.

But, I really think we need a specialised football stadium. One that is rectangle, with no running track around the outside and with better corporate facilities. Remember how great the athmosphere was in 2002, when the stands at Colonial were moved in for the Broncos game and brought everyone closer to the action. Just think, if we were to have a propper and DESERVED footy stadium, we could have that, week in, week out. And I reckon that could bring crowds to our great game. And our FANTASTIC Football team.

[simo]

Yeah I want to be closer to the action. They better make it closer viewing if they go ahead with it.

[Lord Reynoldson]

Look I like Olympic Park. And yes, an upgrade would be nice.

But, I really think we need a specialised football stadium. One that is rectangle, with no running track around the outside and with better corporate facilities. Remember how great the athmosphere was in 2002, when the stands at Colonial were moved in for the Broncos game and brought everyone closer to the action. Just think, if we were to have a propper and DESERVED footy stadium, we could have that, week in, week out. And I reckon that could bring crowds to our great game. And our FANTASTIC Football team.

The thing actually says in the first post of Surandy's.

making it a 20,000-seat rectangular stadium, purpose built for the Storm and Melbourne's new A-League team

So it will be a rectangle field. I'd say done between the 2006/07 seasons.

If you clicked on the link above, you'll find that it's actually it's Roy Masters writing for the SMH, so no surprises there.

I actually thougt it was The Herald Sun for some reason. Just saw herald written there somewhere and assumed Herlad Sun from Melbourne. But I guess that explains the mention.

[Surandy]

Victorian State budget gets handed down on Tuesday May 3rd. Will be interesting to see if there's any mention of this stadium. Check http://www.budget.vic.gov.au/budget05.htm after 3pm on Tuesday.