Olympic Park to be taken over?

Dasher39 · Post by **Dasher39** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:43 am

I'm pretty sure there was a thread on this, but I cannot find it now.

Eddie McGuire makes grab for Olympic Park
Michael Warner
March 04, 2008 12:00am

EXCLUSIVE: COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire has launched a land grab for the historic Olympic Park athletic stadium.

The Herald Sun believes Athletics Victoria is to shift to a new home in Albert Park, in a move that will hand control of Olympic Park to Collingwood.

The Pies are expected to rip up the running track and install an MGC-sized training ground right next door to the club's Lexus Centre base.

The takeover plan has triggered fresh conflict of interest concerns for McGuire, who also serves as a board member of Athletics Australia, the governing body for Athletics Victoria.

McGuire refused to comment last night.

"I can't speak about that. I have no comment," he said.

Work on a new multi-million-dollar athletics centre, at a revamped Bob Jane Stadium in Albert Park, could begin as early as next year.

Athletics Victoria CEO Nick Honey said he had no doubt the relocation push was being driven by Collingwood.

"It's undoubtedly them, because they don't want to walk 300m down the road to Gosh's Paddock," he said.

"There is no doubt we live in a football town in Melbourne, but you've got to question how 50 professional footballers can have the power to move an Olympic venue that has been here for more than 50 years."

A spokesman for Sports Minister James Merlino last night confirmed Athletics Victoria's relocation plan was being examined, but said a decision had not yet been made.

"The Government is considering options for Olympic Park and its athletic facilities," the spokesman said. He said the new soccer and rugby stadium under construction was changing the make-up of the Melbourne Park and Olympic Park precinct.

Olympic Park tenants Melbourne Storm and Melbourne Victory will move into the new stadium next door next year, and the Melbourne Football Club is to use it as an administration base.

Mr Honey said Athletics Victoria would prefer to stay at Olympic Park but was open to discussions.

"Our position is that we're not going anywhere unless there is a demonstratively better offer," Mr Honey said. "At the moment, we're in the premier sporting precinct in Victoria, so why would we want to go?"

He said the only Bob Jane Stadium plan presented to Athletics Victoria was an aerial photograph featuring a digitally imposed running track.

A clash between the annual Albert Park Grand Prix and the March-April athletics season would create difficulties, he said.

Bob Jane Stadium, formerly the Lakeside Oval, is the home of former National Soccer League club South Melbourne.

Until 1982, it was the home of VFL club South Melbourne, now the Sydney Swans.

The Albert Park redevelopment is expected to include an overhaul of the ground's 80-year-old grandstand, which has slipped into disrepair.

The adjacent Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is already home to Victoria's swimming governing body.

Olympic Park was built as a centre for athletics, swimming and cycling for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

It was witness to one of Australia's finest sporting moments in March 1956, when champion middle-distance runner John Landy stopped mid-race to help fallen rival Ron Clarke.

To the astonishment of a packed crowed of more than 20,000, Landy then set off in pursuit of victory -- winning in near-world record time.

cam · Post by **cam** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:57 am

The fact we got over 10,000 fans to the recent Athletics Grand Prix event a couple of weeks back proves Melbourne needs a decent Athletics venue close to the city with minimum 10k seats.

PISS OFF EDDIE McGUIRE -
LEAVE OLYMPIC PARK AS AN ATHLETICS VENUE!

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:09 am

[bad pun]Eddie has his fingers in many pies[/bad pun] Wearing his Collingwood hat, the move makes sense to be closer to the Lexus Centre. Wearing his Athletics hat, it's bad news to shift to a venue that would be out of action during your season and that would be less accessible than your current track.

Does Athletics Victoria have a lease on Olympic Park Stadium?

Dasher39 · Post by **Dasher39** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:06 pm

cam wrote:PISS OFF EDDIE McGUIRE -
LEAVE OLYMPIC PARK AS AN ATHLETICS VENUE!

Couldn't have put it better myself!!

cam · Post by **cam** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:34 pm

If they really can't walk a few hundred metres to their current training oval, go and buy a bloody mini bus FFS, maybe build a little access road within the Olympic Park precinct that goes from the Lexus Centre to Gosh's Paddock.

In any case, Collingwood don't deserve Olympic Park.

Simmo79 · Post by **Simmo79** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:09 pm

cam wrote:The fact we got over 10,000 fans to the recent Athletics Grand Prix event a couple of weeks back proves Melbourne needs a decent Athletics venue close to the city with minimum 10k seats.

yeah, but how many times a year does that happen? Proves very little IMO.

Who owns BJS? What rights does South Melbourne have there? What are their crowds like these days?

Who uses the junction oval? What developments have happened there? Would that be a useful space for an athletics oval?

So many questions!

BTW we had the same issue pop up in the papers well over a year ago and can be found around p5 or so in the Melbourne Rectangular stadium thread. Makes a mockery of the Hun's "Exclusive"...idiots.

Dasher39 · Post by **Dasher39** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:25 pm

Simmo79 wrote:BTW we had the same issue pop up in the papers well over a year ago and can be found around p5 or so in the Melbourne Rectangular stadium thread. Makes a mockery of the Hun's "Exclusive"...idiots.

So that's where it was!

I knew it had been discussed before, but could not remember where!

Athletics might not fill it all that often, but how many times would Collingwood fill it? It is used a lot throughout the year for local athletics meets too and school carnivals.

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:34 pm

Dasher39 wrote:Athletics might not fill it all that often, but how many times would Collingwood fill it? It is used a lot throughout the year for local athletics meets too and school carnivals.

So is the SIAC in Sydney. It has a 5000 seat stand and overall capacity of 15,000. Some of the bigger inter-school carnivals draw 5000 plus because all students have to attend. I've worked at some of these. You'd get at least 3 per year in Sydney (GPS, CAS and ISA).

Melbourne's facility should aim for this, wherever they stay.

Timbo · Post by **Timbo** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:14 pm

Jeffles wrote:
Dasher39 wrote:Athletics might not fill it all that often, but how many times would Collingwood fill it? It is used a lot throughout the year for local athletics meets too and school carnivals.
So is the SIAC in Sydney. It has a 5000 seat stand and overall capacity of 15,000. Some of the bigger inter-school carnivals draw 5000 plus because all students have to attend. I've worked at some of these. You'd get at least 3 per year in Sydney (GPS, CAS and ISA).

Melbourne's facility should aim for this, wherever they stay.

When I was at Waverley we got about 12,000 to one of them one year, because Barker/Knox/Waverley/Trinity were all pretty good odds to win.

But you're right, the big three school groups do patronise these venues well. And having a high-class venue is a real bonus. The CAS ones were at ES Marks field before SIAC was available.

the crow · Post by **the crow** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:42 pm

On your bike Eddie....and peddel

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:45 pm

Eddie will buy it...He will rename Collingwood, Eddiewood one day...

hot_dogma · Post by **hot_dogma** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:10 am

Simmo79 wrote:
Who owns BJS?

It's on Crown Land but managed by Parks Victoria.

Simmo79 wrote:What rights does South Melbourne have there? What are their crowds like these days?

They are the primary tenant and leaseholder. As for the terms NFI.

I thought this piece http://www.smfc.com.au/clubinfo/stadium.aspx on BJS on the Hellas website is really good as it acknowledges its previous use and tenants. A massive kudos to whoever done it. Actually come to think of it, I know the webmaster of the site so it is no wonder they did it lol.

Simmo79 wrote:
Who owns BJS?

It's on Crown Land but managed by Parks Victoria.

Simmo79 wrote:Who uses the junction oval? What developments have happened there? Would that be a useful space for an athletics oval?

St Kilda Cricket Club and Melbourne FC. Also IIRC Melbourne Grammer play there in the VAFA. The recent developments i.e. last 15 years is the installation of cricket training nets at the Junction end when the VCA used it as their training base and the removal of the outer wall returning the venue to parkland. Also a new pavillion was built for the cricket club.

Given its current usage I'd say highly unlikely.

Dasher39 · Post by **Dasher39** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:37 am

We get the point HD, it's on Crown Land and managed by Parks Victoria!

Simmo79 · Post by **Simmo79** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:40 am

It's mildly ironic that BJS, built as Melbourne's first proper rectangular stadium, is now being considered as a replacement athletics stadium to replace Olympics Park which is being redeveloped to make way for Collingwood who are making way for a new proper rectangular stadium...or is it just me?

hot_dogma · Post by **hot_dogma** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:31 pm

Dasher39 wrote:We get the point HD, it's on Crown Land and managed by Parks Victoria!

I blame that on using a Mac.