The Soaring

“Subiaco Oval will stay the main stadium for WA if Subiaco council, the WA Football Commission and the West Coast Eagles have their way.”

Whilst talk of a CBD location has gathered momentum in recent weeks, it seems like Subi Oval remaining the HQ of footy in this state should not be written off:

Commission CEO Wayne Bradshaw said: “Subiaco Oval fits the matrix because it is close to rail, has good infrastructure, is part of a whole entertainment precinct and has historic and cultural importance.”

The two and three-tier stands were approaching the end of their life, but could be revamped without losing any seats or any events over two or three seasons in the way the Melbourne Cricket Ground had been revamped, he said.

Sentimentally, Subi Oval does have it’s appeal. Hearing that the Western and North-western end of the ground is in line for a rebuild (or “revamp” - is that different?) is good news for me long-term, but short-term I’m not totally convinced it won’t mean displacement at some point in time. The reason it is good news for me is that is where my seat is located. The seats may be relatively new but the 3-tier stand where I sit is sad old relic of the past. It brings new meaning to the term “no leg room”, takes you 10 minutes to descend the stairs following a match (and isn’t that fun after a loss) and has a general asthetic dullness that really is off the pace of stadia around this land. Anyway I digress…

What is interesting is this statement:

A West Coast Eagles spokesman said Mr Bradshaw was also the spokesman for the club on the stadium issue.

The Eagles eggs are most certainly in the Subi Oval basket. And yours would be too if you’ve sunk what is probably tens of millions of dollars into establishing your headquarters, training facilities and club administration there over the years. Whilst it’s been a sound decision on and off the field developing what is now a formidable home ground advantage, it may not be forever.

I prefer a Gabba model myself. A modern multipurpose oval shaped sports stadium, located ideally centrally with the best public transport access possible. Can these stadia lack character? Yes. Will it cost an absolute bomb? Yes. Will it be the best bet for punters who want to watch top line footy (and cricket)? I have no doubt.

The Post article list some interesting population numbers: “By 2051, WA’s population is predicted to increase by 49%, compared with a national growth rate of 34%. By 2031, Perth is expected to grow to 2.4 million and this group represents the target audience of both major sports (football and cricket)”

And yet they are looking for a stadia seating only 55,000. When compared to the current facilities of 42,500 I don’t see the log jam for seats at Eagles games getting any better. If anything it’s not even keeping pace with the status quo and so a worse situation could emerge. I hope not. I also hope we don’t sit on this fairytale roundabout for another decade of lost years whilst the average footy fan suffers.