SA Footy

What do you reckon, at Adelaide Oval in a dogs breakfast of a ground, at one or two specific grounds, or at the higher ranked teams home ground?
Or have them at Footy Park like has been traditional?
I would love to see them at the higher ranked teams home ground but there could be some real issues with cricket seasons and ground capacity (in Sturt's case).
If the finals panned out like they were now (which they weren't) we'd have finals in the first week at Glenelg and Unley and perhaps in the second week at Elizabeth and Woodville.
I reckon that'd be awesome!
(Mind you there's big issues to be sorted through with the limited change rooms and the possibility of 4 clubs playing at the same ground if ressies are played there too)
Your thoughts?

Play all finals at football park. Why should the SANFL follow the AFL for interstate clubs and NRL's idea of home finals. An even playing field is what iis fair and just for all teams involved. No Adelaide oval just play them all outta Footy Park and also move the grand final back to a saturday so we can stay drunk on a sunday.

Strawb07 wrote:and also move the grand final back to a saturday so we can stay drunk on a sunday.

Can't disagree with you there Strawb.

IMHO no matter where the finals are played they should be played on Saturday for the first 2 weeks and then on the Friday night for the Prelim and then on the Saturday for the GF.

I've always has this fascination with finals at the teams home ground, the atmosphere would be electric!

There would be a few issues but I think it's got huge potential.

Wedgie wrote:

Strawb07 wrote:and also move the grand final back to a saturday so we can stay drunk on a sunday.

Can't disagree with you there Strawb.

IMHO no matter where the finals are played they should be played on Saturday for the first 2 weeks and then on the Friday night for the Prelim and then on the Saturday for the GF.

Agreed there Wedgie but will the SANFL listen to its fans more than likely not.

NFC wrote:I've always has this fascination with finals at the teams home ground, the atmosphere would be electric!

There would be a few issues but I think it's got huge potential.

Is AO still under development?

If not, would it not be better to play double headers there. A full AO would have a better atmoshpere than the huge empty expanses of AAMI ?

johntheclaret wrote:Is AO still under development?

Yes, and it will be still under development come finals time.

Wedgie wrote:

johntheclaret wrote:Is AO still under development?

Yes, and it will be still under development come finals time.

In that case, if you are looking for a great atmosphere (which imo, goes along way to making a great game), then for me it would be suburban gounds, but maybe nuetral grounds that have the capacity to hold 15k plus fans.

I think 8 -10 thousand fans inside AAMI does nothing for the atmosphere and nothing for the game overall. There's no doubt that teams and individual players respond to the crowd.

Prefer Footy Park but the lack of crowd size kills the atmosphere. My only concern with putting finals at suburban ovals it re-affirms the mentality of the pro-AFL media that the SANFL is nothing more than a jumped up ammo comp.

Surely a half baked AO can hold a SANFL finals crowd?

I would like to see finals at Football Park but the only problem with Football Park is the lack of Public Transport

All finals that Central plays in should be played at the Elizabeth.

When it's 2 other teams, go elsewhere..

I can't imagine a finals match at Prospect - they would sell out of hot food by 1/4 time and the southern toilets would have sewerage flowing out of them like a river.

Amy Stadium sucks, keep them at Adelaide Oval.

johntheclaret wrote:Is AO still under development?

If not, would it not be better to play double headers there. A full AO would have a better atmoshpere than the huge empty expanses of AAMI ?

I believe that it would be a triple header with the a u18s final being played from about 9 am.

The problem is that with our double-header system of finals, the only ground available this year with the capacity and amenities to cater for the crowds is Footy Park, and I'm pretty sure that's where they'll be. They would have to change the programming to allow one game per ground if we were to use suburban ovals.

Thebby hasn't been named even if the SAAFL use it. The league could rent it off them for a % of the gate.
Just need to put in some more toilets around the ground.

nickname wrote:The problem is that with our double-header system of finals, the only ground available this year with the capacity and amenities to cater for the crowds is Footy Park, and I'm pretty sure that's where they'll be. They would have to change the programming to allow one game per ground if we were to use suburban ovals.

What happened to the changerooms at teh Northern end of the Western Stand at Norwood??? HAve they gone? I know teh umpires still change there but tehre used to be about three changerooms under there at one stage.

Norwood fans?

If those rooms a still there Norwood oval is the only suburban ground that could cater for up to four different clubs (league and reserve finals)

Thiele wrote:I would like to see finals at Football Park but the only problem with Football Park is the lack of Public Transport

I don't believe public transport is the issue with footy park - there's plenty of buses available from town down to west lakes and for grand final they put on direct footy buses.

I still think a half developed AO would be better than most other grounds. I couldnt imagine a home final at Noarlunga. (actually that would never happen anyway!!!!) Final at Richmond would possibly work as plenty of standing areas. Glenelg oval would be okay but was too packed with 12k people. Elizabeth Oval too far. Unley Oval too small.
What about wAYVille Oval?

My opinion:

Neutral grounds for finals. If not Adelaide or Footy Park, the league should look at the possibility of Thebarton, Norwood or Prospect - all fairly central to the city and can all hold the 12,000 - 15,000 which appears to be the size of crowd which may be expected.