News GMHBA Stadium Stage 5 Redevelopment

[gypsy_1]

I cannot get my head around this. I pay a premium for a Telstra service (why, I don’t know), yet whenever I go there I can’t even send / receive a text message let alone dare to think I could check other scores or stats on the internet - they didn’t even put player stats up on the board either.

Amazingly still works for eftpos facilities though… go figure.

Spend millions on a new stadium and no internet and phone reception. Also I did not notice stats on the screens.. What about other games score updates since there is no phone reception. AND why is there long waiting times to enter the ground at Selwood end. Place multiple entry points surely should be planned for by the architects !!!

 

[Willo_]

Well the new stand is fantastic, we went to to level 2 for a beer and sticky beak before the game and had a look at the standing room that also looked tremendous.

But add another complaint about the phone service, it's been pox the last couple of years with half the crowd there last night, and 90 mins before the game I realised it hadn't improved.

In this day and age it's not good enough and I would hate to think of what would happen if there was an emergency as no one can call in or out.
Someone surely can do something to improve it

 

[Scorpio]

I was sitting right next to them and it was brilliant. Geelong fans have a reputation of being a bit quiet but when there was a big block of opposition fans making a heap of noise, they rose to the occasion.

If the ground was entirely Geelong or the opposition fans were scattered about, the atmosphere would remain s**t house.
This way we might be able to really get the joint feeling electric.

I agree. It made the crowd much more tribal. Almost like a soccer match with a designated away fans end.

 

[Gee Class Loco]

Well Well Well it was indeed a long wait to see the masterplan of our new stadium.
Happy?? 95% Yes. It is fantastic. The fortress being Kardinia Park is now complete.
Viewing from The JS Stand on level 2 & 3 is spot on.
Drinking & catching up with friends at that bar on level 2... Loved it.
The standing area would be my go to.... If i was 20 years younger LOL. Great set up.
Now for the SHYTE.
WTF is wrong with supplying some internet reception???
FMD 300 plus million bucks spent and no one considered setting up some way for folks to access their apps on their phones??
GezzusFookinChristopher let's share the hat around and get some coins to get this fixed.
Anyway only one negative rant. Otherwise it's a real Jewel in the Crown of SleepyHollow.
Well done to all those who had a part to play in it's vision construction and it's delivery to the good folk of the GFC.

 

[chokewood1]

Went last night. Wasn’t sat in the Selwood stand but it looked amazing and I actually like that there is an away section ala the English Premier League. Atmosphere was great.

Negatives were parking and entry at the Bernie Smith gate end. Found it ridiculously hard to park the car (usually park at the rowing club which had an event on so that could be part of it). And it seems inept that all the patrons sitting in either the Hickey or players stand have to funnel through that tiny gate. An improvement could be made there.

 

[Vivy]

Atmosphere was best it's been for 20+ years back to when I was a kid.

Internet is just atrocious. Got there at 5.50 with only a couple thousand people in the stadium and there was still no reception.

More Geelong replays and stats on the scoreboard. Way too much about stuff that has nothing to do with the game.

 

[canny30]

I was sitting right next to them and it was brilliant. Geelong fans have a reputation of being a bit quiet but when there was a big block of opposition fans making a heap of noise, they rose to the occasion.

If the ground was entirely Geelong or the opposition fans were scattered about, the atmosphere would remain s**t house.
This way we might be able to really get the joint feeling electric.

I'd rather have the home ground advantage

 

[Vivy]

First night game I've been to at the ground coming down from outer eastern suburbs in Melbourne.

Got home at 12.30. By the time I'd wound down and got to bed it was 1am. There's just no way the AFL can sit there with a straight face and schedule home night games at the MCG for us and think it's reasonable for people from Geelong to attend.

 

[The_Todd07]

I'd rather have the home ground advantage

80%+ is still a massive advantage and potentially greater advantage because noisy opposition fans can lead to our crowd actually making noise.

If we lose games just because there's a few more opposition fans then we weren't good enough to begin with

 

[cats_09]

Went last night. Wasn’t sat in the Selwood stand but it looked amazing and I actually like that there is an away section ala the English Premier League. Atmosphere was great.

Negatives were parking and entry at the Bernie Smith gate end. Found it ridiculously hard to park the car (usually park at the rowing club which had an event on so that could be part of it). And it seems inept that all the patrons sitting in either the Hickey or players stand have to funnel through that tiny gate. An improvement could be made there.

Head of the River rowing is on this weekend, as is the Geelong Ironman and the continued development at South Geelong Station - add in last night's match and it's a big weekend in Geelong, where a couple of events location wise will impact on the other. Plus a popular parking area is currently unavailable & with no public parking at the ground it means more people trying to find parking on side streets

I normally use the Bernie Smith gate as that's the end I sit, but last night I decided to walk up to the Selwood Stand end to check that out - it's the quickest I've ever got in with no real line to speak of

As the whole stadium is now connected, sometimes it can be quicker to use one of the larger gates. Though we may start seeing more of the Hickey Stand members using the Selwood Stand as they can access the stand from that end

 

[canny30]

80%+ is still a massive advantage and potentially greater advantage because noisy opposition fans can lead to our crowd actually making noise.

If we lose games just because there's a few more opposition fans then we weren't good enough to begin with

It's probably cost us a goal or two goals from here on I ....from where I was sat the St Kilda fans were louder than us.....why hand them an advantage like that is how I see it.

I'm more about results than the spectacle though, so we are probably approaching it from different angles.

 

[canny30]

Disgusted to learn from the elderly folks you cannot take the lift to the C-level (top) bays of the Selwood Stand. You have to take two flights of stairs. It’s only for “going down”. What a f**kin joke. Are the club such idiots?!?
Don’t see us holding these seats for long and demanding a refund. Very disappointed.

That is a bit dumb. If they're worried about overuse limit it to disabled and elderly

Having said that, it's the first game so I'd say they'd be open to feedback

 

[Willo_]

It's probably cost us a goal or two goals from here on I ....from where I was sat the St Kilda fans were louder than us.....why hand them an advantage like that is how I see it.

I'm more about results than the spectacle though, so we are probably approaching it from different angles.

If you were right next to them they would sound loud, but from where I sat whenever they made noise it got the Cats crowd going and was very quickly drowned out. Adds to the atmosphere, still is a huge home crowd/ground advantage and is nonsense to suggest otherwise IMO

 

[The_Todd07]

It's probably cost us a goal or two goals from here on I ....from where I was sat the St Kilda fans were louder than us.....why hand them an advantage like that is how I see it.

I'm more about results than the spectacle though, so we are probably approaching it from different angles.

I want to win more than anything but having louder opposition fans isn't necessarily a disadvantage.
The goal or 2 advantage to the opposition will hopefully be matched or beaten by our fans being louder than usual. The last quarter in the players stand is the loudest I've heard a KP crowd in a long time. Much better than deathly silence when we conceded and polite golf claps when we score

 

[stevothedevo]

That's me. Baseball cap talking to my mate behind me. Fantastic atmosphere. Loved the away crowd section and there were still plenty of saints fans in the standing.

Unfortunately there was an incident immediately after Dangerfields last goal. A lady in front of me was hit in the head by an unknown object. She had blood streaming down from her forehead. No one could tell what the object was as there wasn't anything obvious lying on the ground around her. We assume it was a can but again we couldn't see one nearby. Security were notified and police, so hopefully surveillance cameras picked up something. She's walked out OK with her group but obviously quite distressed. Hope she's OK.
I enjoyed the selling of cans instead of plastic cups but acts like this will put a quick end to that.

 

[CatAttack84]

There is a lift between the premiership and Selwood stands that you were able to go both up and down in. We did a couple of times without issue. Gets you up to level C Selwood stand where I was seated.

Thanks. Do you mean between the Selwood and Brownlow stand?
It can’t be the Premiership stand as that has the Players and Brownlow stands either side of it.

 

[CharacterFirst]

View attachment 1930488

That's me. Baseball cap talking to my mate behind me. Fantastic atmosphere. Loved the away crowd section and there were still plenty of saints fans in the standing.

Unfortunately there was an incident immediately after Dangerfields last goal. A lady in front of me was hit in the head by an unknown object. She had blood streaming down from her forehead. No one could tell what the object was as there wasn't anything obvious lying on the ground around her. We assume it was a can but again we couldn't see one nearby. Security were notified and police, so hopefully surveillance cameras picked up something. She's walked out OK with her group but obviously quite distressed. Hope she's OK.
I enjoyed the selling of cans instead of plastic cups but acts like this will put a quick end to that.

A bird?

 

[stevothedevo]

A bird?

Maybe? Or the leagues new flying fox camera made a last minute guest appearance.

 

[Baudolino]

Stadium looks phenomenal on the TV, can't wait to get to a game in person. Disappointed to hear reception is still terrible though.

 

[CatAttack84]

Stadium looks phenomenal on the TV, can't wait to get to a game in person. Disappointed to hear reception is still terrible though.

Agreed, watching the 4k recording this morning (sadly was in Melb CBD last night) and the sound and look appears awesome.

Aside from my gripe of hearing from the folks the brain dead decision on lifts to the top level, they also reported the volume of the speakers is nuts. Not as in "too loud for old people" but moreso that loud you can actually interpret what's being said.
Mobile reception and bandwidth noticed also.

Club has a month to tweak some things, so here's hoping enough members provide some constructive feedback to them in the coming days.

 

[Willo_]

Agreed, watching the 4k recording this morning (sadly was in Melb CBD last night) and the sound and look appears awesome.

Aside from my gripe of hearing from the folks the brain dead decision on lifts to the top level, they also reported the volume of the speakers is nuts. Not as in "too loud for old people" but moreso that loud you can actually interpret what's being said.
Mobile reception and bandwidth noticed also.

Club has a month to tweak some things, so here's hoping enough members provide some constructive feedback to them in the coming days.

Unfortunately the powers that be have had years of the mobile service going to s**t any time there is a crowd there and have done nothing about it..

Can't see it changing any time soon

 

[CatAttack84]

Unfortunately the powers that be have had years of the mobile service going to s**t any time there is a crowd there and have done nothing about it..

I remember when the Players Stand opened it was pure garbage reception, and then a year or two in they did a big marketing blitz of how it'd been upgraded and it was noticeably improved.

Since that time, up to last season, it did at times seem to be crap again. MCG had the same issues in the early years after the iPhone was released. Data demands went through the roof and it couldn't cope until significant investment was made. Even now when you have 80-90k people at the G it of course struggles.

 

[AWOL]

Thanks. Do you mean between the Selwood and Brownlow stand?
It can’t be the Premiership stand as that has the Players and Brownlow stands either side of it.

Yeah, sorry that’s the one.

 

[SkittleCats]

Adding my voice to the many regarding phone reception, it's actually beyond a joke now how terrible it is down there. Not sure if anyone from the club reads these threads, or if we can get this to Krock who might be able to challenge the club about it but it is genuinley terrible. In 2024 it just isnt acceptable that from 2 hours before the game you simply cant use your phone anywhere near the ground.

 

[Tandy]

Seeing the saints supporters with more seats was a good thing. They were loud through the TV and had a positive effect on the atmosphere. Did seem to spark up the handbaggers a bit aswell.