Opinion New AFC HQ: Stalled Indefinitely

[George Kramer]

There's a huge difference between negotiating with another party you have few previous connections with, and negotiating with your mates and ex-colleagues. You're suggesting it's a conspiracy there would be a difference? Come on.

You'd think that someone who was previously involved with one of the main negotiating parties, and was an ex-politician, would help us dealing with the main party and the various councils. Has that been the case?

As for alternatives and contingencies, I'm just pointing out the club doesn't have any, which is their failing. They had three options, one of them they chose not to continue with (the Aquatic Center), one of them should probably be viable but for whatever reason isn't (remaining at West Lakes), and the other is sputtering along. The fact they ruled out two options and are currently on option 3 with no other choice is their decision. It's totally fair to criticize them for that. The club hasn't just found itself in a position by chance where Thebarton is the best viable choice remaining, they actively went down that path.

2 of those decisions were made before Olsen and it’s Olsen you’re all blaming for our current predicament

 

[George Kramer]

I never understood the attraction of Thebarton .....not exactly a prime location

That said, if you continue with a project, when the piranha's are nipping away at you .....you have to know when to walk away, and put the onus for the projects' completion on others .....in this case the Councils and State Govt

Watch people jump into action if the project is threatened .....but continue on the approach of "we'll work thru all the obstacles" .....just invites the piranha's who can sense blood in the water

Every project has a walk away point

Because it was a parcel of land where we wouldn’t be competing with developers. Any substantial parcel of land that would come on the market we would be out bid on.

 

[Scorpus]

2 of those decisions were made before Olsen and it’s Olsen you’re all blaming for our current predicament

My recollection is it was Olsen's decision to ditch the Aquatic Center to go with Thebarton. Leaving West Lakes was the previous administration.

And to be clear I'm not specifically and only blaming Olsen. I think the previous board, and the current board, and Olsen, are all responsible for the situation we are currently in. But I see no reason to absolve Olsen entirely.

 

[George Kramer]

My recollection is it was Olsen's decision to ditch the Aquatic Center to go with Thebarton. Leaving West Lakes was the previous administration.

And to be clear I'm not specifically and only blaming Olsen. I think the previous board, and the current board, and Olsen, are all responsible for the situation we are currently in. But I see no reason to absolve Olsen entirely.

We pulled out of the Aquatic Centre April 2020 and Olsen came in at the end of the year.

 

[aabp1978]

Read an article from back in 2020 this afternoon saying we also looked at the Adelaide CC Green Waste Facility and the Showgrounds. Any idea why both of those options got dropped?

 

[kirky]

Good grief.

We have been looking for a site since 2013! 2013!

 

[AFCCroweater]

What about the old (?)Victoria Park racecourse at the end of south terrace ?

Is that still sitting idle and unused?

Some of that area has been developed into wetlands but there’s plenty of open space. To me this would require the club acquiring land along East Tce adjacent to Victoria Park for admin/gym. ACC would also never allow the area to be fenced to host SANFL/AFLW matches.

Disgraceful that after all this time we still have to discuss alternative sites

 

[Chances Are]

Read an article from back in 2020 this afternoon saying we also looked at the Adelaide CC Green Waste Facility and the Showgrounds. Any idea why both of those options got dropped?

Too much BS in the Showgrounds.

 

[BRL121]

We pulled out of the Aquatic Centre April 2020 and Olsen came in at the end of the year.

George, please forgive me, but I left Adelaide manhy years ago and don't have a feel of what the SANFL need or do.
I note that they have 8 executive staff: why would they need anything more than an office building? Why on earth are their needs relevant to our move?

p.s. I note from reading their website that their umpiring against us is actually mandated. Their terms of reference are to support the SANFL clubs, but Adelaide and Port are not listed!

 

[Geoffa32]

Fair bit of rubbish in your post. We’ve walked our dogs a LOT around that area and there’s nothing wrong with the visual aspect of the agistment area.

Brown grass and dirt is appealing to some I guess.

 

[Sanders]

I remember when that happened, what a joke. I think Bruce made a joke about it at a later Hyde Park concert- "Are we going to break another curfew, Stevie?"

You were there? Lucky man. I'm off in a few weeks to see him at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.

I was there last year in Hyde park when Stevie made those jokes. They’re still bruised by it

I’ve probably seen him a dozen and a half times.

Going twice this summer. Cardiff in a week and a half and at Wembley in July

And when I say pulled the plug, the entire area went black. There was still some sound because of a stage generator but the audience, the band, McCartney & Springsteen in the dark. Entirely blacked out without explanation, reason or notification

Like a gigantic power cut. With 70,000 panicked people unable to see or know what to do, where to go. That sort of public safety risk was worth the 2 - yes only 2 - complaints, 2 minutes after curfew

I mean it was only rock n roll history, why wouldn’t the council want to thwart it if they could?

 

[Sanders]

A competent organization wouldn't spend all that money developing plans for a new HQ that hinged on an assumption with no contingencies. That's completely amateur.

The Crows have significantly underestimated the difficulty of getting it done. In fact they've done it twice now, first with the Aquatic Center plans which they pulled out of due to opposition and are now facing the exact same issue with their "easier" Thebarton plan

They just assumed the SANFL would be able to move back to West Lakes? Why the * would they do that after every part of the process they went through twice?! Every plan they've had has been opposed. It was stupid to think this part of the process would just sail through.

Sure, they might be pursuing the best available option and the other options aren't as good. But they way they've gone about pursuing that "best" option includes being bullied out of a usable second oval by all of 10 people and apparently just assuming a key part of the plan would be approved without opposition. And you're saying the club doesn't look a bit incompetent out of that?

I don’t think they’ve underestimated how difficult it was to get it done

I think they underestimated the amount of opposition and the dirty tricks they’d face.

It’s the politics not the planning

 

[Sanders]

How dare anyone criticise an ex Lib!!
That’s you.

The demented projection here is all yours.

That’s the only lens you seem able to see things through

 

[Sanders]

I think we shouldn't underestimate how much resentment there is towards the AFC from others in Adelaide.

Ding ding winner

 

[Sanders]

That's not exactly true though, we pulled out of the Aquatic Centre proposal to push forward with Thebarton.

Claiming that Thebarton was the only option isn't accurate IMO

The club made a decision to move towards Thebarton as a preference over the Aquatic Centre and the only reason now that Thebarton is a last resort is because we've painted ourselves into a corner.

It was the only option, it’s cloud cuckoo land stuff to suggest otherwise

I mean, we didn’t even want this option. It’s the fallback when everything else fell through

 

[dogs105]

Ding ding winner

Just need to read the Adelaide Bigfooty board...

 

[George Kramer]

George, please forgive me, but I left Adelaide manhy years ago and don't have a feel of what the SANFL need or do.
I note that they have 8 executive staff: why would they need anything more than an office building? Why on earth are their needs relevant to our move?

p.s. I note from reading their website that their umpiring against us is actually mandated. Their terms of reference are to support the SANFL clubs, but Adelaide and Port are not listed!

All the SANFL junior, indigenous programs will be run out of there and it’s not the building that’s the issue, the numbys want the oval all to themselves. SANFL want it for about 20 hours a week, after 5.30pm at night and Saturday

 

[Redline]

do we even need a HQ?

Can’t the players just zoom in?

Whoever suggested that the after match show be cancelled for an online event should be sacked. I can not beleive it got supported at the higher levels.

 

[kirky]

Whoever suggested that the after match show be cancelled for an online event should be sacked. I can not beleive it got supported at the higher levels.

I can because they have the intelligence of a gnat.

 

[bonehilda]

Whoever suggested that the after match show be cancelled for an online event should be sacked. I can not beleive it got supported at the higher levels.

It’s almost like they knew this year was going to be a complete and utter disaster and adjusted accordingly

 

[jackster83]

It’s almost like they knew this year was going to be a complete and utter disaster and adjusted accordingly

The club is a festering turd.

Just give the licence to Norwood already.

 

[BrissyCrow]

The club is a festering turd.

Just give the licence to Norwood already.

I suggested that about three weeks ago and a few on here were upset despite my comment being in jest. Be careful

 

[George Kramer]

I suggested that about three weeks ago and a few on here were upset despite my comment being in jest. Be careful

Only from idiots

 

[relapse]

Yes but that was before Olsen and the discussions been how Olsen is a SANFL stooge

No it wasn't

We publicly announced in August 2020 that we had written to the ACC requesting to put plans on hold due to financial concerns due to COVID.

The decision not to proceed was made after Olsen was appointed.

 

[George Kramer]

No it wasn't

We publicly announced in August 2020 that we had written to the ACC requesting to put plans on hold due to financial concerns due to COVID.

The decision not to proceed was made after Olsen was appointed.

There’s an article on Adelaide Now April 2020 which states we have formally withdrawn from the aquatic centre, its paywalled so can’t post it.

Its a moot point though, interestingly also found this:

Crows Park Lands bid — Adelaide Park Lands Association

www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au

So the club with Olsen in charge still wanted to build in the parklands, I thought he wanted to help the SANFL out?