Eureka Stadium (Mars Stadium)

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Have there been any ideas to move the stadium to Eastern Oval?

Being closer to the city centre and Ballarat Station.

And any facilities currently at Eastern Oval could go to Eureka?
 
The perfect outcome would be:

A train platform opposite the ground with dedicated event trains on game day, plus a large carpark using the showgrounds land. An additional gate 3 on the showgrounds side to funnel attendees through quicker is also required as the wait times to get in now are ridiculous and will continue to drive people away. The makeshift entry gate at near that netball court was just plain amateur.
 
A couple of weeks ago, I held a rather large record fair at the North Ballarat Sports Club which is "part of" Mars Stadium. The room we were in faced out towards the ground with floor to ceiling windows so we got a really good look at the whole playing area and it looks like a fantastic facility.

Naturally you would expect the local leagues to play their matches there but it would be some sort of a waste if it didn't have some AFL/VFL involvement more often.
 

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LordLucifer said:
A couple of weeks ago, I held a rather large record fair at the North Ballarat Sports Club which is "part of" Mars Stadium. The room we were in faced out towards the ground with floor to ceiling windows so we got a really good look at the whole playing area and it looks like a fantastic facility.

Naturally you would expect the local leagues to play their matches there but it would be some sort of a waste if it didn't have some AFL/VFL involvement more often.
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We wouldn't expect to see too much more AFL action there in terms of actual AFL Home and Away season games than the two that it currently gets, but it is likely now with recent upgrades to the change rooms to accommodate female athletes that it might get a favourable look in for AFLW games in the future as well as periodically picking up pre-seasonal games.

As for the VFL, forget that. The VFL are NOT INTERESTED in playing outside Melbourne or Geelong and only want to be effectively the Reserve competition of the AFL. They made that abundantly clear in the way that they unceremoniously booted North Ballarat and subsequently put up every obstacle and lame excuse imaginable to kybosh subsequent submissions and proposals put forth by The NBFC to put up a Ballarat regional team.

AFL Victoria has a healthy program at the stadium through the NAB Cup and the Country inter-league games in addition to the BFNL and the CHFL. During the off-season it attracts usage from other codes. In 2019 the stadium hosted 81 games of football, rugby and soccer. This year that figure is on track to increase to 90.

We won't see too much more expansion of the stadium in the short to medium term as the Ballarat Council are focussed on addressing the surrounding infrastructure that supports the ground. They realise that the current roads, parking arrangements, and public transport services can support a ground capacity of 11,000. Planning is already underway behind the scenes to make significant land purchases nearby for the express purpose of establishing car parks and also to ensure that there is no resistance when adjacent roadways are upgraded.

Perhaps before 2024 we will see the lighting significantly upgraded, but I would not expect any building that is focussed to toward ground expansion to occur at least until 2025. It will be a slow process as the Council need to secure further State funding to expand the stadium which is not likely at least until the next State Election. The upgrade of Creswick Road would need to be again State funded as it is part of a State Highway.

The purchase of lands for the establishment of car parking to support both Mars Stadium and the Sports Events Centre will be funded by local rate payers and the Council is already setting aside a $10 million war chest for that purpose to secure land on an old nearby industrial site and the portion of the Ballarat Showgrounds that is owned by the local Agricultural Society.
 
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I don't get the sense the Western Bulldogs are very interested in playing home AFLW games anywhere other than Whitten Oval, no real incentive to do so.

But... given that the AFLW season is now going to play through December and January, it's possible Geelong will have to find an alternate home ground (due to occasional BBL and less occasional T20I games) for a small window every year. If so, there's probably not a better solution for them than to host a game at Mars, maybe even against the Dogs.
 
Roogal said:
The Bulldogs have previously indicated that they are happy to play one or two AFLW games per season in Ballarat through the local media in Ballarat,
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Even after securing the $40m for VUWO? Must've missed that. The recent comments I've seen on the matter have been a one-way street, i.e. from politicians.

The last I heard of any Bulldogs official talking about playing AFLW games for premiership points there was during the license bid in 2016, which also included a pitch to host games at Docklands. Then by 2019, the Dogs coach is saying stuff like "happy to play at Marvel, as long as we're the away team", and practice matches moved back to Footscray thereafter.
 
Roogal said:
The ALP promised similar things although offered a broader range of smaller proposals including the redevelopment of the rail yards, a more modest upgrade to the city's hospital and the construction of a 6000 seat stand at Eureka Stadium and other works needed to allow for AFL football to be played at the ground from 2017 and a more modest $9 million toward the BSEC. At the time of this announcement, the ALP and Ballarat Council jointly endorsed the Western Bulldogs as the preferred team to play AFL in Ballarat and it was announced soon after that the City of Ballarat would not re-new its sponsorship of the North Melbourne Football Club.
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An almost 1700 word post, including (the quote) this rather convenient glossing over the bit I think is interesting.

Behind this brief paragraph we have spouses of local ALP MPs working for council, a council administration who are all gone now after leaving in disgrace, an opportunistic local MP and a footy club CEO acting in direct contravention of the instructions of his board.
 
Noteworthy part of today's GF announcement is there will be four AFLW games per season played at regional Vic venues for the next three seasons.

If this doesn't get games to Ballarat then nothing will. Excluding GMHBA Stadium (and other places like Casey Fields, which sure as heck feel like they're in the middle of the nowhere, but wouldn't count), the only regional Vic venues to host AFLW games to date are Morwell (2 Coll home), Moe (1 Coll home) and Bendigo (1 Rich home).

Edit: or maybe, rather than 4 games per year, it's only 4 games all up, which wouldn't be that much of an opportunity after all.
 
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Roogal said:
There's probably something in that announcement for Ballarat considering that the expansion of the AFLW will require more grounds. The WBFC are currently in negotiations with the Ballarat Council in regard to renewing their contract. Possibly part of that negotiation may see at least one H&A AFLW game being being played at Mars Stadium per season in addition to the existing two senior games.

Ballarat did host a pre-season twilight AFLW game in 2018 with the Bulldogs v The Blues in front of a crowd of 4,500.
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If things don't change enough by January with some of these border restrictions, Fremantle and West Coast playing a couple home AFLW games there is not unimaginable.

Ballarat did also host a pre-season AFLW game in 2019 between the Bulldogs and Collingwood, and Brooke Lochland broke her leg, and there was a light south easterly breeze...
Teen Wolf said:
and practice matches moved back to Footscray thereafter.
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iameviljez said:
I wouldn't read too much into that as far as AFL is concerned. Soccer is a game where the pitch being billiard-table smooth really matters. For AFL, it really just needs to be kind-of flat.
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Nah, I think that it's really more of a rectangle pitch thing and the prejudice that soccer heads have against ovals. In fairness Ballarat has some of the the best sports oval surfaces in Australia with the local council having invested heavily since 2012 in a re-build of all of its major ovals, in addition to its hockey and soccer venues.

A2.jpg
Three of Ballarat's upgraded ovals include Mars Stadium (Centre), Northern Oval #2 (Bottom right), and Wendouree #1 (Top right)​

The FFA seem to never have an issue with Ballarat's Morshead Park which is a great regional facility and has a surface that is exactly the same standard as Mars Stadium. But Morshead Park lacks a video screen, has seating for only 500 and has no media broadcast facilities which is why Mars Stadium was chosen by the FFA as the preferred temporary venue for the WUFC.

Moreshead Park 1.jpg

Moreshead Park.jpg ​
 
Impunity! said:
Make sure you don’t get stranded on 799 games mate
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I won't mate.

I'm sure that i'll get that round 1.

But to answer your question i haven't been to the AFL footy in a while.
 


Mars to continue naming rights of Ballarat stadium



Ballarat’s showpiece AFL and sporting venue will continue to be known as Mars Stadium for a further two years.



Mars Wrigley’s partnership with the City of Ballarat and the Western Bulldogs has been extended, in a strong showing of commitment to elite sport in the region.



Sports fans and the Ballarat community have become familiar with Mars Stadium since 2017, when the three organisations came together for naming rights of the venue ahead of the first ever AFL match played in Ballarat for premiership points.



Since then, the stadium has hosted seven AFL matches, as well as a range of other sports and events, as the Bulldogs continue their long-term commitment to the Ballarat region.



Two more AFL games are scheduled for Mars Stadium in 2022, plus a first-ever AFLW fixture.



“It’s an honour to once again sponsor such an important part of the local Ballarat community. Ballarat has been an important part of our Mars Wrigley history; we’ve proudly been manufacturing our iconic products here for more than 40 years,” said Andrew Leakey – General Manager, Mars Wrigley Australia.



“We feel at home in this wonderful community and it’s a great pleasure to be working alongside both The City of Ballarat and Western Bulldogs to drive a jam-packed calendar of events at Mars Stadium.



“It’s an exciting time for Ballarat; the commitment and investment in Mars Stadium is attracting some of the country’s biggest sporting codes and events which is hugely beneficial for the Ballarat community as a whole.”



The partnership will see the Mars logo continue to appear as the naming rights partner of the stadium 365 days a year, as well as having a strong branding presence around the stadium.



“Mars Wrigley has a long and storied history with Ballarat, and we’re excited to be so closely aligned with them and the City of Ballarat as we continue to grow our presence in the region,” said Bulldogs’ CEO Ameet Bains.



“Mars Stadium has become our second home. It’s a fantastic facility which has enabled our fans and the people of Ballarat to watch top-flight football, which complements our year-round work in the local community, schools and in junior football.



“Having partners like Mars Wrigley, the City of Ballarat and the State Government will ensure that our partnership will continue to prosper for years to come.”



City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said: “Together with the Western Bulldogs, we share the excitement that Mars Wrigley has extended its agreement as naming rights partner of Mars Stadium for a further two years.”



“This is a fantastic result for the City of Ballarat from a company that has been a part of our community for more than four decades.



“Since that first match for premiership points in 2017, Mars Stadium has become synonymous with AFL football in Ballarat and this agreement will only strength our reputation as the sporting capital of regional Victoria.”
 
Dan Andrews has just announced a Regional Victoria bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

This could be a good chance for a refurbishment/rebuild of Mars Stadium using State Government funding.
 
Roogal

I assume the next stages of the Mars Stadium redevelopment will happen before 2026?
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Eureka Stadium (Mars Stadium)

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