On Saturday, I had the immense pleasure of dragging my wife to something that she didn’t really seem all that interested in. Ice hockey. Yep that’s right, ice hockey.
Off we went to the only skating rink in Canberra to watch the Knights – who, as it turns out are the oldest running elite level Ice Hockey team in the country at 29 years – take on the Sydney Ice Dogs.
We sat on barely comfortable wooden benches, and I would say that we froze our backsides off, but it is Canberra in the winter, so it was roughly the ambient outdoor temperature inside!
The action was fasted paced and exciting, as Ice Hockey tends to be. The Ice Dogs raced out to a 3-0 lead, with the Knights clawing one back just before the end of the period. The Knights were much better in the second, dominating much of the play, but the Ice Dogs (sitting third in the table) made the most of their chances, finishing the period 5-3 ahead.
The final period was a tense affair, the Knights pulling one back to ensure a dramatic finish, the Ice Dogs pushed on however, and soon after hitting the crossbar, were able to restore their two-goal lead, winning 6-4.
However, this was only part of the story. The crowd, albeit small, was enthusiastic and parochial. You’re close (or as close as you can safely be anyway) to the action, you genuinely feel like you’re a part of the game, its hard not to when you get sprayed with ice each time a player stops in front of you!
Whilst I’m not completely sure of the crowd number, it would be hard to imagine it being much more than one thousand. There was a very strong – and vocal – number of travelling supporters (the Ice Dogs are based in Liverpool, so it is just a short trip down the Hume for them), but one of the things that really impressed me were the number of AIHL jerseys.
As a long time follower of the A-League, one of the things that has always been a sore point were the number of European club jerseys at the games, but there were plenty of both Knights and Ice Dogs jerseys. Of course there were NHL jerseys, and my Belfast Giants jersey got plenty of stares…
All of this mirrors an experience I had earlier in the year when I went along to watch the Canberra Cavalry baseball team.
The stands were small, but packed, the action was exciting, people genuinely wanted to be there to support the team. Beer was reasonably priced (and in bottles and cans, definitely not watered down), and the food was actually edible, let alone hot and it too was reasonably priced.
I guess it is a self fulfilling prophecy, the two sports mentioned – ice hockey and baseball – aren’t exactly mainstream sports in Australia. The have proud histories, stretching back many decades, played by a very narrow spectrum of the population (read: foreigners).
The reality is that they aren’t going to fill coliseum style stadia, so they might as well tailor their experience to the small handful that actually turns up.
The great regression of basketball has seen this happen also. The lofty heights of a packed out tennis centre to see the Tigers play the Magic are – like the Magic themselves – long gone. Basketball has redefined itself, the teams play in smaller, more intimate and perhaps most importantly, more cost effective venues.
However, this isn’t just a solution for the niche sports of the land.
I grew up in Melbourne, and I was one of the six people who don’t particularly like AFL. However, growing up, it is difficult to avoid the social obligation to get kneed in the back by a bigger kid, and attend a few games with your friends. I wasn’t particularly good at the game, unlike my younger brother, and it wasn’t really something we watched too much at home.
Fast forward fifteen years, and a few weeks after I moved to Canberra, Sydney played Essendon at Manuka Oval. My housemate was going, and I didn’t really know too many other people in town over the weekend, it was a beautiful, clear skied day with a bit of cold bite to the air, as is typical of Canberra in August. I couldn’t think of a good excuse or anything better to do on my own on such a beautiful day. So I went.
As we sat on the grass watching a game I barely understand unfolding mere metres from us, we laughed, joked and had a few drinks, caught up with (or in my case met) friends and friends of friends. It was actually all very civilised. I enjoyed it immensely.
There is something special about that kind of casual proximity, separated simply by a small picket fence. You get an appreciation for the size of the players, you can hear them talking to each other on the field, you can comprehend the physical demands, the speed, the skill. You are sucked into the action, more precisely; you feel a part of it.
You may not get the unparalleled viewing experience of the Telstra Dome, or the overwhelming dominance history of the MCG, you may even struggle to see what is happening on the other side of the ground, but the whole experience was very social, very communal.
There was a lot of character at Manuka Oval that day, a lot of soul. I genuinely enjoyed myself, and I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what happened or who won, yet I remember it more vividly than the dozens of other matches I have been to.
Whilst there is an undoubted awe attached the gargantuan MCG, the history and the mere size is intimidating. There truly is something to be said for being a part of a massive one hundred thousand strong crowd, but really, when it comes to enjoying the game – and myself – the experience of Manuka Oval left all of my games at the MCG for dead.
Maybe the niche sports are onto something.
Vin Maskell
Guest
Good stuff, Danny Mac. I'd much rather go to a local game and feel like I'm part of the action. Hear the boot kicking the leather, hear the shoulders slapping into other shoulders, hear the players puffing and panting. And I'd much rather look up at a scoreboard that tells you the score, not the odds. Manuka Oval has a classic scoreboard - the old MCG scoreboard was moved up there in 1981 or so. It's a beauty.
Lorry
Guest
Very true Andrew. The example of where the market has most corrupted a sport is the English Premier League. No doubt the standard of play is brilliant, but the ethos is pretty disgusting, with teams owned by oligarchs and corrupt ex-prime ministers etc, and players who show no loyalty whatsoever and only think of their 'brand'. Terrible stuff, let's hope we don't see other sports heading in that direction...
Andrew McMurtry
Guest
That is just a beatiful write up mate. I was at that game and I'd say there were probably around 700 people but a phenomenal atmosphere. I've always been into rugby league and only came along to ice hockey at the beginning of the year because the Ice Dogs needed a journalist. The only thing that sucks about it is that they are amateurs. It would be great for them to be able to be paid for doing what they do. I mean all those players from the Eels in league, and Port and Brisbane and all the guys at the bottom of the tables in these massive sports are paid a bucket load but don't even have half as much passion as the guys who've missed the finals in the Ice Hockey. And they'll probably ask for more money. It really shows you who actually cares about their sport for the sport.
traread
Guest
Great article Danny Mac! I used to live in Canberra and some of my fondest sporting experiences were there... Most notably, watching the Canberra Vikings play the Melbourne Rebels in the ARC (RIP) on a sunny sunday afternoon at Manuka Oval. They put scaffolding stands on the ground and the atmosphere was jovial, vocal and reminded me of a schoolboy rugby crowd.
Football United
Guest
yes but we had the decency to at least p--s into a bottle, it's not like you were going to be able to get out anytime soon.
stormybill
Guest
Great story Dan, Ice hockey is tailor made for Canberra in winter.I have fond memories of some great games at a lowly basketball stadium in Frankston,not to many bells or whistles in that place but always great entertainment. PS I love the Belfast Giants shirt.
Lorry
Guest
Great article Danny! And JVGO and Brad, I was just going to suggest a Newtown Jets home game at Henson Park!!! I'm not even really a fan of rugby league, but I enjoyed the Newtown game I went to last year and I'm going to another one this weekend! It's great, they've got the old pub across the road where you can go beforehand and after.... and, at the game itself, it's great too, you can lounge on the hill whilst drinking KB beer from a can and chowing down a sausage sandwich! It's a really interesting vibe as you get the old regulars, the Newtown alternatives, and families with their babies and dogs! What it shows to me is that,if you treat people like adults in regards to alcohol, they will behave like adults!!! I prefer rugby union and have found that a couple of grounds are good for that suburban experience too: Randwick and Manly in particular...
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
Yeah absolutely, I'm 26 so for me the current arrangement is the status quo. My experiences I've described are new and unique. I know that as we age, we remember bygone eras with a nostalgic filter that removes the ugliness from the times. People in England that lament the loss of standing room don't bring up the fact that people just urinated where they stood (terraces were too packed to even go to the toilet) and the experience was actually dangerous! With that said, it doesn't always mean that leagues like the ABL (Backed by MLB in the US, and is far more commercialised than any sport here) and that AIHL need to aspire to be the AFL, NRL or Cricket. They just need to know their market, and tailor their product for it.
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
This is exactly what i was trying to highlight. At the end of the day, sport (at the elite level) is entertainment. What matters most is the experience of me, the paying customer. This is something that I think the Victorian Government got spot on with the size of AAMI park, any bigger and it would be too big for the sports played there week in week out. I think the Storm are nearly sold out for their last game against the Dragons in two weeks time, and last year the Victory/Heart game (Heart home game, Victory home game was played at Etihad) was at capacity twice and I think the Rebels were sold out for their first game only. The capacity is spot on, they spent the extra money making it a quality stadium.
brad
Guest
Do yourself a favour and go to a Newtown Jets game at Henson. It's a awesome experience.
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
Yeah this is one of the aspects that I love about rugby league. The AFL shifted to a "two ground solution" long before my time, and it must be said, to much financial gain. I'm sure that within out lifetime, there will be more and more pressure for sydney based league teams to consolidate, to the SFS and the Olympic Stadium. it will be a sad day, but surely clubs being freed from the financial burden of a stadium will become something too good to refuse.
JVGO
Guest
Shark Park, Brookie, Leichhardt, even Kogarah still retain the atmosphere of the old days. The Jets at Henson Park prides itself on its 1950's atmosphere (every week the record crowd is equalled). And Souths under 20's at Esrkineville Oval is incredible experience if you want an indigenous vibe right in the middle of the city. Baseball at Petersham Oval or Sydney Comets at their authentic 1950's vintage courts in Alexandria are the fully die hard throw back experience however.
Midfielder
Guest
Danny Enjoyed reading your article .... if I may add a little as well... something I find enjoyable is when watching or playing in games at a park level.... the team I play for an area I live near is Eastwood in the Northern Districts of Sydney... Eastwood is one of the few towns I know with a football field smack bang in the middle of the town, and opposite the train station, major bus stop & taxi rank..also it enjoys a kids playground and town library on its edge... plus seating for the general public... The main playing field is a say [best guess] a 85 to 90 % normal rectangular football field boarded on one side by a big hill and on all four sides pathways to and from the rest of the town and transport.... meaning it has a lot of walk by traffic ... On Saturday & Sunday afternoon it is used by many locals as a place to meet .... i.e. a common place to meet... Everyone knows the local teams colours and games normally start early morning and are played throughout the day... So often people just come and watch for 5 minutes to a match ... and its a park association teams of varying levels ...it could be the All Age division 22 or All Ages premier league Division 1... People love to watch and if playing and you do something good a huge cheer from the locals and like you crowds are hard to guess but I am sure I have played in from of maybe 2, 000 people ... a personal experience was I was playing sweeper one day and a ball was played into the penalty box our goal keeper was caught out and it looked like a goal for sure .. the striker stumbled as he approached the ball allowing me one huge kick at the ball ... I hit it OOOOO so sweet and it cleared the park and hit a passing bus on the window and the ball bounced back to the player needing to take the throw ... a massive roar went up from the locals ... and still today I treasure that point in time...
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Its why people have such fond memories of the Hill at Adelaide Oval and other cricket grounds. You cant take a blowup pool into the southern stand at the G. You cant easily start a game of cricket in the stands of the SCG during lunch at a test. Your definitely onto something here. Enduring memory for me is during lunch on the 4th day of the last test against the Windies at Adelaide Oval in 1993 I think (the one we lost by a run when Mcdermott was given out off his helmet). We started up a game of cricket on the hill during lunch and some spanner hit the tennis ball onto the oval, where it was rapidly retrieved by a cop who was then treated to a round of clapping as he ran it to throw it back to us to the sound of several hundred people cheering. That said, modern stadiums are built with security, spectating and weather protection. So swings and roundabouts I guess.
mushi
Guest
A great article that captures a beautiful point. The articles on here from niche sports supporters tend to be those that stare longingly at the other side of the fence asking why can’t they get TV coverage, why can’t they be this and that. There is limited room for “elite” professional sport in this country and as soccer/football is finding trying to crack into that level isn’t all sunshine and lollipops. Why not instead revel in the point of difference? Why not embrace it like you would a local pub band that you go along to see every other Thursday knowing you’ll have a good time even if there won’t be a write up in the paper or a play list on your work mates ipod.