After writing about Allianz Stadium and the stadium situation in Sydney’s north, south and west in Parts I and II of this series respectively, it’s time to venture across to the much-maligned ANZ Stadium.
ANZ Stadium cops so much criticism that one would think it’s more hated than Joffrey Lannister, or Cersei or Tywin – okay, any Lannister except the seemingly soon to be dead Tyrion.
I don’t really understand the hate. Yes, the food is expensive. The parking is expensive. Some of the sightlines aren’t great and it can feel like an airport hangar when there’s less than 15,000 people watching, not to mention it will look like one if they put a roof over it.
But anyone who has witnessed a Blues State of Origin victory or watched their team win a Premiership there will know that this is one of the best stadiums in the world. Those criticising the size of the stadium need to do some thinking, as Sydney needs a stadium of this size.
There would have been at least ten events across four different sports and music concerts where over 60,000 people attended last year. It is very difficult to design a stadium that fits over 80,000 people yet doesn’t feel like a cavern when it is under a quarter full. This task is made even harder when the stadium is originally designed to hold 110,000.
ANZ Stadium’s major issue is the sightlines. Currently the stadium is suffering a similar fate to the Cookie Cutter stadiums that were tried in America in the ’80s and ’90s. It’s a jack of all trades, master of none.
If you’re sitting behind the try-line, the oval shape means that you are a fair way away from the action, especially if the play is down the other end of the field. If you’re sitting in the upper deck not only does the roof obstruct your view, but also you feel you’re so far away from the action that the players look like ants.
If the stadium is in AFL or cricket configuration, your view can be obstructed by the retractable seats in the centre of the stadium. There’s not much that can be done about the sightlines in the upper decks, and the only way to fix the sightlines in the lower bowl is to turn the stadium into a purely rectangular stadium.
Stadium Australia Operations Pty Ltd will not allow this to happen unless the developer promises that the stadium can still be configured for AFL and cricket. Do we really need ANZ Stadium to host cricket and AFL matches? Not really, especially with the Sydney Thunder’s planned move next door to Spotless Stadium, the home of the GWS Giants.
But ANZ Stadium operators want to attract the best sporting events to the stadium and that includes sports played on oval-shaped fields.
Does ANZ Stadium have a future if a new stadium is built at Moore Park? Yes it does.
It can, and should, remain the home of both the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs. It should continue to host major NRL finals. It should host the Western Sydney Wanderers’ home match-up against Sydney FC, even with a new 40,000 rectangular stadium in Sydney’s west.
If the GWS Giants grow, it should host the Giants home matches in the Battle of the Bridge. And if NSW is hosting two State of Origin matches, perhaps the home clashes can be split between Sydney’s two 80,000-seat stadiums.
These are all suggestions, but it is clear that ANZ Stadium holds a key role in Sydney’s stadium future; it just needs a few carefully considered improvements.
One last note about ANZ Stadium and the common complaints about travel time.
The Stadium is located in Homebush. Parramatta is the geographical centre of Sydney. Parramatta is just 15 minutes west of Homebush. Theoretically, ANZ Stadium is ideally located. It has thousands of parking spaces, its own train station and buses regularly service the area.
Yet people from all of Sydney still complain about the stadium’s location and accessibility. Firstly, the people in Sydney’s east only have themselves to blame as they are the ones that blocked the proposal for Sydney’s Olympic park to be located near Centennial Park.
Secondly, the traffic isn’t that bad, the stadium should be within an hour of most Sydney residents. It has never taken me longer than an hour and a half to get home from ANZ Stadium, yet it took spectators of the Super Bowl in New York nearly four hours to get to MetLife Stadium and then another four hours to get home.
Clearly many Eastern Suburbs residents would much rather head to Allianz Stadium, but it’s not that much of a journey to get to ANZ Stadium. And nobody from Parramatta should be complaining about having to go ‘all the way’ to Homebush if it means their side will be playing in front of 40,000 people instead of 20,000.
The final argument against ANZ Stadium – that there is nothing to do once you get to the venue – is becoming less valid. The area and suburbs surrounding the stadium are now developed, with residents, restaurants and pubs. The atmosphere arriving at the areas surrounding the stadium, even surrounding suburbs such as Rhodes, is fantastic. It feels like a big game is happening.
Sydney is a very large city with a very large number of professional sporting teams, and those teams need adequate stadiums. Like it or not, the NSW Government is committed to investing money in multi-purpose stadiums, not small suburban grounds. This means investing money in ANZ Stadium, Allianz Stadium and a new multi-purpose venue in Sydney’s west.
Careful thought and consideration must be put into this issue in order for Sydney to get the right outcomes. This includes the NRL seriously considering owning a stadium and determining when it is best to knock a stadium down and start again, rather than continually improve a stadium that is very difficult to improve upon.
AZ_RBB
Guest
As great as that redevelopment is, it really only benefits those in the lower bowl of the stadium. Anyone level 3 and up is a million miles from the action. But it's too late to really change much more about the stadium so I'm glad they're at least trying to do something. It's a shame the initial design was so poor. It should've been designed primarily as a rectangular league/union/football stadium (by far the 3 most popular sports in Sydney) which can temporarily accommodate athletics for the Olympics and oval field sports like AFL and cricket rather than the other way around. Foresight has never been Sydney's strength.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Fair enough AR but I think you misread what my take on it is. As I keep saying, good luck to the AFL. They did what was needed to secure what was wanted. League hasn't, Football hasn't (it's not in the best position to anyway let's face it). I agree with you. Y That still doesn't change that the interests of the punters, the actual "needs" (if you can call stadia needs) of the population themselves are not reflected in the outcome. That's all. The AFL directed where the total investment would go; it hasn't gone to where I believe it should have.
AR
Guest
This will be my last post on this, cos I don't think we're getting anywhere... For stadium infractructure, the AFL has probably secured about $60M in NSW Govt funding in the last decade. It's also chipped in about $20M of its own money (for stadiums and community grounds). By comparison, the NRL/ARL, FFA/Soccer Aust and ARU have received hundreds of millions of dollars in government grants, decade after decade. None of those bodies have ever chipped in a nickel. Graham Annesley said in his 2012 Stadium Report, that the Govt can no longer continue to pour hundreds of millions into small suburban stadiums - it's no longer viable. Bizarrely, however, you fall in line with the AFL finger-pointing, suggesting that through "its facilities at homebush, has cost western sydney some possibility of something developing that would benefit more people". What garbage that is. ciudadmarron, if the NRL/FFA/ARU had approached government and lobbied for a new stadium in West.Syd...perhaps with the promise of some capital, or at least private sector investment...it's likely that the Govt could have provided $400M for a stadium (like the Vic Govt did with AAMI Park). But they didn't. Your attitude seems to be - blame the AFL, take no responsibility for what actually happened. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been provided specifically for rectangular stadiums over many decades. If that money has been wasted, that is not the AFL's doing.
Remmy
Guest
Both ANZ and Allianz stadiums have great redevelopment plans that will give Sydney rectangular sporting fans every they have desired and more.. Allianz is going to be connect to the CBD and South East light rail which will connect Kingsford to Circular Key and everything in between, including Moore park and Central. New roof, massive public screens on the outside. New pubs, new restaurents, heaps of new parking etc. ANZ will have a roof, a far better rectangular configuration. Plus a massive development on the outside with clubs, pubs, restaurants and apartments.. They are putting a pool in ANZ stadium for god sake. The west connex will link the west directly to the cbd however for some reason there will be no exit to homebush.. however travel time will be greatly decreased.. This is all good news. We all know Penrith is on a 5 year plan, and the fact that they are sitting on top of the table will show that they are going to have some big attendances soon. Penrith average so far: 12131 (have a couple really bad weather games). GWS average so far: 9215 I think the NSW govt.; whether the AFL has chipped in money or not; has been duped by the inflated notions that GWS will be successful.. The only time the AFL has got a decent crowd at ANZ is when they vs Collingwood. The fact that ANZ wants to stay an oval just for AFL and Big Bash League truly bewilders me. GWS have a perfectly good, brand new stadium of which they barely fill. The swans have a beautiful SCG.. Why keep ANZ like that when they can have huge crowds for NRL Sydney derbies, A-League Sydney derby and Union. Let alone finals, SOO and National teams play here. The AFL has no national team. ANZ should be for the rectangular codes.
ciudadmarron
Guest
As I stated, good on them. They've every right to lobby and they do it successfully. But the bottom line is still that their lobbying led to decisions being made about locations of facilities which were not the best outcomes. Believe it or not I would be more than happy for the giants to work by the way (stop laughing). It's not about turf for me or belonging. Sport is a good thing, no question. What it IS about is what is actually needed. What is needed is infrastructure in western sydney proper. This is important in this debate. Many are arguing that a couple of big stadiums - the melbourne model - is what is needed, is the solution; i believe it is not in the case of sydney, and the lobbying of the afl to get their side playing at homebush, with its facilities at homebush, has cost western sydney some possibility of something developing that would benefit more people. The mess that this series of articles tries to sort through, the afl money is a factor in.
duecer
Guest
ciudadmarron - that must rank as one of the silliest comments I've read here - AFL are part of the AFL community - it's not as large as the RL community, especially out west, but virtually no organisation would represent the whole community and each organisation should do best for the community they represent. When it has just been announced that Australian kids between 5 and 15 are the most inactive in the world, every initiative that may lead getting more kids active, no matter what the sport, is surely a step in the right direction.
Tad
Roar Rookie
That can't be right ...42 million from both arms of Government for the Panthers stadium when they have 14 licensed venues around the state and have thousands of poker machines between them , in fact thousands more than every AFL club combined, and they average 12k ...LOL. Does anyone else play at Panthers stadium, do they have a summer tenant, do they have the RAS utilising the facilities, do they have cricket using the ground for 6 months of the year, did they invest any of their own money, whilst the Panthers group turns over 100 of millions of $$$. The irony is unbelievable from CC The last word as always belongs to you CC, i am guessing that must make you feel like you are always right. Ramble on.
AR
Guest
ciudadmarron The AFL represents the AFL. The NRL represents the NRL. The FFA represents the FFA. One doesn't represent NSW, and another not. Extrapolated from each of these sporting bodies, are varying numbers of stakeholders across various communities. In NSW, there'd be more stakeholders for the NRL, and a little less for the AFL. Basic cultural and historical reasons underpin this. So I don't buy your argument that the AFL is not "an organisation that represents the community". That just reads like "the AFL doesn't belong in NSW" nonsense. Now we get to the issue of contributing capital to stadiums which you use... The fact that the AFL has fewer stakeholders, traditionally, in NSW, and yet contributes millions in capital, makes the AFL capital contributions (to grounds it doesn't even own) all the more impressive. Bear in mind, no other sporting body contributes one single cent. For the Showgrounds Stadium, the AFL is not the "owner" - that's the NSW Govt. Nor is it the official "operator" - that's the Royal Ag Society of NSW. But the AFL contributed $10M toward construction costs. This is a trend of providing cash for stadiums it uses - Metricon, Skilled Stadium, Blacktown, as well as millions into other sports grounds and community ovals. Of course, each contribution comes with some rights - that's the upshot. As I said to CC, all stadiums receive some government funding in one way or another - and that's fine. But to criticise the AFL when it's successful in securing govt funding (*especially* when it has also contributed millions of its own money, when no other body does) is just anti-AFL nonsense.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Essentially AR It's nice that the AFL put in money. They are acting as a lobby group. Good on them, and more fool the government for buying in. However if the AFL had not come into the scene with their own money and agenda then Sydney would potentially have had a much better set up stadium wise, suitable to the needs and wants of the community. It's not the general public's fault the government bought in to the proposals. It's not the AFL's fault for trying. But that doesn't take away from the idea that an organisation has come in and altered things irrevocably - and they aren't an organisation that represents the community.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Words of advice .Seek help.
AR
Guest
Ramble ramble ramble... Probably best to leave it there.
clipper
Guest
Aren't the Panthers and GWS's avereage attendances pretty similar? does that mean the attendees to the panthers would fill a backyard BBQ as well? I believe they received quite a few million from the Govt. as well - do you think that was wrong - or is it only wrong if it's for the AFL?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
As you oft like to say,if you don't like it, don't watch it. Still trying to pull the wool over people's eyes AR.:- The money allocated for the Panthers has zilch to do with a new stadium or the stadium capacity .It is for a community Sports Centre with a link to the stadium.Community for everyone.So your comment it was for the Panthers stadium is crap. They won't be running to Breakfast Creek BTW to use a gym. The Panthers according top the Penrith Gazette 16/4/14(that's now not 4years ago) is chasing funding for a new stadium. Campbelltown stadium the new stand on the eastern side was up and running in 2006 So much for your 4 years.Nearest stadium ???????? Win stadium monies was allocated by the Stae Govt in 2009 for a replacement grandstand that was a danger to everyone.That stadium is used by Dragons,RLWC/RWC/A league on various occasions .It is in an area which has a strong historical rl background.Nearest stadium????? Don't let the truth interfere with your perpetual spin.
AR
Guest
See, told you another rambling post would follow...
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Oh dear Mr Spin/ AR,after all it is a rl thread surpise surprise,so responses like the brown stuff happens. Check your own backyard when it comes to spin/ramblings,as your mob and some of your supporters are Olympic class. candidates.Suggest your kettle v pot comments are a bit embarrassing. I don't hate any code,that;s why I don't spend any of my time on AFL threads,I don't happen to follow it.Although I confess to having watched AFL grand finals.As an event it is way up there. If ever I feel the need to get a group to go on your threads to spin,then I have a problem. That's point 1. Point 2 all of the NRL clubs stadiums are not next to each other within a couple of kms,eg GWS and ANZ. Point 3 .all of the NRL clubs are major codes within their confines and have been for ages,the stadiums can be utilised for A league ru ,or local sport.That includes Campbelltown/WIN/Jubilee/Penrith.There are no new stadiums being built next door. Point 4 I don't like waste even if it involves rugby league.If you like waste then go into politics. Point 5 .NRL clubs were bagged many times by AFL types for having poker machines to assist them.Not once was there an admission, that in fact some AFL clubs in Melbourne do likewise. And you wonder why people take you guys with a grain of salt. Not once have you or your cavalry Mr Football/ GWS or whatever moniker happens ATT or Tad (who regularly trolls),have justified huge expenditure on a stadium that is within spitting distance of another ,which is there for the same purpose. Not once Blacktown nor ACT monies.All we get is the usual tumbleweed spin that is par for the course. Not once in your PR efforts, have these been justified. I repeat one more time, regardless of the minimal contributions made Oz wide,as Kennett(an AFL man) put it plainly and simply, the code secured huge monies for infrastructure at little expense to themselves.Santa Claus is holding back on some of the pressies. The fact you call my responses rambling,proves I have hit a tender spot,or you have little to offer. Take your pick.The prentiousness is all encompassing.
AR
Guest
CC, the government money provided to NRL suburban stadiums listed above, were made in the last 4 years, not "decades ago" - so you're completely wrong on that. While we're at it, should we list every single stadium in Australia and who contributed what? Believe me, if you want an entire list, the AFL will start to look like Santa Claus. (cue another "I hate AFL" rambling post)
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Bizarre it mat seem for you Tad,but many people (apart from yours truly) recognise waste when they see it.The fact you guys don't, explains in spades the type of arrogance exhibited by some within your sport. There is nothing wrong with development,it is how public monies are used wisely enough.Not the roughshod manner of the past,and the bull in the china shop approach of Vlad & Co.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Conveniently or should I say exepectedly so AR,you just happened to leave out the Showground contributions,and SCG contributions by Govt,much of which was made, when the said NSW was broke.Not decades ago . I'll give you a hint champ,the very same Govt that was thrown out by the NSW taxpayer partially due to waste and indeed corruption. The previous allocations to mainly ARL clubs which have been here in some cases for nigh on 100 years.Not some who have arrived of late.The Govts in fact were not broke when the monies were delivered .The very reason the NSW Govt is now trying to flog off public assets,due to the largesse of the prior Labor one. And all of those NRL clubs in question actually utilise the stadiums some at least 12 times per annum.And all of those clubs have contributed ovet many decades large sums to various charities within their boundaries.The Sharks indeed huge sums to Sutherland Hospital over many decades.Blacktown council believes it was a rort.The ACT taxpayers apparently have a similar view . There is indeed nothing wrong with govt contributing to sporting infrastructure and nowhere if you open your peepers, have I suggested otherwise.It is how it is spent,the financial positon of the govt ATT,whether there is a stadium nearby that can be utilised(double dipping GWS eg) and whether it can regularly down the line attract more than one code to utilise. I will remind you one more time ,as you cannot absorb the fact ,the Sharks Peter Burns stand was paid for by the club, as was a very large percentage of the ET stand. So your last cynical hint as per usual was wrong.I'll give you a gentle hint check. I put more reliance on Kennett's comments than the expected flag waving that is thrust upon this thread.NZ /ACT/Blacktown/Showground are perfect examples of his perceptions.
Shouts Chen
Guest
SCG and the Allianz Stadium are the closest stadiums near the CBD than the ANZ Stadium. So many AFL, cricket, Soccer, and NRL Fans like to walk to the stadium and watch the games.
Tad
Roar Rookie
It is not actually bizarre that CC criticises the AFL for funding development, it is standard RL siege mentality.