The famed WACA Ground, as we know it, will soon be no more.
FULL SCOREBOARD FOR AUSTRALIA VS ENGLAND ODI
The Association’s board will tomorrow announce its future plans for the ground.
In a pre-emptive strike WACA President Dennis Lillee announced his resignation yesterday.
His parting words would have provided little solace for the members, telling The West Australian, “I cannot stand by and watch what is happening at the WACA. I do not wish to part of it any longer.”
It is anticipated that the current board will announce that Perth Stadium, a 60,000-seat venue under construction and due to open for the start of the 2018 AFL season, will play host to future one-day internationals and Big Bash League matches.
Should that be the case the WACA will be left with only one Test match a year and five Sheffield Shield matches, given the recent move by Cricket Australia to play the domestic one-day series in one east coast location in the month of October each year.
Should those fixtures become the staple diet for the ground into the future, how can it survive economically?
The other mainland venues that host Test cricket each summer are dual tenanted, with the Gabba, MCG, SCG and Adelaide Oval all utilised for AFL fixtures.
In the case of the MCG it is utilised at least twice a weekend, while the Adelaide Oval hosts an AFL game every weekend through the winter.
Bellerive Oval in Hobart, which is not always utilised as a Test venue each year, now plays host to two North Melbourne home games each season, with the prospect of more into the future.
It is also used for matches in the state-based Australian Football league as well.
The WACA, on the other hand, is set to be utilised potentially for just 25 days of sport each year.
Twenty of those days will encompass the Western Warriors’ five home Sheffield Shield matches. Needless to say, the domestic first-class competition is hardly a cash cow.
Recent CA fixturing has seen numerous Shield matches played exclusively on weekdays, and even when games span the weekend, aggregate four-day crowds at the WACA rarely surpass 5000.
Last season, for the first time since the WACA hosted its inaugural Test in the summer of 1970-71, it was overlooked.
With the staging of the World Cup at the end of the season CA could attract only one nation – India – that was keen to play a Test series Down Under. The Indians agreed to play four matches, which meant one of the five regular mainland venues would be left off the itinerary.
Much to the chagrin of West Australian cricket fans, the WACA missed out.
With respect to facilities and amenities, the WACA is the least hospitable of Australia’s Test grounds – in fact it has fallen way behind the standards set by the venues east of the Nullarbor.
Yet the West Australian government has made it clear that it will no longer contribute public funds to further development at the ground.
Sadly, over many decades various redevelopments of the ground have been attempted and none has truly served the venue or the fans well.
Several years back the WACA board entered into a radical plan to hive off part of the land encircling the ground to developers who would construct a $500 million high-rise apartment and commercial precinct.
The bold plan, which was to provide the association with an ongoing revenue stream, was abandoned in 2013 but not before it cost the already fiscally challenged association $7 million.
The venue – which was opened in 1893 – is quite possibly facing extinction, with the move of larger ticket items to the new Perth Stadium.
Relocating Test cricket to the new venue is anathema to most cricket fans given the iconic status the WACA holds internationally.
Whenever I was travelling in the subcontinent with the Australian team during my time at the ABC, as soon as I mentioned I was from Perth the locals’ eyes lit up and they gushed about the fast, bouncy pitch at the most pace-friendly venue in the cricket world.
Over the last 25 years the WACA has had other sports as tenants.
Prior to 1997, when Subiaco Oval had lights installed, the WACA hosted six to eight AFL night matches each season.
In the mid-1990s the Western Reds (later the Perth Reds) were based at the WACA.
The WA Football League and the Perth Heat, WA’s representative in the Australian Baseball League, both staged matches at the WACA.
The Perth Glory’s early final matches in the then-National Soccer League were played at the WACA.
Nowadays, those codes have all moved.
If the WACA does announce that only Test and Shield matches will remain at the ground, it is difficult to see how the venue can remain a viable operation into the future.
It will be a sad day when – and it appears it will be a case of when – Test cricket is no longer played at the WACA Ground, but the simple economics indicates it is a fait accompli.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Not having a great knowledge of the Perth Sports venues it does look a lot like the WA Government are going to try and get as much bang for the buck with the new Burswood Stadium and have it operate like the Gabba, SCG, MCG, Adelaide Oval and to a lesser degree Spotless Stadium whereby the AFL utilises it during winter and Cricket utilises it during summer, along with the occasional blockbuster event eg Bledisloe Cup, State or Origin, Socceroos match etc. The WA guys on this thread will be better placed to answer this question than anyone: Should the WACA consider selling the venue/land and move to a smaller venue/oval somewhere else in Perth (similar to the Bushrangers in Victoria moving to Junction Oval) that will be suitable for the crowds that Sheffield Shield attracts these days and also construct an elite cricket academy at the same time? Maintenance cost would be substantially less than trying to keep the current WACA functioning with literally no viable content being played there throughout the year and they may cash in with plenty of leftover $$$ in the bank? Also a bit from left field and unrelated to the WACA: Is there any plan to finish off the final stand at NIB Stadium and make it a complete stadium? From an East Coast perspective it seems that WA is playing the catch up game in relation to Stadiums considering the money recently committed in NSW and the existing infrastructure already in place in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and even Tasmania and the ACT.
jax
Guest
Johnno, Freo played their home games at the WACA between 1995-2000 so how about your team Freo plays some games there instead? I'm not sure why you would volunteer WC to play at the venue when your Freo boys have the lower membership number and would fit more comfortably into the ground? The largest crowd at the WACA of 34,317 was for a West Coast Eagles game against Melbourne in 1994. There clearly isn't enough room to accommodate all of the WC fans as they filled it 21 years ago so it's all yours Freo. Some Freo supporters can't help he selves it seems - having a little snipe at WC on a cricket tab of all places?
The Bush
Roar Guru
What are you on about, they average nearly 40,000. West Coast has membership capped at 39,000 for capacity issues and there is another 20,000 on the waiting list for membership.
Bakkies
Guest
Mumbai and Colombo have more than one international venue. Melbourne has used Etihad for winter ODIs
Johnno
Guest
Ravi Shastri's 5-wicket haul bowling tidy off-spin with the help of the Fremantle Doctor in 1991-92 in a World Series cricket triangular ODI game. Also the Benson and Hedges America's cup challangein 1986-87 to celebrate the America's cup, England/Pakistan played in it, and the WACA got floddlights. Games were also played in Fremantle. The mighty western reds of course in the 90's in the ARL. Perth Heat baseball side in the ABL also may of used the WACA ground. Field hockey they did,play there, and AFL under-18's state titles.
Pope Paul vii
Guest
Roy Fredericks 169, took DK and Thommo to the cleaners Lillee 8/29 vs World XI including 6 for nuthin' Johnners 8/61 was pretty spec too. In a loss!
bart
Guest
All AFL games in Perth are sold out, it is members not turning up that reduces the crowd, the seats are sold though.
bart
Guest
Ground is a touch too small for AFL footy, although the SCG is also on the small side. ATM Trinity College AFL teams train there, the WA state under 18's and a few other teams rep footy teams train there, the ground needs to be extended a bit. I reckon a WAFL game on friday night would get a few thousand punters in, a couple of pubs close by etc.
Johnno
Guest
Glen the west coast eagles used to play games at the WACA, they might play a few there. Or also WAFL games are staged there. Maybe the western force or NRL Perth club if they get entry might stage a few there. The old Western reads back in the 90's used the WACA as it's home ground.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Hi Glenn, Great piece, although obviously this is really poor news. As a longtime WACA member it was like a second home to me for many years. It was flawed, no doubt, but I will miss its unique nature as a cricket venue where the lightning deck gave quicks a chance to intimidate the batsmen in this era of featherbeds, giant bats and tiny boundaries. Opposition cricket teams will be delighted they no longer have to play there, especially the likes of India. The Gabba is now the only cricket ground left where Australia actually have a "potential" home pitch advantage. I say "potential" as last year's deck was very un-Gabba like and gave the visiting Indians an easy ride.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
I think you might mean that the major grounds that host both cricket and afl. The rectangular fields do okay.
Amith
Guest
Yes i agree, travelling to the WACA is alot easier
Amith
Guest
I don't think he every forgave him for that
Amith
Guest
Tendulkar's hundred when he was just 17 and who can forget Walsh's century there.
hikikomori
Guest
Perth is not that big a place, it only needs 3 stadiums. One rectagular for rugby and soccer One oval for afl and cricket and an indoor basketball, tennis stadium The basketball is a hit because its in the cbd next to the train station, the wa govt missed a trick in not having the oval in the city centre?
BurgyGreen
Guest
So sad. I guess the characterless runways of last season's Border-Gavaskar series are going to be the new norm for Test matches in Australia.
Mark
Guest
And on the domestic front, the WACA was the site of the Waugh brothers 464* 5th wicket partnership vs WA (at the time a world record and still highest in Aus FC cricket) and the 'Miracle Match' Gillette Cup semi when WA (77) beat QLD (62) with DK Lillee knocking over Viv Richards and Greg Chappell, among others.
Ryan Buckland
Expert
Matthew Hayden's 380 David Warner's century in a session The old ING Cup games on a Wednesday evening
Ryan Buckland
Expert
I was there for that one!
mds1970
Roar Guru
Merv Hughes' hat-trick in 3 different overs & both innings, and he had no idea he'd done it. Immediately after Geoff Lawson was flattened by a Curtly Ambrose bouncer.