That question is being asked again after the Geelong vs North Ballarat match was cut short at 29:30 of the last quarter on Saturday due to time issues for the AFL game (eg warm ups on the ground).
It is my understanding there were still a couple minutes left in the game when the AFL pulled the pin on the match and there was still an hour until the start of the Geelong vs GWS AFL match. Surely VFL matches should be played out in full.
Thoughts?
billythekid wrote: digs
Played quite a bit of footy myself at Geelong West when they were in the Ballarat Football League & if you think that that ground is better than Eureks Stadium you had better seek some help. You have some serious problems.
Getting off topic, but I saw Geelong West draw with Daylesford at the now long gone Corio Oval on Sunday 28 August 1960. Did Digs play that day? GW 13 11 89, Dfd 14 5 89. But, I remember extremely little about that oval.
All VFL matches should be stand alone, not subject to AuFL whims.
Cobra scorer was the Corio Oval right next to the old Geelong dogs and Trots track near Eastern Park ?
I went to a couple of greyhound meetings at the old Corio Oval whichI think might have been near what was called Friendly Society's ??
The bar at the dog track was an old tin shed. Went there between 1978 and 79.
They of course moved to Beckley Park for both the dogs and trots around 1980.
That was certainly my era, but I was a crack centreman for the Roosters..............Reserves !!!
VFA,
There was certainly a dog track in the gardens area in East Geelong overlooking Corio Bay.
According to Santo Caruso's book you are correct about the footy oval, dog & trotting tracks all being together.
Corio Oval
In 1956, the State Government set up the Greyhound Racing Control Board (GRCB) and permitted only non-proprietary tin-hare racing. That year, Emmerson was on a sub-committee which established a new track at Corio Oval, the former home of the Geelong Football Club in the city's Eastern Park.
The first club president was Mr Fulton Knowles. In 1956 the Geelong Trotting Club also moved to Corio Oval and greyhound races were held inside the trotting circuit. The popularity of greyhound racing flourished at Corio Oval with about 25 bookmakers at each meeting servicing the needs of punters as Geelong grew in the post-war industrial boom. W.A. Horrie Capron was a long-serving president of the club during these flourishing years, which ran to the mid-1970s. A limit on the number of club members had been a source of discontent for a number of years until the GRCB directed the club to have open membership. Mr Ted Turner, who trained Australian Cup winner Swanston Lass, became club chairman and guided the club through a period of change in the late 70's.
Plans were drawn up for a new Australian National Animal Health Laboratory to be built opposite Eastern Park. As the Laboratory was to deal with infectious diseases, it was decided that large congregations of animals would not be permitted near the laboratory and the greyhound and trotting clubs were told they would have to vacate Corio Oval. It was decided both clubs would move to a site by the Princes Highway in Corio.
http://geelong.grv.org.au/AboutUs/History.aspx
http://www.betfair.com.au/greyhoundracing/trackdetails.php
Greyhound racing in Geelong has been conducted at three separate venues during its long and valued history. In 1956 the Geelong Trotting Club also moved to Corio Oval and greyhound races were held inside the trotting circuit. The popularity of greyhound racing flourished at Corio Oval with about 25 bookmakers at each meeting servicing the needs of punters as Geelong grew in the post-war industrial boom..
Plans were drawn up for a new Australian National Animal Health Laboratory to be built opposite Eastern Park. As the Laboratory was to deal with infectious diseases, it was decided that large congregations of animals would not be permitted near the laboratory and the greyhound and trotting clubs were told they would have to vacate Corio Oval. It was decided both clubs would move to a site by the Princes Highway in Corio.
The Trotting Club, under the guidance of President Ray Beckley had bought 23 hectares of land there in 1964 and the Racing Development Board bought a further 13 hectares adjoining the site a few years later. The trotting club moved to Beckley Park in September 1978 but the greyhound club, which had hesitated on the move, had its opening night at Beckley Park on Friday, March 7, 1980, enjoying state of the art facilities at a cost of $650,000. The greyhound circuit backed onto the trotting track and allowed independence.
http://www.rogersresults.110mb.com/Rogers_Results/corio_oval.htm
Corio Oval
Corio Oval is where Geelong played until 1941.
I recall seeing photos on the net where the photographer has spotted raised mounds in the area which may have been part of the outer. (anyone able to link to them ?)
Geelong played there from their VFA days until 1941 when the military took over the ground for training purposes.
A few years after Geelong relocated and the war ended, the oval got converted to a trotting and greyhound track.
The trots moved away from there in 1978 because they believed the track was too small, the greyhounds moved a couple of years later due to an animal science laboratory being built nearby.
The oval and grandstands were then demolished and a conference centre was built on that location.
I believe there is a memorial somewhere in the conference centre recognising the historical significants of the area.
371 VFL matches were played at Corio Oval - the first on 8 May 1897 and the last 24 August 1940.
Geelong won 242, lost 123 and drew 6 of their matches at Corio Oval.
Until 1934 when the Collingwood Football Club became the ground manager of Victoria Park, Geelong was the only VFL club to be manager of their home ground.
Playing matches at Kardinia Park in 1941 was thought to be a temporary measure but when relinquished by the military, the Corio Oval was in no fit state for playing matches on and their was considerable damage to the stands and facilities. With compensation for repairs slow in coming, Kardinia Park was again used for matches when Geelong resumed in 1944 after a two year break from competing.
As late as 1947 there was still discussion about Geelong returning to Corio Oval.
The highest recorded attendance at Corio Oval was 26,025 in 1925 for a match against Collingwood.
Corio Oval was renamed the Olympic Raceway and night trotting and greyhound racing commenced there towards the end of 1956.
digs wrote: billythekid
I doubt it mate!
You might have better social facilities but for true footy atmoshpere and tradition Geelong Wests ground is miles ahead of your barren windswept shitheap.
In fact the only ground in the current VFL as bad is Caseys also lifeless excuse of a ground.
You obviously didnt see the very derogatory comments from AFL supporters when a NAB match was played at Northern Oval earlier this year.
billythekid wrote: digs
Coming from a Sandy supporter thats a bit rich !!!
digs wrote: billythekid
[quote=digs]
Coming from a Sandy supporter thats a bit rich
But the 100% the truth.
BTW most genuine VFA/VFL supporters rate the TB Beach Road Oval very highly with plenty of atmosphere
At least the Zebras have never resorted to letting in the public in for free to try and boost their crowds.
As they say if you have to give you product away for nothing it is worth that - NOTHING.
Obviously with the piss poor crowds even when you were winning flags you got the people of Ballarat dont have any time for your club!
Take away the pokies money and you would struggle to field a decent team in the VFL!