A Kids Perspective on SANFL grounds

[Wedgie]

Thought it was interesting to get my kids perspective on which SANFL grounds they like and dislike, here goes, in order from favourite to least favourite (obviously you can disregard the assessment of Prosect as there's a bit of bias there):

Prospect Oval - some grass and lots of North supporters there
Norwood Oval - like the night games there
Woodville Oval - lots of grass, nice place
Noarlunga Oval - lots of grass, like how you can drive into the ground to watch games.
Glenelg Oval - would be favourite if not for the fact they always run out of food and drinks and the poor toilets.
Richmond - lots of room to play, good BBQ
Adelaide Oval - can't kick the ball around and cant go on the oval
Unley Oval - too crowded with everyone in the same area
Aami Stadium - dont like the fact you have to sit down
Alberton - too much cement and doesn't like some of the people there
Elizabeth - too far, too dark for night football and dont like the people there

[locky801]

Your kids are very smart Wedgie, they have it pretty well right, apart from the Bay, how can that be a favourite for kids, alright for us oldies that can run across to the Holdfast for a cold Crownie or 10 at half time, think there is more than some grass at Prospect, i will throw this open to my kids when they get back from holidays on Sunday, be interesting to see the different responses, 10/10 for a great idea for a thread, just something a tad different

[HeartBeatsTrue]

Thats funny, Ben Cousins liked ovals with lots of grass too.


Note: for very different reasons of course.

[Dogwatcher]

It's funny how kids reflect what their parents think isn't it. I'm constantly amazed by that. I see it all the time when dealing with kids for work.

[Wedgie]

It's funny how kids reflect what their parents think isn't it. I'm constantly amazed by that. I see it all the time when dealing with kids for work.

Yep, that happens quite often, my daughter is quite an individual though, I was amazed how different her assessment of ovals was so different to mine.
Also I get along with bogans really well, hell Im one myself but my daughter doesn't have much time for them hence her bottom two assessments, luckily she puts up with me though, mind you Im always getting told off for drinking, swearing, etc.

[Wedgie]

Found my ratings from many moons ago, see below. I think something can be gathered from what the kids think, I find it interesting that my daughter put a lot of emphasis on facilities and seating facilities, I was pretty aware that grass and having a kick and a catch would come into the ratings though. I didn't bother her with Thebarton as she'd only been there once.
Not with my ratings below if I'd included Adelaide Oval and Aami I would have had Adelaide Oval 10th, moving Unley to 11th with Aami coming in 12th. My rating of Noarlunga would have gone up to 7th moving Alberton and Elizabeth down spots too since this was written.

1st: Bay, great location, great oval, great for family
2nd: Norwood, only oval that serves decent beer
3rd: Prospect, best atmosphere, great location
4th: Thebarton, great location, good atmosphere, awesome surface
5th: Richmond, great location, best BBQ
6th: Woodville, nice grass for the kids to play on
7th: Alberton, good surface.
8th: Elizabeth, heaps of grass , facilities ok, disgraceful location, wouldn't wish my worst enemy to live near it.
9th: Noarlunga, great facilities, shocking location, terrible surface (sand based)
10th: Unley, makes a joke of the SANFL and shouldn't be allowed.

[Dogwatcher]

I don't have kids yet (just a foetus ), but here's from what I recall when I was a kid:

Fave - Elizabeth, of course. Very biased. but there are plenty of grassy areas there and HJ's is just around the corner.
Football Park - sure I couldn't kick a footy there, but the thrill of going to that big stadium (remember, I was a kid) and the noise that engulfed you was amazing. I'll never the forget the first times I went there.
Woodville - nice and grassy.
Thebarton - Too much concrete.
Adelaide Oval - I loved it, plenty of room to kick the footy (you could then) and Sturt and South lived there and they rarely beat us. Good to get to on public transport.
Port Adelaide - hated it. We never won, too much concrete and it was hard to get there.
Prospect - take it or leave it. Although I enjoyed playing rep games there. Was good to get off a bus at though.
Norwood - hated it. concrete and horrible. too small. terrible when wet. the wall was always a source of amusement, even if no one crashed into it.
Noarlunga - never went there. Too far.
Glenelg - I'm ambivalent about the Bay. Although when I was a kid we wouldn't have won too many games there. Probably hated it just for the fact of THAT game.
Unley - league didn't play there when I was a kid. Although I played some junior games there. An interesting oval. If I was a kid now though, the playground would've been good.

[Wedgie]

Hmm, good memory, as a young Norwood supporter I can recall most of what I thought.

1 Footy Park, always exciting going there, fun playing up and down the steps and hanging off the poles.
2 Prospect, loved Rocket Rooster even as a Norwood supporting kid!
3 Thebarton, had lots of friends there, always stayed late, good fun
4 Bay, easy to get to, bit uncomfortable because always packed, would have been a bigger fan these days
5 Richmond, always had a good view.
6 Elizabeth, long trip was always exciting, like going to the other side of the world. Bit of a dampener when in my teens when Dad got threatened with a bashing although did get a laugh when 20 when 2 90 year olds threatened to put deck chairs through our heads, thus ended our time on the Grandstand side of the Oval.
7 Norwood, hard to see, biggest highlight was catching up with Brian and the merchandise van, got scary on Coopers Hill sometimes as was packed.
8 Unley, bit packed but good view, can remember some weirdos there though.
9 Adelaide, miles away from ground but could kick the ball on the hill in those days, usually too many people though
10 Alberton, usually cold and miserable, ugly place with nothing for kids to do.

[topsywaldron]

Norwood Oval i terrible for kids IMHO. With two kids under four The Parade, without any grassed areas, is a nightmare for them with no area at all to play in.

Some might say they should play on the oval, we couldn't do any worse.

[Wedgie]

Norwood Oval i terrible for kids IMHO. With two kids under four The Parade, without any grassed areas, is a nightmare for them with no area at all to play in.

Some might say they should play on the oval, we couldn't do any worse.

Yeah I was amazed my daughter rated it so highly but she loves night games there. Luckily for me my kids are quite happy just sitting there watching the footy not ever bothering their parents, always been like that since they were born.

Only pain was changing nappys and breast feeding (no not from me) when they were younger, we found Prospect good as you could park where the hospital is and we used to sit in front of the scoreboard which was handy, Norwood ordinary, Alberton not too bad, Glenelg good, etc, etc basically rated on how close you could park a car or how good the bar/toilet facilities were.

[bayman]

little baymans with no help from me

glenelg because that's my team & there is plenty of grass to play on (i'll add the toilets in the family area are very acceptable)

adelaide oval because it is a great view for both footy & cricket but i don't like the fact we're not allowed to go on the oval or even kick on the hills

woodville because plenty of grass to play on

unley because of the wendys hot dog van & you can see the players warming up before the game

norwood because i like night games

elizabeth because i like the night games & there is always some good things for kids to do in the family area

noarlunga because dad takes me there on the train sometimes

prospect because you can give the players hi fives when their going on & off the ground

richmond because it's my best chance to get a ball from behind the goals & kick it back

thebarton because i've only been there a few times & it is different

footy park it is just boring with nothing to do at half time & all you can do is just sit there



this is little baymans answers & has nothing to do with me


we left off alberton (if only) he says he loves beating them (instilled from me) but hates it as there is no place to play & it is all asphalt

[Dogwatcher]

Great work lil Bayman!

[Wedgie]

Great work lil Bayman!

No praise for lil Wedgie kicking off the discussion?
No wonder she doesn't like the people at Elizabeth.

[locky801]

some comments here already just go to show why SANFL footy should never leave the home grounds, you are close to the action, you can interact with players (apart from Adelaide Oval), get on the oval; have a kick, listen to coaches etc etc, why some clubs, one now in particular want to move away from that astounds me

[bayman]

some comments here already just go to show why SANFL footy should never leave the home grounds, you are close to the action, you can interact with players (apart from Adelaide Oval), get on the oval; have a kick, listen to coaches etc etc, why some clubs, one now in particular want to move away from that astounds me

which club is that ?

[rod_rooster]

some comments here already just go to show why SANFL footy should never leave the home grounds, you are close to the action, you can interact with players (apart from Adelaide Oval), get on the oval; have a kick, listen to coaches etc etc, why some clubs, one now in particular want to move away from that astounds me

which club is that ?

[bayman]

some comments here already just go to show why SANFL footy should never leave the home grounds, you are close to the action, you can interact with players (apart from Adelaide Oval), get on the oval; have a kick, listen to coaches etc etc, why some clubs, one now in particular want to move away from that astounds me

which club is that ?

i honestly don't know, i haven't read the paper for at least 6 months & haven't noticed if its been on this site or not

[Wedgie]

some comments here already just go to show why SANFL footy should never leave the home grounds, you are close to the action, you can interact with players (apart from Adelaide Oval), get on the oval; have a kick, listen to coaches etc etc, why some clubs, one now in particular want to move away from that astounds me

which club is that ?

i honestly don't know, i haven't read the paper for at least 6 months & haven't noticed if its been on this site or not

North mate.

[bayman]

thanks wedgie, why would any side leave a home ground & the advantage that it has (besides $$$$$$$$) & i know the bays did it in 1991-1992

[am Bays]

just '91 mate 1992 we came back home, South rained on our home coming parade, luckily we reversed the fortunes in 1995...