Best and Worst Ovals in the SAAFL

[BenchedEagle]

seems as tho. you blokes are all higher grade players but paralowies oval is awsome to play on week in week out regardless of the weather.

Yeah ill back ya on that 1, nice oval.
Surprised noone has said it and i know im biased but Argana Park is beautiful to play on all year round. Great trees all around, Quality ground, turf pitch always comes up a treat durin cricket season as well.
Id say the worst iv played on would be Kersbrook, Brahma lodge (anyone remember in 06 when the lines were painted around the soccer goals lyin on the sideline!!!! haha) and Kenilworth, too frickin big and cold!! lol

[Jimmy_041]

Several things came to mind when I read the thread title;

Firstly, what I hated about an oval (in order):

1. condition
2. whether I felt I was playing on a cow paddock because of the location/atmosphere
3. location of the clubrooms
4. Having a cricket pitch covered by sand
5. Size

So in order of worst:

Edwardstown Baptist(defunct)/Old Iggies - by far the worst going around
Pulteney
SA Institute of Teachers (defunct)
Glenunga
Pembroke
Wingfield
TransAdelaide Tigers (defunct)
Ovingham
Portland

Secondly, what I liked about an oval (surprisingly the opposite)

Scotch - best by far that I'd played on
Payneham
Walkerville
Hope Valley
Burnside Kensington (defunct)

I'm sure I've forgotten some, but that's a starter.

There has been a forum on this same subject but it seems to have been replaced by this one.

Well....this posting opens a can of worms - probably deliberately, and for what its worth (which is probably nothing) I intend to comment because I played on most of these grounds. If you dont like it, DILLIGAF, you can move on to another posting:

Edwardstown Baptist(defunct) - played there the day I was taking the future Mrs Jimmy out for the first date. Got knocked out twice, which was probably lucky because I couldn't drink that night IIRC - one of the few ovals that went E-W
Old Iggies - I played at the school and in the W parklands - both crappy but one also a cow paddock

Pulteney - mediocre when dry - Myponga when wet
SA Institute of Teachers - if it is the one at Parafield - the only ground that I chundered on every time I played. I must have played there 4-5 times and chundered every time - must have been the smell of the abattoir on the way out there - also a paddock
Glenunga - see Pulteney ( In more ways than one!!)
Pembroke - Good oval but the sidelines are too close. Is there another reason people dont like playing on it other than Simon Berry abusing you?
Wingfield - Can remember the Royals but cant remember the oval
TransAdelaide Tigers - never played them
Ovingham - played them one year - good side, oval like a pool table - not surface - size.
Portland - Cant agree - always enjoyed playing there and drinking in the bar afterwards. Just didn't enjoy driving the 15 kms home afterwards.

Secondly, what I liked about an oval (surprisingly the opposite)

Scotch - best by far that I'd played on - I always seemed to get best player there probably because no-one could run around me. Australia's answer to Rotorua
Payneham - I have seen many games since Macca took over. The oval obviously needs a good college side to take over management
Walkerville - crap oval / crap club. Always enjoyed winning there and hated losing there, but never found them welcoming the other side for a beer after the game
Hope Valley - never played there but I hear, abandon all hope those who venture here
Burnside Kensington (defunct) - John Brealeys brother kicked 7 from centre in a trial game!!! Crap oval but great blokes played there

All in all....obviously gadg1976 is taking the pi$$

[emerson]

My best would be;

Sacred Heart Senior College
Adelaide Uni (early in the season)
PHOS Camden (pre rain)
Flinders Park
PAOC (front oval at college)
Snowtown (2004)

The worst are;

Adelaide Lutheran (still don't think the southern pocket has grass)
Fitzroy
CBCOC
Gepps Cross (after the rain)
Eudunda

[Jimmy_041]

You forgot Victoria Park

[Iron Fist]

what is it you didnt like about portland gadj??

[aceman]

My best would be;

Sacred Heart Senior College
Adelaide Uni (early in the season)
PHOS Camden (pre rain)
Flinders Park
PAOC (front oval at college)
Snowtown (2004)

The worst are;

Adelaide Lutheran (still don't think the southern pocket has grass)
Fitzroy
CBCOC
Gepps Cross (after the rain)
Eudunda

You obviously haven't played there in the last couple of years Emo, new drainage installed in 2006 and now she's a beauty. Must admit it was bad before that but now it's up there with the good ones. Biased I know, but so what!

[Flipper]

Emerson what didnt u enjoy about dolphin park?

[Jimmy_041]

He probably thinks the grandstand needs a roof

[LaughingKookaburra]

I must admit Flipper i've played at CBCOC twice and both times it was a mess, once the entire ground was under water and really heavy underfoot on the outer side. Not a fan of having turf cricket pitches inside the 50 metre arc either. Yeah Argana park is good Duncs, can be a bit hard at seasons start but other than that it's pretty good. Kenilworth is a cracker too, try doing a pre-season on it

[Drop Bear]

If you dont like it, DILLIGAF

[Lads]

The worst oval is Sal/Nth try being a hawks supporter the ground is great but the rest is the worst in div 1
no clubrooms for one and the club also only wants the players to have a couple of drinks and go home so theres
no atmosphere either and when you do go in they just look at you as if your from another planet
so dont complain to much at least you can watch your boys play and have a beer with them after the game

[JS SPORTS]

The worst oval is Sal/Nth try being a hawks supporter the ground is great but the rest is the worst in div 1
no clubrooms for one and the club also only wants the players to have a couple of drinks and go home so theres
no atmosphere either and when you do go in they just look at you as if your from another planet
so dont complain to much at least you can watch your boys play and have a beer with them after the game

Interesting comments from a Salisbury North guy.
Is it that the Community Club only tolerates the footy because it has to?

[Lads]

The worst oval is Sal/Nth try being a hawks supporter the ground is great but the rest is the worst in div 1
no clubrooms for one and the club also only wants the players to have a couple of drinks and go home so theres
no atmosphere either and when you do go in they just look at you as if your from another planet
so dont complain to much at least you can watch your boys play and have a beer with them after the game

Interesting comments from a Salisbury North guy.
Is it that the Community Club only tolerates the footy because it has to?

The Community Club has gone way past a footy club its a business and is run accordingly
the footy club did try once to build a grand stand and change rooms on the western side of the oval
but the residents on that road said NO so the council also said NO..

[Lads]

My best would be;

Sacred Heart Senior College
Adelaide Uni (early in the season)
PHOS Camden (pre rain)
Flinders Park
PAOC (front oval at college)
Snowtown (2004)

The worst are;

Adelaide Lutheran (still don't think the southern pocket has grass)
Fitzroy
CBCOC
Gepps Cross (after the rain)
Eudunda

You obviously haven't played there in the last couple of years Emo, new drainage installed in 2006 and now she's a beauty. Must admit it was bad before that but now it's up there with the good ones. Biased I know, but so what!

Cmon Ace are you on drugs when Salisbury North Beat you at Gepps last year that oval was a sloppy disgrace
even the goal umpire was up to his ankles in sand and when it got to his knees he yelled for help

[Lightning McQueen]

Cmon Ace are you on drugs when Salisbury North Beat you at Gepps last year that oval was a sloppy disgrace
even the goal umpire was up to his ankles in sand and when it got to his knees he yelled for help

The goalposts don't even face each other.

[Jimmy_041]

Cmon Ace are you on drugs when Salisbury North Beat you at Gepps last year that oval was a sloppy disgrace
even the goal umpire was up to his ankles in sand and when it got to his knees he yelled for help

The goalposts don't even face each other.

I reckon PNU have the same problem

[aceman]

My best would be;

Sacred Heart Senior College
Adelaide Uni (early in the season)
PHOS Camden (pre rain)
Flinders Park
PAOC (front oval at college)
Snowtown (2004)

The worst are;

Adelaide Lutheran (still don't think the southern pocket has grass)
Fitzroy
CBCOC
Gepps Cross (after the rain)
Eudunda

You obviously haven't played there in the last couple of years Emo, new drainage installed in 2006 and now she's a beauty. Must admit it was bad before that but now it's up there with the good ones. Biased I know, but so what!

Cmon Ace are you on drugs when Salisbury North Beat you at Gepps last year that oval was a sloppy disgrace
even the goal umpire was up to his ankles in sand and when it got to his knees he yelled for help

Lads, not sure what you're memory is like but mine's not bad. The sand had been put on the oval by the council on the Friday after one of your colleagues (or someone from Salis North or another suburb) decided to do some wet weather burnouts on the oval at the southern end from CHF into the goal square. That's why the sand was on the oval and it had rained.
As for the goals, next time you visit, make sure you've had absolutely nothing during the morning that may affect your ability to see straight and you will see that during footy season, the goals line up perfectly. If you're talking cricket season, they are put in a different position to get them off the cricket fields. While you're down there, go in and get the feeling of a Community Club that loves to have their footballers and cricketers inside the 4 walls of fun. You might like the idea and want to join us.

[emerson]

My best would be;

Sacred Heart Senior College
Adelaide Uni (early in the season)
PHOS Camden (pre rain)
Flinders Park
PAOC (front oval at college)
Snowtown (2004)

The worst are;

Adelaide Lutheran (still don't think the southern pocket has grass)
Fitzroy
CBCOC
Gepps Cross (after the rain)
Eudunda

You obviously haven't played there in the last couple of years Emo, new drainage installed in 2006 and now she's a beauty. Must admit it was bad before that but now it's up there with the good ones. Biased I know, but so what!

Yes Ace, correct. I played there 2002 and it was a sloppy mess. I'm well and truly retired now so I can only go on what it was like when I played.

As for CBCOC. I just don't like the east/west oval, the slope and again it was quite wet, heavy. No great atmosphere either. But it's been a while since I played there so take this with a pinch of salt..

[Lightning McQueen]

Lads, not sure what you're memory is like but mine's not bad. The sand had been put on the oval by the council on the Friday after one of your colleagues (or someone from Salis North or another suburb) decided to do some wet weather burnouts on the oval at the southern end from CHF into the goal square. That's why the sand was on the oval and it had rained.
As for the goals, next time you visit, make sure you've had absolutely nothing during the morning that may affect your ability to see straight and you will see that during footy season, the goals line up perfectly. If you're talking cricket season, they are put in a different position to get them off the cricket fields. While you're down there, go in and get the feeling of a Community Club that loves to have their footballers and cricketers inside the 4 walls of fun. You might like the idea and want to join us.

You got me on a technicality then, I was there a couple of weeks ago and it looked weird the way that they were obscured. I did go inside, yes, it was a lovely establishment, offering cheaper meals for the older folk in the community that looked like they were enjoying their meals.

[JS SPORTS]

Lads, not sure what you're memory is like but mine's not bad. The sand had been put on the oval by the council on the Friday after one of your colleagues (or someone from Salis North or another suburb) decided to do some wet weather burnouts on the oval at the southern end from CHF into the goal square. That's why the sand was on the oval and it had rained.
As for the goals, next time you visit, make sure you've had absolutely nothing during the morning that may affect your ability to see straight and you will see that during footy season, the goals line up perfectly. If you're talking cricket season, they are put in a different position to get them off the cricket fields. While you're down there, go in and get the feeling of a Community Club that loves to have their footballers and cricketers inside the 4 walls of fun. You might like the idea and want to join us.

You got me on a technicality then, I was there a couple of weeks ago and it looked weird the way that they were obscured. I did go inside, yes, it was a lovely establishment, offering cheaper meals for the older folk in the community that looked like they were enjoying their meals.

Tell us, did you jump in for a cheap "pensioner" meal while you were there?