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Dead right Anchor...almost impossible to watch AFL in this state if you are not a member of the 2 teams here. Short sighted in the least. I'd go to watch many games just to watch great players from other teams but I will not buy a membership at the two clubs here just for this privilege so the AFL misses out on my hard earned

I guess the thing to take into account is how many times a year games are completely sold out...not many but yes, I do agree it probably should have been made bigger or at least have design contingencies to allow it to be extended in the future if needs be.

anchorman wrote: I hear what you are saying DW, but just remember that when you buy a ticket at the gate or wherever the money goes directly to the AFL. Not to football here in WA.
They say there is somewhere between5 to 8 thousand football followers go East from Perth every week of the football season, imagine if we got the return from the East, or at least half that just how much money it would bring into the state.
Football followers from the East don't even contemplate coming over to see their side play because they know they will not get a seat. We missed out badly on this one.

That's why I am a member at my WAFL club and spend my hard earned there. I'd still go to AFL games, even as a neutral if the process was easier but as a Bombers fan even a membership has you on a long waiting list with no end in sight. The new stadium will not make a difference to football people like me so I will choose to get my footy fix at Basso Oval, where I know my money is needed, appreciated and where I get to talk to players and officials about life and footy nearly every weekend. Much better value in my eyes. Having said all this I still am in agreement with you, the stadium should have been built with a much bigger capacity for the good of not just football but other international sporting opportunities

To put it into perspective what is the capacity of the Sydney Olympic Stadium?

Yup Eags and dockers got 60,000 mebers now, and they get what 36,000 on average for a 43000 stadium at subi??

Yep they've trained many of us to not bother because not can go anyway even if member due to wait list. Why would we bother in future, already trained to watch on TV

anchorman wrote: I hear what you are saying DW, but just remember that when you buy a ticket at the gate or wherever the money goes directly to the AFL. Not to football here in WA.
They say there is somewhere between5 to 8 thousand football followers go East from Perth every week of the football season, imagine if we got the return from the East, or at least half that just how much money it would bring into the state.
Football followers from the East don't even contemplate coming over to see their side play because they know they will not get a seat. We missed out badly on this one.

Spot on A/M, just look at the Adelaide Oval. 55,000 & nearly always full. It's too small. We need 75,000 stadium for the future ( which isn't far off )

The new stadium is initially designed for 60K but has been designed so that an expansion to 80k can be done at a later date, so they have given the issue due consideration. The WA AFL following public will have to fill the ground every week of the season plus significant discontent demonstrated that people cant get seats before they will look to expand. No point in trying to compare us with SA, their supporter base and the SANFL admin are far more committed to the game than WA afl followers and that incoherent incompetent mob the WAFC who claim to be running footy in WA. Maybe after 10 years the Govt of the day may consider the expansion and then it would be a couple of years in the making. Lets just be gratefull that finally the Govt of the day via Emperor Barney after 20 years of phaffing about had the balls to get the stadium actually started.

What everyone needs to realise is that the stadium capacity is secondary, what they have to have is a full stadium for TV, like the yanks, the majority of their Gridiron stadiums are 50k-70K capacity if that, never enough seats for all who want them but the TV want full stadiums for their telecasts, that's all that matters. Given the only time Subi is at capacity is for Derby's and any finals, the stadiums actually sold out to members/season ticket holders for all games I believe but plenty don't turn up.

Senior Seagull wrote: The new stadium is initially designed for 60K but has been designed so that an expansion to 80k can be done at a later date, so they have given the issue due consideration. The WA AFL following public will have to fill the ground every week of the season plus significant discontent demonstrated that people cant get seats before they will look to expand. No point in trying to compare us with SA, their supporter base and the SANFL admin are far more committed to the game than WA afl followers and that incoherent incompetent mob the WAFC who claim to be running footy in WA. Maybe after 10 years the Govt of the day may consider the expansion and then it would be a couple of years in the making. Lets just be gratefull that finally the Govt of the day via Emperor Barney after 20 years of phaffing about had the balls to get the stadium actually started.

Spot on, after 20 to 30 years of stuffing around we will have a great facility.

It,s designed to expand from 60k to 80k so that has been factored in.

60k for mine is ideal, given that it is 20k more than what we have today and most games even blockbusters are even getting close to capacity of a piss weak 43k.

remember SA scaled down from 60k at footy park to 50k at the oval and seem to be doing just fine, port games at footy park were empty.