TOPIC:

Ol Boy wrote: I was just wondering I was there at Gosnells in 81'and it was a great ground then haven't been back for a long time but that was probably a while before you got there. Just wondered when you played we may have crossed paths but as I said probably before you played.

Ol Boy & SD there is a great book on the history of the Gosnells footy club in the State Library if you are interested ..had a read of it myself & recommend it to you both ..there was some pretty handy players at the club in 81 too from memory.

All the WAFL grounds hold good memories for me and I would be sad to see any disappear,each has their own character. Even miss the cricket pitch at Perth Oval.

Mr AFL wrote:

Swandog wrote:

Ol Boy wrote: I was just wondering I was there at Gosnells in 81'and it was a great ground then haven't been back for a long time but that was probably a while before you got there. Just wondered when you played we may have crossed paths but as I said probably before you played.

Nah i playef in 1992/93 , you would hve played with Ross Leipold i reckon?

Ross Leipold is the Competition Director for the Perth District I'm pretty sure. Not relevant but someone mentioned Ross

Sure did Ross played HFF, Brad Smith was Ruck, Gary Martin centre / ruck rover & Trevor Williams on the other HFF anyway it was a great time and the ground was very good for Sunday League most leagues when it comes down to it.
Thanks for the info BH will do a bit of digging.

Back on topic, have to agree Brownes stadium best then Steel blue, Joondalup, Leederville, South Freo, Peel and its a raffle for last betweeen Moss street & Tiger land, thank god they are biting the bullet and giving the whole ground a face lift long over due. Be good if EF could follow suit or head back to their original ground in Freo oval if both parties could agree.

Sadly, I don't think the East Fremantle Town council have the best interests of the football club at heart. Maybe things have changed since this East Fremantle Oval masterplan was unveiled. You can decide here. Be warned..it's a large PDF www.eastfremantle.wa.gov.au/uploaded/pdf...EPORT%2017.07.08.PDF

"It is contended that the burden of financial support of the EFFC should not fall to the ratepayers of the Town of East Fremantle, who represent only 5-6% of the total club membership.
The municipality that supports the greatest membership group is Melville. It is noted that on numerous occasions there has been debate around the EFFC moving
physically to City of Melville (and other locations). There remains concern that
responsibility for providing infrastructure for EFFC falls to the Town of East
Fremantle.
With regards to length of membership, 54% of respondents have been members of
EFFC for over 20 years, and 25% have been members for between 10-20 years.
This data mirrors the age split of the EFFC members, with 83% of respondents aged
45+.
When broken down by postcode, from East Fremantle, 2 had been members for less
than 1 year, 2 were members for 5-10 years, 2 for 10-20 years, and 3 for more than
20 years."

Beasley Hutton wrote:

Ol Boy wrote: I was just wondering I was there at Gosnells in 81'and it was a great ground then haven't been back for a long time but that was probably a while before you got there. Just wondered when you played we may have crossed paths but as I said probably before you played.

Ol Boy & SD there is a great book on the history of the Gosnells footy club in the State Library if you are interested ..had a read of it myself & recommend it to you both ..there was some pretty handy players at the club in 81 too from memory.

Yeh ive had a read of that mate, one of my best mates is President of Gosnells this year

Ol Boy wrote:

Mr AFL wrote:

Swandog wrote:

Ol Boy wrote: I was just wondering I was there at Gosnells in 81'and it was a great ground then haven't been back for a long time but that was probably a while before you got there. Just wondered when you played we may have crossed paths but as I said probably before you played.

Nah i playef in 1992/93 , you would hve played with Ross Leipold i reckon?

Ross Leipold is the Competition Director for the Perth District I'm pretty sure. Not relevant but someone mentioned Ross

Sure did Ross played HFF, Brad Smith was Ruck, Gary Martin centre / ruck rover & Trevor Williams on the other HFF anyway it was a great time and the ground was very good for Sunday League most leagues when it comes down to it.
Thanks for the info BH will do a bit of digging.

Back on topic, have to agree Brownes stadium best then Steel blue, Joondalup, Leederville, South Freo, Peel and its a raffle for last betweeen Moss street & Tiger land, thank god they are biting the bullet and giving the whole ground a face lift long over due. Be good if EF could follow suit or head back to their original ground in Freo oval if both parties could agree.

Handy side line there mate!..yeh i played a lot of cricket with Rosco at GCC

La Hincha wrote: Sadly, I don't think the East Fremantle Town council have the best interests of the football club at heart. Maybe things have changed since this East Fremantle Oval masterplan was unveiled. You can decide here. Be warned..it's a large PDF www.eastfremantle.wa.gov.au/uploaded/pdf...EPORT%2017.07.08.PDF

"It is contended that the burden of financial support of the EFFC should not fall to the ratepayers of the Town of East Fremantle, who represent only 5-6% of the total club membership.
The municipality that supports the greatest membership group is Melville. It is noted that on numerous occasions there has been debate around the EFFC moving
physically to City of Melville (and other locations). There remains concern that
responsibility for providing infrastructure for EFFC falls to the Town of East
Fremantle.
With regards to length of membership, 54% of respondents have been members of
EFFC for over 20 years, and 25% have been members for between 10-20 years.
This data mirrors the age split of the EFFC members, with 83% of respondents aged
45+.
When broken down by postcode, from East Fremantle, 2 had been members for less
than 1 year, 2 were members for 5-10 years, 2 for 10-20 years, and 3 for more than
20 years."

Yes, very interesting - comes as no surprise, EFTC have wanted EFFC gone for years, the oval sits on prime residential redeveloment ground, Currently having WAFL as a tenant on this huge portion of land is a total financial burden for what is a very small and basically inefficient council. The council is desperate for more rateable property to gain income from on a long term. Rather than be a drain on the Towns finances this land could be a huge income stream.

perhaps more intersting was the members survey, and I guess it sums up the state of WAFL at the moment - an ageing and dieing membership basae - 83% of members 45 Plus..with virtually no new members in the last few years.

Very bad stats for long term survival.

Only 5% of members live in EF.

Rate payers ( and I am one) simply cannot be expected to support something that is no longer of any relevance to them.

Yeah, with that in mind and with no likely assistance from the Town of East Fremantle forthcoming, I reckon the Sharks should seriously consider moving out to Bullcreek or Murdoch. There's a bit of spare land out that way and it would hopefully put the club back in touch with some of the youth in the heart of it's zone - not to mention it would allow for a really top notch facility to be built. It would also be on the train line.

It's just a matter of seeing if the councils out that way are supportive.

If not, Fremantle Oval is the only other option I guess.

I wonder if Murdoch University would be interested in forming a partnership with EFFC, using the space they have on the corner of Farringdon Rd and Murdoch Ave?

That would be a perfect location.

Murdoch might require it for the veterinary program they have but who knows.

goo.gl/maps/TAyhM

With Fremantle moving to Cockburn & Sowfs looking for a new sugar daddy to help pay for the up keep at Fremantle Oval maybe it is a time for Old Easts to move back to their old spiritual home & move into ready made facilities maybe get Notre Dame involved in a multi use for the ground as well, plus their would be a game in the heart of Freo at the concrete jungle almost every weekend during the footy season.
To build a new footy ground with all the infrastructure needed etc probably just isnt feasible in this day & age of the WAFL.