I find it interesting that in all the discussion about stadiums, Hensen Park in Marrickville has rarely been mentioned? Obviously it would need a hell of a lot of investment, but it has some distinct positives. It’s only a 20min flat walk from 4 stations (sydenham, marrickville, petersham, stanmore) or 10min bus from Newtown or redfern, there’s plenty of pubs, it’s flat and has a fair bit of history (Newtown jets in the Nswrl). Not saying its ideal, just never seen any mention of it when it’s a better option than others. Would be an ideal spot as a base for the NPL and Wleague with some investment.
The Jets & AFL/Swans have banded together, approaching the Inner West Council with a proposal to upgrade the facilities “in exchange for a long term lease of the grandstand and a licence over the sporting ground”. That got a bit of push-back on the grounds that such a lease should go to a tender process, but Darcy Byrne seems quite keen.
Just before the election, Albo announced that if Labor got in they would invest $5m in improving it as a rugby league & AFL venue:
Obviously that’s not happening anymore, but this was “…in addition to the $2 million already allocated to the project by the Inner West Council, the Newtown Jets and the AFL NSW/ACT”, and I guess they will continue with the attempt to get state funding instead.
I more meant if a decent amount of money was spent by someone it would be a great opportunity, but then you could say that about a number of venues. Redfern oval, Wentworth Park in glebe, north Sydney oval spring to mind.
If you were going to spend money, I’d say Concord would be the safest bet. Fair bit of room for expansion around it and already has some grandstands etc.
It would have to be a shit tonne of money to do to Henson also traffic around that area is horrible on the weekends and the public transport options are not that great.
Henson is great for what it is, a local ground attracting, at most, 2000 people.
Anything beyond that is pissing in the wind. The amount of infrastructure work needed to make it work would essentially mean removing a large portion of a recently gentrified neighbourhood.
Can you say ‘NIMBY’? It’s also under the flight path for Runway 1. If you want that, Barton park is a shit load better as an option. The East-West Runway gets used a lot less.
You already can’t move in half the micro-brewerys around the district on the weekends. Traffic on Sydneyham Rd and Addison Rd have been carparks for over a decade. It’s a large oval surrounded by the remnants of a velodrome leaving spectators a long, long way from the action. Think Olympic stadium but no seat to sit on and a sun to look into. The tennis club has the worst porko food in the district. The Henson Hotel is a gentrified, local family pub.
In short, it’s not discussed as an option because it isn’t.
Problem with Sydney is that there;s heaps of little suburban grounds, each one has their own pros and cons, it’s just that you need to invest a shitload of money to get them up to scratch.
Took an English mate to a game and he asked what I reckon the crowd was so I said around 8900 people and he freaked out when they announced the crowd. The penny dropped later when he saw someone with a flag that had 8972 on it.