People’s win in stadium finals
IT IS a welcome development indeed that, following a series of exclusive reports by the Addy’s sports team, an arrangement has been made for GFL finals to be played at Simonds Stadium this year, and likely in future years too.
This is undoubtedly a good result for the GFL clubs but also for our local community.
Kardinia Park enjoys a hallowed status in this city. It’s a place steeped in history, communal identity, and the lingering memories and tantalising future prospects of triumphs over adversity.
And we all feel that in a small way it is ours - that we each own a little piece of it.
That is the beauty of our oval and our stadium but it is also what can make it fraught and contested turf.
Success has many fathers and financial contributors to Kardinia Park over the years include federal state and local government, as well as their ultimate contributors — we as tax and rate payers — and private interests and club greats like the Costa family.
That has only increased with Kardinia Park’s move from council into the State Government’s hands in the form of the Kardinia Park trust. Ultimately the state will want a return on their investment. But veteran club luminaries no doubt feel in no small way the precinct’s success is their own baby.
Given the conflicting pressures, the role of chair of the Kardinia Park trust sometimes looks about as appealing as second-in-charge to Kim Jong Un.
Michael Brown’s predecessor in the chair role stepped down after less than six months.
And as we have seen with the GFL finals issue there are potential community sorepoints over any perception big brother up the road is jacking up costs.
So it is great news that leaders have been flexible, costs have been shaved and a GFL finals deal has been made.
But as they say in Pyongyang: Watch this space.