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Blow me down, it's a breezy MCG
By Rohan Connolly, Greg Baum
March 25 2003
AFL clubs are preparing for a new style of football at the MCG as the demolition of the Ponsford Stand completely exposes the city end of the ground to the elements.
And while that had little impact on the summer of cricket just completed, AFL teams involved in MCG games this weekend in the opening round of the season are anxious to judge not only the impact of a potential wind tunnel running goal-to-goal from the western end, but the shortening of the playing arena by five metres at the same end.
Instead of stringing nets behind the area, which the MCC has deemed too costly, the AFL will employ ballboys to return the likely hundreds of balls kicked into the massive construction site during the first half of the season. By July, the new stand is expected to shield the players from the buffeting.
MCG ground staff have also worked overtime to replace two large slabs of turf several metres square on the Southern Stand wing. The turf had been damaged by the weight of the heavy transport used to lift the centre wicket bed from the ground early last week.
MCG curator Tony Ware said yesterday that the wind coming through the gap was sufficiently strong last week to force the crane operator to stop work. Ware believes the new exposed city end of the ground will be an important factor in football this season.
"It's certainly windier," Ware said. "We've had some days when the wind has come in quite strongly through that gap. At the other end of the ground, it's swirlier. You can feel the prevailing wind at the open end. Kicking at that end of the ground will be more difficult. It will be harder to kick goals out of the pocket."
Collingwood, which hosts Richmond in the season opener on Friday night, will train at the MCG late in the afternoon tomorrow, while Melbourne, which plays Hawthorn there on Sunday, will have a workout on the ground on Thursday.
Both are expecting to spend plenty of time concentrating on the city end of the ground, working out how to deal with the effects of the wind which threatens to take the game back to its old suburban-venue days.
"We reckon it will seem pretty windy, because it's been so good over the years, and that's pretty well where the wind comes from," Collingwood football manager Neil Balme said yesterday.
"We won't do too much because it's Wednesday before a Friday game, but we really want to have a look, and get the guys kicking goals at that end. It's certainly been a ground that sometimes gets a gusty wind, but never a breeze that favours one end, so this is probably going to be a fair bit different."
Richmond captain Wayne Campbell said he expected it would take some time for players to get the hang of the new-look 'G.
"I don't think you're going to work it out until you actually get out there and start running around and the wind blows from different angles on different days," Campbell said. "It's not as if everyone's going to work it all out on Friday night."
Melbourne football manager Danny Corcoran said the players had discussed the changed conditions after seeing them first-hand at the club's family day, held on the ground on Sunday.
"There's going to be a definite change in playing conditions," he said. "It's going to be a different feel in terms of kicking goals. Players won't have landmarks to line up the goals with . . . they'll probably be aiming at the AMP building or something."
By Rohan Connolly, Greg Baum
March 25 2003
AFL clubs are preparing for a new style of football at the MCG as the demolition of the Ponsford Stand completely exposes the city end of the ground to the elements.
And while that had little impact on the summer of cricket just completed, AFL teams involved in MCG games this weekend in the opening round of the season are anxious to judge not only the impact of a potential wind tunnel running goal-to-goal from the western end, but the shortening of the playing arena by five metres at the same end.
Instead of stringing nets behind the area, which the MCC has deemed too costly, the AFL will employ ballboys to return the likely hundreds of balls kicked into the massive construction site during the first half of the season. By July, the new stand is expected to shield the players from the buffeting.
MCG ground staff have also worked overtime to replace two large slabs of turf several metres square on the Southern Stand wing. The turf had been damaged by the weight of the heavy transport used to lift the centre wicket bed from the ground early last week.
MCG curator Tony Ware said yesterday that the wind coming through the gap was sufficiently strong last week to force the crane operator to stop work. Ware believes the new exposed city end of the ground will be an important factor in football this season.
"It's certainly windier," Ware said. "We've had some days when the wind has come in quite strongly through that gap. At the other end of the ground, it's swirlier. You can feel the prevailing wind at the open end. Kicking at that end of the ground will be more difficult. It will be harder to kick goals out of the pocket."
Collingwood, which hosts Richmond in the season opener on Friday night, will train at the MCG late in the afternoon tomorrow, while Melbourne, which plays Hawthorn there on Sunday, will have a workout on the ground on Thursday.
Both are expecting to spend plenty of time concentrating on the city end of the ground, working out how to deal with the effects of the wind which threatens to take the game back to its old suburban-venue days.
"We reckon it will seem pretty windy, because it's been so good over the years, and that's pretty well where the wind comes from," Collingwood football manager Neil Balme said yesterday.
"We won't do too much because it's Wednesday before a Friday game, but we really want to have a look, and get the guys kicking goals at that end. It's certainly been a ground that sometimes gets a gusty wind, but never a breeze that favours one end, so this is probably going to be a fair bit different."
Richmond captain Wayne Campbell said he expected it would take some time for players to get the hang of the new-look 'G.
"I don't think you're going to work it out until you actually get out there and start running around and the wind blows from different angles on different days," Campbell said. "It's not as if everyone's going to work it all out on Friday night."
Melbourne football manager Danny Corcoran said the players had discussed the changed conditions after seeing them first-hand at the club's family day, held on the ground on Sunday.
"There's going to be a definite change in playing conditions," he said. "It's going to be a different feel in terms of kicking goals. Players won't have landmarks to line up the goals with . . . they'll probably be aiming at the AMP building or something."
