Remembering VFL Park

[tiga]

Here is a pretty good youtube clip I found by a Tiger fan of VFL Park just prior to demolition that brought back lots of memories for me and I think it will for some others here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tygaDM3_c

Personally I loved the ground and saw some great Tiger victories there, particularly round 7 1989, a 2 point win over the Eagles on my Birthday. It was only 1 of 5 wins that season so it was a good reward for a Die hard Tiger fan like me sitting on the SE wing in the pouring rain.
Anyone else have fond memories of the Park?

[Francois Jackson]

sneaking into the club rooms as a kid and eating the party pies from the oven.

sneaking in through a hole in the barb wire fence to play kick to kick after school with the sound of the flag poles in the background.

watching the all stars games in the 80's as a kid.

Dees vrs Hawks when stynes ran over the mark.

Dunstall 17 goals vrs us (not a fond memory) but one il never forget

Last official game at the park, swans vrs hawks. i think maxfield was even playing for them if i recall.

I cant really help you with any fond tiger wins because of the limited success we had there.

[mightytiges]

My memories of VFL Park are mixed but mostly negative. I'm not sad to see it gone.

The labyrinth of tunnels and rooms under the Sir Kenneth Luke stand were great places to wander around and explore as a little kid. It all appeared gigantic and mysterious like a spy movie.

As you got older though, reality hits and living in the western suburbs as I did back then, it was a 2.5 hour trip across town on two trains and two buses to see a game of footy in the rainbelt of Melbourne and on a ground that rose too high in the centre so you couldn't see the play on the other side of the ground if you sat near the fence. The stadium design was the classic disc-shape from the 70s and by the 90s it was already out of date. Seeing us lose more often than not didn't help either. The only game I fondly remember was the 1995 win over the Hawks which was our first over them in 10 years.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Here is a pretty good youtube clip I found by a Tiger fan of VFL Park just prior to demolition that brought back lots of memories for me and I think it will for some others here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tygaDM3_c

Personally I loved the ground and saw some great Tiger victories there, particularly round 7 1989, a 2 point win over the Eagles on my Birthday. It was only 1 of 5 wins that season so it was a good reward for a Die hard Tiger fan like me sitting on the SE wing in the pouring rain.
Anyone else have fond memories of the Park?

I think we share the same birthday because we share the same memory 

[eliminator]

Sorry but almost entirely negative memories. One of the worst grounds ever. Very happy no longer in existence.

Negatives included:

We had a terrible record there. Losing to Sydney in 1996 there, losing to Geelong in 1995 there, and Dunstall kicking 17 goals against us all stood out for me in a negative sense;
The car park. Nightmare to get out;
The scoreboard with its blue egg on top and orange coloured pictures;
for an area that had a lot of rain there was little shelter in the stands;
The fact that if you were under cover you would still get hit by the rain; and
The Food was crap.

Positive memories included seeing us beat Carlton there in 1992 and beating Hawthorn there by 3 points.

[cub]

Drink, footy, bus, wet, cold, stuck in car park ahhhhhh the simple things in life was good.
There may have been a few holes but one day a Geelong supporter mate rode his bike with bolt cutters and cut the hole in the fence at the main scoreboard end.
 Stayed there for a whole.
As a youngster there was a way you could climb up a level and get through a gap Into the members, used to sit right up the top all alone.
Went to a final once and jumped the fence where the hole used to be, you'd have to cross a grass patch then up the steps to the walkway.
There were a few people milling around me and mate walked straight up and over, by the time we got to the top of the steps looked back and it was a procession lmfao. Reckon a few got by before security clicked on.
Finally being stuck on stud round for the ess v Richmond night final, had to get out and walk, needless to say the gates had been locked, a few got in just doing the fun and jump, I ended up at the Stamford.
Playing kick to kick across the platforms at nunawading on the way home.
 

[cub]

Obviously I've rarely missed a match over the years, was at the fun stall match.
Also another one v the hawks where it just poured all day, couldn't get wetter.
Was the day Carlton hadn't scored deep into the last qtr at footscray, soaked to the jocks that day. Was good!

[No More]

this will sound nuts but my best memories of VFL Park was the practice matches prior to the night series. You could go to VFL Park there would be like 200 or 300 people in the whole ground, you could sit anywhere and get peeed in peace and quiet. Just beautiful days out in the sun at Waverley.

[Phil Mrakov]

Absolute poohole, glad it's gone. Etihad is so much better

[tiga]

Absolute poohole, glad it's gone. Etihad is so much better

I guess getting your pram wheels stuck in the VFL Park mud is a horrible memory you just can't shake. 

I can imagine your reaction at the time...

"Hey mum, your pram pushing is absolute crap, poohouse! A full pre-season could do wonders for you! Don't even know why you bothered leaving the house dressed like that! Why do we have to go to this hole of a ground to watch Richmond lose AGAIN?? I could get just as miserable at home watching the game on the telly, only I'd be warm and dry and not stuck in MUD!! Now go get me a PIE!!....WITH SAUCE!!" 

[dwaino]

 

[Francois Jackson]

 

[bojangles17]

this will sound nuts but my best memories of VFL Park was the practice matches prior to the night series. You could go to VFL Park there would be like 200 or 300 people in the whole ground, you could sit anywhere and get peeed in peace and quiet. Just beautiful days out in the sun at Waverley.

Good call, I used to do that , grt times 

[JP Tiger]

In reverse order-
6.  Andy Roberts bean-balling Tony Greig with a lethal bouncer during an early WSC match on the worst international cricket pitch of all time.

5.  The final siren malfunction in the night Grand Final followed by a replay of the match the following week.  We got to watch Collingwood lose a Grand final two weeks in a row!   

4.  A light tower exploding during a night game leaving one pocket in the dark.

3.  An umpire trying to report Bruce Monteith for striking after his jumper had been torn to shreds Vs South Melbourne.  The umpire spun the jumper-less Monteith around 3 times looking for a number!  Brucey threw his arms up as if to say "I don't know who I am?"  The crowd were in fits of laughter for nearly ten minutes!  After the match the report of 'an unknown Richmond player' was lodged & then subsequently dismissed at the tribunal!   

2.  The sepia-tone video scoreboard.  Headache anyone?   

1.  A very drunk Angry Anderson singing 'Bound For Glory' from the back of a wobbly blue cardboard 'Bat-mobile'!   

Personally, I'm still laughing about the Monteith report!  The crowd rolling in the aisles laughing at the umpire was like the Monty Python's 'Welease Bwian!' scene from The Life of Brian!    
Angry Anderson's performance was just so unforgettably bad it had to be no1!

Come to think of it - nearly everything about VFL Park was absolute rubbish!  From the unreadable/unwatchable scoreboard, the inescapable bottle-neck car parks, unmanned open entrances, the temporary cricket pitch that was incredibly lethal, the exploding light towers & the siren that wouldn't blow when Collingwood were winning a night premiership ...      

[tiga]

Great memories everyone! I think the term "Love Hate" would be an apt description for most of us.

JP, I also went to a World Series Cricket match at Waverley. It was the first one in 1977, Australia v West Indies and it was awesome. Lillee, Thommo, Tangles, Walters, Pascoe, Hooksey and Co for the Aussies and Lloyd, Richards, Garner, Holding, Greenidge, Roberts for the Windies.
I remember standing near Garner and being amazed at how tall he was. And the late, Great David Hookes taking it to the Windies.