Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham has lent his voice to growing calls for a redevelopment of the SCG – including an expansion of up to 60,000 seats – warning that it risks becoming the sixth-best oval stadium in Australia without further investment.
About 40,000 fans are expected to attend the SCG for Sunday’s AFL derby between the struggling Swans and Giants, but many of them will be sitting in what are the oldest non-heritage grandstands at any tier-one stadium in the country.
The O’Reilly, Brewongle and Churchill stands are all close to or more than 40 years old and with their deteriorating facilities and narrow concourses, they suffer from some of the same safety and compliance issues that prompted the controversial rebuilding of neighbouring Allianz Stadium – and similar concerns to the Gabba about the ageing media facilities and camera platforms, which is set to be demolished after the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Those three SCG stands are being targeted for demolition as part of a revamp that it is hoped will bring the storied venue up to modern standards. Otherwise, Pridham said, with new stadiums to be built in Brisbane and Hobart, Sydney’s premier oval will slip behind those two cities, as well as Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne, in the national pecking order.
For the Swans, who are on track to break their membership record of more than 75,000, and regularly sell out the 48,000-capacity SCG, extra seats and improved corporate hospitality areas will cater to the continued growth of what is – measured by crowd figures, at least – the city’s biggest football club. Their average crowd last year was a record 38,202. This year, the Swans have completely sold out their corporate facilities.
Swans midfielder James Rowbottom and Giants counterpart Harry Himmelberg at the SCG this week.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
“It’s a fantastic stadium, an iconic place to watch any sport; the bones of the ground are world-class,” Pridham said.
“That said, the world moves on … there’s a lot of money being spent upgrading other stadiums around the country, and you’ve got to keep pace with it.
“I don’t know what motivates governments, but one thing I’ve seen is if you look at the impact that Optus has had in Perth, Adelaide Oval’s had in terms of the sort of confidence and the vibe in the cities … having world-class venues is something that people do value. We should absolutely be the event capital of Australia – whether it’s sports or concerts or anything else – and to not have the infrastructure to allow that to happen is crazy.
“I’m a real estate person. You can’t have real estate that is as valuable as the SCG and that whole precinct, and have it underutilised. It’s just crazy.”
Venues NSW is reviewing the condition of the three stands, pulling together previous master plans for the stadium and adapting them to account for changes to the Moore Park precinct following the rebuilding of Allianz Stadium, to create a vision for the new SCG. However, no funding commitments have been made by the NSW government. “Venues NSW will be undertaking a condition assessment of the O’Reilly, Brewongle and Churchill stands. The focus of this assessment will be to ensure the facilities meet the modern needs of fans,” said a spokesperson for Venues NSW.
The SCG has hosted so many memorable games, including the Swans’ come-from-behind win over the Giants in last year’s finals.Credit: Getty Images
If the O’Reilly, Brewongle and Churchill stands are demolished, it is presumed there will finally be room to be able to facilitate a drop-in wicket at the SCG – a contentious change the Swans have long pushed for, but now has tentative support from Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg.
Pridham, however, does not buy the argument that it is not possible to do now due to logistical issues.
“I wasn’t born yesterday,” he said. “I don’t accept the argument. In fact, I know it’s not correct that you couldn’t do a drop in wicket. There is sufficient technology today. I mean, we landed on the moon in 1969, so they can put a drop in wicket in the SCG tomorrow.
Swans chairman Andrew Pridham (centre) with ex-coach John Longmire (left) and his replacement Dean Cox.Credit: Getty Images
“That’s a bit of a furphy that argument. The other argument is that they need somewhere to grow the grass … there’s plenty of grass around the SCG, and it’s really a matter of will from the government to make it happen. I don’t think it should be dependent on redevelopment of the grandstands, albeit I think they’re both important.”
Another issue Pridham is firm on is the prospect of sharing the SCG with the Giants, who have previously flagged interest in playing a home game there during the period in which Engie Stadium is unavailable due to the Easter Show.
“It’s not happening, so it’s not worth discussing,” he said.
The Giants are now reportedly exploring the possibility of selling a home game to a Melbourne-based club and hosting them at the MCG.
The ageing SCG needs an upgrade, according to Swans chairman Andrew Pridham.Credit: Wolter Peeters
As for matters on the field, Pridham has been disappointed by the Swans’ 2-5 start to the season, their first under Dean Cox, but provided unequivocal support for the new head coach, who is grappling with a difficult injury crisis, which means they will field another vastly under-strength team on Sunday.
“It’s not the start we wanted nor expected – but it’s not unprecedented,” he said.
“I still remain optimistic. Clearly we’ve got to improve, but I think we’ve got a lot of improvement in us. There’s no excuses in footy. You either win or lose. But look, [Cox is] doing a fantastic job. Everyone’s really, really happy with what he’s doing. Circumstances haven’t been great for him in terms of the injuries. The fixture’s obviously also been tough. There are circumstances, but we never like to make excuses. He would never make excuses either. We’ve just got to get better.”
Beneath the AFL, however, Pridham expressed “real concern” about the state of the code in Sydney at grassroots level, particularly when it comes to participation rates for boys and men, although the boom in numbers for girls and women was a bright spot.
“In terms of male participation, in metro Sydney, including the western suburbs, I think it’s going backwards, and it’s very, very disappointing,” he said.
“It’s actually a significant concern. A lot of clubs are having to merge due to lack of players, due to lack of facilities. It’s a real problem, and we’re very focused on what the AFL and the Swans and the Giants can do together to try and stem the flow. If you look at the growth of the game in Queensland, for example, it really is chalk and cheese.
“There’s a lot of work to be done, and it’s a vast, vast geographical area, so it’s challenging. There’s definitely no quick fixes. It’s just time, it’s shoe leather, it’s inspiration, investment – it’s a slow burn. It’s not glamorous, but you’ve just got to keep at it.”
