One of the fun things about writing rugby league history is remembering the old suburban grounds of Sydney where the majority of premiership matches were played until the 1990s. The Match of the Day may have been played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (or Sydney Sports Ground) for decades, but there was something about watching your team on the rickety wooden seats of the one covered stand (if you were lucky) or the hill, mingling with other fans.
My parents took me to the old Cumberland Oval when I was a kid. The memories are a bit sketchy - this was before the Eels finally won a premiership in 1981 and burned the stadium to the ground. I was at the opening of Parramatta Stadium in 1986 - I think it was a school excursion to see the Queen - and while the conveniences were brilliant, it did lack the earlier atmosphere. I haven’t been to the new Western Sydney Stadium, as I moved out of Sydney before it was completed.
Of course, the suburban ground I love most of all is Brookvale Oval. Unloved by many, it sits in a state and federal seat that almost always goes to the Liberals, and therefore funding is hard to get. They have done well on occasions though, and it has come a long way since I sat in the rain just to see Wally Lewis for the first time. The 61-0 thrashing of St George in 1994 was probably my best memory of the ground.
I spent a bit of time at Lidcombe Oval as a kid too. My Dad was an engineer at Auburn Council, which employed many Magpies’ players back when footy players needed a job. I was a big fan of John Donnelly and Tom Raudonikis, but it was John Dorahy who eventually took me to the ‘dark side’ of Manly, as I’ve outlined in a previous post.
In my final years working for Mission Australia, I had the pleasure of forming partnerships with the fantastic Men Of League organisation. I was able to visit the new premises at Redfern and Belmore which took me back to the 80s. Both South Sydney and Canterbury had moved on to the new stadiums for home games, but the traditional bases remained their spiritual homes.
The one ground that really stood out in those years though was the old Henson Park at Marrickville. Every chance I had, I parked my car at the top of the dead end street to walk around the old ground on my lunch break. A public space now, I felt honoured to stand on the same space that Newtown heroes had once stood. Players such as Ray Preston, Dick Poole, Ken Wilson, Kevin Considine, Phil Sigsworth, and of course Tommy Raudonikis. Such a wonderful history.
It’s sad that today games are being cancelled due to COVID. Rockhampton was all set to host its first ever NRL game, as was Redcliffe. Two grounds that bring back memories of a simpler time. When crowds could mingle on the hill.
Let me know what you think. Comment below