If we were to host the Olympics...

Millsy29 said:

Another hypothetical thread. I'm sure this topic has probably been done to death

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It has.

but Melbourne certainly looks and feels like an Olympic city

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Well... this happened

Screw the Olympics, I'd prefer an Expo - longer lasting facilities and FAR longer exposure.

E-GATE: Expo site.

That is all.

tayser said:

Screw the Olympics, I'd prefer an Expo - longer lasting facilities and FAR longer exposure.

E-GATE: Expo site.

That is all.

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I was thinking this not long ago. Melbourne should have seized the opportunity to bid for EXPO 2020. I think anywhere along that Footscray Road corridor is perfect for that kind of event.

In saying that - for the topic at hand - IF Melbourne were to land the Olympics in the next 30 years (it's not entirely unlikely - it is a highly regarded city in Lausanne), I'd say Docklands and Fishermans Bend right down to the West Gate would play some role to some capacity.

We have many venues needed, give these a spruce up and anything that needs a new venue can be put in a "second" Olympic Park west of Docklands.

The MCG should be the opening/closing venue + athletics.

We dont want another big-arse stadium in a new brownfield development site that will sit vacant much of the time like Etihad.

But yes - venues like another Aquatic centre, velodrome or equestrian centre (That can easily be redeveloped especially in the equestrian centre's case) - could be built down there. More importantly any Olympic village should be in these areas as they're easy to convert post-games time.

Alphaville said:

It has.



Well... this happened

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If you're going to be a smart arse, keep it to yourself. Melbourne deserves another Olympic games. That the sporting capital of the world hasn't hosted it for that long is a disgrace.

:|

aim for 2056.

In the meantime, EXPO would be more relevant.

We haven't held one of them in........... 124 years.

A good thing about hosting the Olympics is that it would force the building of infrastructure that Melbourne so desperately needs, i.e. underground rail, east-west tunnel, airport rail link, airport and train station upgrades etc.

It's not about the games IMO but about the building program and economic spin-offs that comes with hosting such an event.

Millsy29 said:

If you're going to be a smart arse, keep it to yourself. Melbourne deserves another Olympic games. That the sporting capital of the world hasn't hosted it for that long is a disgrace.

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It's these kinds of ridiculous sweet nothings that makes this kind of discussion with people of your mentality tiring.

Sporting capital of the world? Self appointed? What about London? Melbourne deserves what? Why? A disgrace? lol! If you're going to wax on with baseless sentimentality can you keep it to yourself?

http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/185587/london-crowned-as-sportbusiness-2012-ultimate-sports-city

Somewhat relevant.

Qantas743 said:

A good thing about hosting the Olympics is that it would force the building of infrastructure that Melbourne so desperately needs, i.e. underground rail, east-west tunnel, airport rail link, airport and train station upgrades etc.

It's not about the games IMO but about the building program and economic spin-offs that comes with hosting such an event.

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Where will the money come from? It's not like the IOC gives a multi-billion dollar grant? Aside from the Airport Link (even then...) none of the projects you have mentioned would aid Melbourne in any way at all staging the Olympics. Thats why Melbourne reigns supreme with the likes of London, Paris and NY for sporting prowess - we really do not need THAT much more infrastructure to pull it off. An Airport Link would happen anyway - with or without the Olympics.

Alphaville said:

It's these kinds of ridiculous sweet nothings that makes this kind of discussion with people of your mentality tiring.

Sporting capital of the world? Self appointed? What about London? Melbourne deserves what? Why? A disgrace? lol! If you're going to wax on with baseless sentimentality can you keep it to yourself?

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Well we were sporting capital of the world. But as the post below you it says London have overtaken us. London just happen to be hosting the Olympics this year! What a coincidence...

What have London got that we don't anyway? Apart from the Olympics, serious question?

As Ricky Bobby would say: "With all due respect.." mate, you seem like a massive flog.

Qantas743 said:

A good thing about hosting the Olympics is that it would force the building of infrastructure that Melbourne so desperately needs, i.e. underground rail, east-west tunnel, airport rail link, airport and train station upgrades etc.

It's not about the games IMO but about the building program and economic spin-offs that comes with hosting such an event.

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Agree with the above. Seriously, the Olympic games will give you 1 million times the exposure EXPO will while also forcing the Government(s) into upgrading and constructing things. I could hold EXPO in my garage truth be told.

Millsy29 said:

Agree with the above. Seriously, the Olympic games will give you 1 million times the exposure EXPO will while also forcing the Government(s) into upgrading and constructing things. I could hold EXPO in my garage truth be told.

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The cost of the Olympics is exactly why many cities will struggle to justify bidding in future years. The security costs and issues alone are enough to stop the idea in it's tracks.

Expos these days is a dieing concept, especially as the globalised work makes us ever more connected. They also occur too often to really be effective.

Reading Rod Eddingtons comments today should be enough for many to think otherwise about spending big $$ on many infrastructure projects. Using Athens as an example, it's clear that the benefits of the investments rarely pay off, and in most cases this is true for nearly every olympics held.

So let's just move on from this dreamland scene and shift back to reality...

Millsy29 said:

Well we were sporting capital of the world. But as the post below you it says London have overtaken us. London just happen to be hosting the Olympics this year! What a coincidence...

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You weren't referring to the Ultimate Sports City ranking initially though, you were regurgitating the tired old Melbourne idea that it's the World's Sporting Capital. It's a dumb idea, and its irrelevant. If anything you appear arrogant and expectant. The IOC owes Melbourne nothing. Zilch. Fact is Australia just hosted in 2000. For a nation of our size to have hosted twice in less than 50 years is a big slice of the cake.

What have London got that we don't anyway? Apart from the Olympics, serious question?

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Well the fact that 2012 will be their third Olympics cannot be ignored; and I don't really believe you can rank cities this way, but so you can make up your own mind... have a look
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_London

As Ricky Bobby would say: "With all due respect.." mate, you seem like a massive flog.

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Can you cut the cringe worthy aggression? If you don't like the responses to the questions you are asking then why start a thread?

Millsy29 said:

Agree with the above. Seriously, the Olympic games will give you 1 million times the exposure EXPO will while also forcing the Government(s) into upgrading and constructing things. I could hold EXPO in my garage truth be told.

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But as I asked QF743 - where will the funding come from?

melb_aviator you make a very good point regarding EXPO and it's decline. It has lost some of its magic because of the internet. They say Brisbane 1988 was the last great World's Fair -- although Shanghai 2010 was reviewed as being a great on par with the golden days of the World's Fair.

Melb_aviator said:

The cost of the Olympics is exactly why many cities will struggle to justify bidding in future years.

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Yep - just look at the decline of cities even applying to officially bid for the Olympics since 2008 was decided early last decade:
2008 - 10 applicant cities
2012 - 9 applicant cities
2016 - 7 applicant cities
2020 - just FIVE applicant cities - might be narrowed down to just two or three tomorrow. This will be the lowest number of Candidate Cities for an Olympics since Seoul bid for 1988 with only Nagoya challenging them. The Olympics is still an immensely successful event, but in recent years many cities get last minute cold feet. It wouldn't suprise me if Australia mounted a bid in the next 10 years, but then dropped it do to the shit storm that would no doubt erupt when the cost became apparent. A lot has changed since the Sydney 2000 era.

Alphaville said:

Yep - just look at the decline of cities even applying to officially bid for the Olympics since 2008 was decided early last decade:
2008 - 10 applicant cities
2012 - 9 applicant cities
2016 - 7 applicant cities
2020 - just FIVE applicant cities - might be narrowed down to just two or three tomorrow. This will be the lowest number of Candidate Cities for an Olympics since Seoul bid for 1988 with only Nagoya challenging them. The Olympics is still an immensely successful event, but in recent years many cities get last minute cold feet. It wouldn't suprise me if Australia mounted a bid in the next 10 years, but then dropped it do to the shit storm that would no doubt erupt when the cost became apparent. A lot has changed since the Sydney 2000 era.

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Simple reason its dropped so low since 2008, what happened in 08, the world went into financial meltdown. Even the British IOC said had they known the financial crisis was coming they wouldn't have even placed a bid knowing what it was going to cost. But it seems they'll get most of their money back from it.

In the end bidding for the olympics costs money. A country isn't going to attempt to host it unless they have billions at their disposal. Athens 2004 def didn't help the Greek economy enough and look where they are. Granted we can't place all that on the olympics as fault, but spending that much money didn't help.

In the future only countries with growing economies or those desperate enough to hope that it'll help their economy will bid. You prob won't see many european bids over the next decade.

Plus besides Australia getting it twice, Brazil will be the only other nation in the southern hemphisphere to host a summer or winter olympics.

Most likely it'll be one of these nations to host next, hopefully Istanbul. Japan and Spain have had it before still too recently.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics

And judging by the bidding, Brisbane seems to be the only Australian city trying to bid the last few years. And with GC getting the Commonwealth games, if thats a success, it'll prob help them get the olympics later.

:cheers: Build a new temporary stadium and shopping centre at Ballarat

Ballarat hosts the olympics


International exposure known as "the golden city"2028

I submitted something about Melbourne hosting the 2036 Olympics to Neil Mitchell a couple of months back.

I was thinking that 2036 would be the best time to host the games, as it would give time for Paris to host them in 2024, and an African country and the USA to host them in 2028 and 2032.

The Olympic Games in 2036 will also be a special Olympics as it will be the games of the 36th olympiad in 2036. Also 36 years after Sydney would be enough time between Olympics for Australia.


The above image shows where the events at the 2006 Commonwealth Games where held.

Add to this the National Water Sports Arena on the Patterson River near Patterson Lakes as there was no rowing at the Commonwealth Games. and having the athletes village built over the train lines next to the MCG.


Of course the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be the main stadium for the games.


By then we could be possibly be looking at replacing the Great Southern Stand for the Olympic Games. We could build a modern version (by 2036 standards) of the Northern Grandstands.