Hills at grounds are a good thing!
They offer a very relaxed atmosphere and are a culturally significant experience for the Aussie footy follower.
Granted when it rains it is difficult but just go and ask what a great time was had by the patrons on Leichardt's hill at the recent game against Manly.
It was awesome and the fans will keep coming back for the experience.
On the topic of ANZ Stadium that many have mentioned here, I went to the Knights/Sharks match at Hunter Stadium a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time I've been to a match there since 2008 (before the Western Grandstand was reconstructed). I sat in the upper tier of the Western Grandstand, very high up (2 rows from the back) on the 50m line and man, the view was perfect. It was like watching the game on tv, but at the ground.
I also sat in the upper tier of ANZ Stadium for the 2001 GF, and 2002 GF. The view at Hunter Stadium wins hands down. Not because ANZ is a much larger ground, but the point many have made up the flatter gradient of the stairs, as well as the fact the upper tiers are WAY too far back from the action. Even the lower tiers (which is category 1 pricing), the gradient is too flat compared to the one at Hunter Stadium and those famous soccer stadiums in Europe. So, this whole point about bringing the grandstands of ANZ Stadium further in, unfortunately, isn't going to solve the problem.
And regarding hills, as a Knights fan, I remember the days of the old Eastern hill. Those were some good times, spent many Sunday afternoons sitting alongside my parents on the hill. There was always a good atmosphere at what was then known as Marathon Stadium when there was 20k there, and you knew there was at least 25k minimum there when that eastern hill was packed like a can of sardines.
Although it feels nostalgic watching highlights of old matches pre-2004 when the hill existed and it was a sad day to be at that last match in Rd 26 2003 vs Cowboys before building the first stage of the Eastern/A.J Grandstand in the off-season, I understood that as much as I loved the '90s and everything about them (from the way life was back then, music, fashion, to the way RL was when I first started watching it back then), it was no longer the '90s, and building the Eastern grandstand - as well as getting the Western grandstand done up again - was one of the best things to happen to the ground. The facilities now are much better than I remember in the days of sitting on the hill. No long queues to go to the toilet or buying food, and also more corporate facilities available in both grandstands. Hunter Stadium would NEVER in a million years have also won the right to host other marquee events like the 2015 AFC Asian Cup matches had the Eastern hill still existed. A shame Australia didn't win the 2022 FIFA World Cup as we were in line to expand the capacity of Hunter Stadium had it been approved.
Fast forward now to Sunday afternoon where Manly played the Sharks and....Brookvale Oval is in DIRE need of a grandstand. I'd leave the Northern hill available for those hill lovers and young familes, but their crowds would definitely improve with reserved seating on the eastern side of the ground. Yes, Leichhardt Oval looked nice but it will never be redeveloped as the Tigers can only afford to play a small portion of matches there due to the high expenses of playing matches there.
