It is the site of one of footy's most iconic images: Nicky Winmar gesturing defiantly to the mob of fans in the Vic Park outer. This ground was the most renown of the VFL venues for the vehemence and heavy barracking that would come from the outer. Those times though are not entirely gone: one can easily frequent suburban grounds if one enjoys footy at just one rung down from the elite, professional league.
Cheryl Critchley, AFLFA committee member and long time journalist, has an article in the Guardian in which she interviews Pies fans who remember Vic Park fondly.
She writes: "depending on who you follow, Victoria Park was the holy grail or hell on earth. The rickety terraces of the AFL’s most feared suburban venue gave the Magpie army a sense of belonging and power for more than 100 years. Opposition fans entered Vic Park at their peril and not just due to the menacing atmosphere, prehistoric toilets, cigarette smoke and lack of seats."
The rest of the article can be found here.