Junction Oval
Encyclopedia
The Junction Oval is an historic sports ground in the suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne
, Victoria, Australia
. Its location near the St Kilda Junction
(the intersection of St Kilda's main street - Fitzroy Street - and St Kilda Road) gave rise to its nickname. It is located approximately five kilometres from the centre of Melbourne and is in the southernmost part of the large Albert Park
sporting precinct.
) is a landmark of the St Kilda Junction area. There are two main heritage grandstands, the Blackie
-Ironmonger
stand built by the St Kilda Cricket Club (named after two of St Kilda Club's Test cricketers: recently restored and in use), and the Kevin Murray grandstand (named after one of Fitzroy
's greatest footballers: not in use). The remainder of the ground is terraced asphalt, with grass embankments at the rear. Older structures were demolished in the 1980s during a rationalisation of the ground. It is a very picturesque venue, with a top-quality turf playing area and a modern backdrop of tall buildings and parkland.
St Kilda played 564 home matches for premiership points at the ground between 1897 and 1964. The Saints' final home game at the venue was on the 22 August 1964 – a 12 point win against the Geelong
- 12. 18 (90) to 11. 12 (78) - in front of an attendance of 37,100. The club also played 16 away games at the venue – 13 against the Fitzroy Lions (now part of the Brisbane Lions) and three against South Melbourne (now the Sydney Swans
).
The first ever women's footy match was played there in 1921.
In 1944, the military vacated the Junction Oval. Because it was closer to South Melbourne's still-occupied home base of the Lake Oval than Princes Park, the Swans started playing their home games at the venue. The South Melbourne Football Club (now the Sydney Swans
) played 29 home matches for premiership points at the ground between 1944 and 1946.
In 1970, Fitzroy relocated to the venue and stayed until the end of 1984.
The Fitzroy Football Club (now part of the Brisbane Lions) played 135 home matches for premiership points at the ground between 1970 and 1984.
The ground hosted a total of six finals series matches including two semi-finals, one preliminary final and three grand finals in 1898, 1899 and 1944. The Fitzroy Football Club won all grand finals played at the venue.
A total of 734 VFL/AFL matches were at the ground, the highest score being Fitzroy
's 34. 16. (220) against North Melbourne
in 1983.
In recent years, the Melbourne Football Club
have based their football department at the oval and used it as a training ground.
The major winter tenant since the early 1990s has been the Victorian Amateur Football Association
's Old Melburnians Football Club
, who still call the ground home today. Since moving to the ground in 1992, the Junction Oval has seen OMFC win four senior premierships and in 2009 the club, which fields five sides in the VAFA, won four premierships in one year.
The annual Community Cup
football match is played there.
competition. The oval has also been used as an occasional home ground by the Victorian Bushrangers
first class
cricket
team, most recently during the 2005-06 season when the Melbourne Cricket Ground
(MCG) was being prepared for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
. In the early 1990s it was used regularly because of the construction of the Great Southern Stand at the MCG. It also played host to the 2008/09 Sheffield Shield final, won by the Bushrangers, due to the unavailability of the MCG, because of the Bushfire relief concert.
has had a long association with the St Kilda Cricket Ground, not only making his first class debut at the ground for Victoria in 1991, but also playing there on numerous occasions between 1989 and 2006 for his club side, St Kilda. Due to these connections, the club has now started proceedings to rename the venue to the Shane Warne Oval.
in a VFL
match. This is a bigger crowd than any of the three grand finals played at the venue.
The record attendance for a South Melbourne home game at the Junction Oval was 38,000 against Richmond
in 1946.
The record attendance for a Fitzroy home game was 27,202 versus Collingwood
in the opening round of 1981.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Its location near the St Kilda Junction
St Kilda Junction
St Kilda Junction is one of the most notorious intersections in Melbourne, Australia. It is located in the suburb of St Kilda, and bordering Windsor, Melbourne and St Kilda East, and is the meeting point of the major roads Punt Road, St Kilda Road, Dandenong Road/Queens Way/Princes Highway and...
(the intersection of St Kilda's main street - Fitzroy Street - and St Kilda Road) gave rise to its nickname. It is located approximately five kilometres from the centre of Melbourne and is in the southernmost part of the large Albert Park
Albert Park and Lake
Albert Park and Albert Park Lake are situated in the City of Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of the Melbourne CBD....
sporting precinct.
Ground
The current capacity of the ground is around 8,000. The scoreboard (built 1954-55 by the St Kilda Cricket ClubSt Kilda Cricket Club
St Kilda Cricket Club is a cricket club in the elite club competition of Melbourne, Australia, known as Victorian Premier Cricket.Its home ground is the St Kilda Cricket Ground, often called the Junction Oval.-History:...
) is a landmark of the St Kilda Junction area. There are two main heritage grandstands, the Blackie
Don Blackie
Donald Dearness Blackie was an Australian Test cricketer who played only three Tests in the summer of 1928-29. At 46 years 253 days of age at the time of his Test debut, Blackie remains the oldest debutant in Australian Test cricket.-External links:*...
-Ironmonger
Bert Ironmonger
Herbert Ironmonger was a Victorian and Australian cricketer....
stand built by the St Kilda Cricket Club (named after two of St Kilda Club's Test cricketers: recently restored and in use), and the Kevin Murray grandstand (named after one of Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
's greatest footballers: not in use). The remainder of the ground is terraced asphalt, with grass embankments at the rear. Older structures were demolished in the 1980s during a rationalisation of the ground. It is a very picturesque venue, with a top-quality turf playing area and a modern backdrop of tall buildings and parkland.
Australian Football
Although the ground was originally built for cricket (St Kilda Cricket Club has played at the St Kilda Cricket Ground since 1855), it is also known as the original home ground of the St Kilda Football Club. The Saints played home games at the venue until 1964.St Kilda played 564 home matches for premiership points at the ground between 1897 and 1964. The Saints' final home game at the venue was on the 22 August 1964 – a 12 point win against the Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
- 12. 18 (90) to 11. 12 (78) - in front of an attendance of 37,100. The club also played 16 away games at the venue – 13 against the Fitzroy Lions (now part of the Brisbane Lions) and three against South Melbourne (now the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
).
| St Kilda Football Club Home Match Record at the Junction Oval (St Kilda Cricket Ground) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Most Recent Home Match |
| Junction Oval | 564 ~ |
250 (44.33%) |
310 (54.96%) |
4 (0.71%) |
1964 Premiership Season Round 18 1964 VFL season Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1964.-Premiership season:In 1964, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man... |
| 1897 to 1964 | |||||
The first ever women's footy match was played there in 1921.
In 1944, the military vacated the Junction Oval. Because it was closer to South Melbourne's still-occupied home base of the Lake Oval than Princes Park, the Swans started playing their home games at the venue. The South Melbourne Football Club (now the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
) played 29 home matches for premiership points at the ground between 1944 and 1946.
| South Melbourne Football Club Home Match Record at the Junction Oval (St Kilda Cricket Ground) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Most Recent Home Match |
| Junction Oval | 29 - |
20 (68.97%) |
9 (31.03) |
0 (0.71%) |
1946 Premiership Season Round 19 1946 VFL season Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1946.-Premiership season:In 1946, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man... |
| 1944 to 1946 | |||||
In 1970, Fitzroy relocated to the venue and stayed until the end of 1984.
The Fitzroy Football Club (now part of the Brisbane Lions) played 135 home matches for premiership points at the ground between 1970 and 1984.
| Fitzroy Football Club Home Match Record at the Junction Oval (St Kilda Cricket Ground) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Most Recent Home Match |
| Junction Oval | 135 - |
75 (68.97%) |
59 (31.03) |
1 (0.71%) |
1984 Premiership Season Round 22 1984 VFL season Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1984.-Awards:* The Brownlow Medal was awarded to Peter Moore of Melbourne.* The Coleman Medal was awarded to Bernie Quinlan of Fitzroy.... |
| 1970 to 1984 | |||||
The ground hosted a total of six finals series matches including two semi-finals, one preliminary final and three grand finals in 1898, 1899 and 1944. The Fitzroy Football Club won all grand finals played at the venue.
A total of 734 VFL/AFL matches were at the ground, the highest score being Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
's 34. 16. (220) against North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in 1983.
In recent years, the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
have based their football department at the oval and used it as a training ground.
The major winter tenant since the early 1990s has been the Victorian Amateur Football Association
Victorian Amateur Football Association
The Victorian Amateur Football Association is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia consisting purely of amateur players. Unlike the Victorian Football League and the VFL/AFL, the VAFA has always been strictly a purely amateur league and has affiliations with both AFL Victoria...
's Old Melburnians Football Club
Old Melburnians Athletics Club
The Old Melburnians Athletics Club is a track and field club based in Melbourne, Australia.-History:The precursor to the O.M.A.C. was the "Hare & Hounds" club, which organized various runs and competitions.Started in 1892, it was one of the four founding clubs of the Victorian Amateur Athletic...
, who still call the ground home today. Since moving to the ground in 1992, the Junction Oval has seen OMFC win four senior premierships and in 2009 the club, which fields five sides in the VAFA, won four premierships in one year.
The annual Community Cup
Community Cup
The Community Cup is an annual charity event held in Melbourne which features an Australian rules football match. It is noted for its cult following, celebrity appearances and media profile....
football match is played there.
Cricket
The Junction Oval is home to the St Kilda Cricket Club, which plays in the Victorian Premier CricketVictorian Premier Cricket
Victorian Premier Cricket is the elite club cricket competition in the state of Victoria, administered by Cricket Victoria. Each club fields four teams of adult players and usually play on weekends and public holidays. Matches are played on turf wickets under limited-time rules, with most results...
competition. The oval has also been used as an occasional home ground by the Victorian Bushrangers
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
first class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team, most recently during the 2005-06 season when the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
(MCG) was being prepared for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
. In the early 1990s it was used regularly because of the construction of the Great Southern Stand at the MCG. It also played host to the 2008/09 Sheffield Shield final, won by the Bushrangers, due to the unavailability of the MCG, because of the Bushfire relief concert.
Change of name
Cricket great Shane WarneShane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
has had a long association with the St Kilda Cricket Ground, not only making his first class debut at the ground for Victoria in 1991, but also playing there on numerous occasions between 1989 and 2006 for his club side, St Kilda. Due to these connections, the club has now started proceedings to rename the venue to the Shane Warne Oval.
Record attendance
46,973 people turned up on 20 May 1950 to watch St Kilda play CarltonCarlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in a VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
match. This is a bigger crowd than any of the three grand finals played at the venue.
The record attendance for a South Melbourne home game at the Junction Oval was 38,000 against Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
in 1946.
The record attendance for a Fitzroy home game was 27,202 versus Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the opening round of 1981.