Kardinia Park
Encyclopedia
- For the public park of the same name in Geelong, see Kardinia ParkKardinia ParkKardinia Park is an Australian rules football stadium located in South Geelong, Victoria. The stadium is the home ground of the Geelong Football Club. It is nicknamed "The Cattery" by the club's supporters...
.
Kardinia Park (currently known as Simonds Stadium due to naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
) is an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located in South Geelong
South Geelong, Victoria
South Geelong, also referred to as Geelong South, is a residential and industrial southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The suburb is adjacent to the Geelong central business district, with the Barwon River forming the suburb's southern border...
, Victoria. The stadium is the home ground of the Geelong Football Club
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...
. It is nicknamed "The Cattery" by the club's supporters. The current capacity is 28,300, making it the second smallest regularly used home ground in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
History
The Geelong Football Club began playing home games at Kardinia Park in 1941 after its previous home ground, Corio OvalCorio Oval
Corio Oval was an Australian rules football ground, located in Geelong, Victoria and used by the Geelong Football Club in the VFL from 1897 to 1941. Located in the Eastern Gardens, the oval was served by trams from 1930 when the line was extended....
, was commandeered by the military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The stadium was for many years the only VFL affiliated ground located outside the Melbourne metropolitan area.
Due to poor lighting facilities, night matches are never played at Kardinia Park. This was highlighted when Geelong's round 20, 2011 match against the was brought forward to 1:40 pm, after its previous match against almost finished in darkness.
Previous names of the stadium as results of sponsorship deals have been Skilled Stadium
SKILLED Group
SKILLED Group is a public Australian company headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Its core business is labour hire, also known as supplementary staffing, and it is the market leader in this space in Australia...
, Shell Stadium
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
and Baytec Stadium (However it was only called Baytec Stadium for less than two months, and no AFL matches were played there under the name).
On 23 May 2002, Kardinia Park hosted a visit from the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
who again visited the stadium in June 2007.
Kardinia Park is also regarded as a graveyard for opposition teams with Geelong, the main tenant, having not lost a match played at the venue between 26 August 2007 and 27 August 2011 non-inclusive. Geelong's Jimmy Bartel
Jimmy Bartel
James 'Jimmy' Bartel is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A midfielder at and , Bartel is a Brownlow Medallist, two-time All-Australian, and was part of the Cats' AFL premiership-winning teams in 2007, 2009 and 2011, being named the...
credited the home field advantage to the fact that Geelong are one of the few clubs who practice on the same field they play on. This was a huge factor in their winning the 2007, 2009 and 2011 AFL premierships, only losing three home games in that period (two in 2007 and one in 2011).
In its current layout Kardinia Park consists of the following seating areas: the Reg Hickey Stand, Doug Wade Stand, Premiership Stand, Brownlow Stand, A.R. Jennings Stand, Ron Hovey Room, Ford Stand and the Garry Ablett Terrace, with the latter containing the main standing room section.
Redevelopments
An 28 million redevelopment of the ground was announced in 2003, with A$13.5 million in funding from the State Government, A$4.5 million from the Geelong Football Club, and A$2 million from the AFL. The redeveloped ground was opened on 1 May 2005 during the first home game of the 2005 season which includes a new western entry and membership area, as well as a new five level grandstand with a capacity of approximately 6000 spectators on the eastern side of the stadium. A favourite for the honour of the naming of the new stand was Bob Davis, coach of the Cats' premiership side in 1963.On 15 June 2005, City of Greater Geelong
City of Greater Geelong
The City of Greater Geelong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia.It is located in the western part of the state, south-west of Melbourne. It has an area of 1,240 square kilometres. In 2006 it had a population of 191,000...
councillors granted the club its wish to change the name of the new eastern stand to the Reg Hickey
Reg Hickey
Reg Hickey was a player, and later coach, of the Geelong Football Club. Between 1926 and 1959 he led the club to four premierships....
Stand, while the southern stand became the Doug Wade
Doug Wade
Douglas Graeme Wade is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club....
Stand. The northern terrace became known as the Gary Ablett Terrace while the western gate was re-named the Bob Davis Gate.
In September 2007, Skilled Stadium received a further total of A$26 million towards the rebuilding of the Ross Drew Stand on the south western side of the ground that was completed by April 2010. Funding for the project included A$14 million from the Federal Government and A$6 million from the Victorian Government. The new stand, known as the Premiership Stand, caters for 3,551 supporters, and has facilities for a further 800 corporate guests on match days. The stand opened in round four of the 2010 AFL season
2010 AFL season
-Premiership season:The draw for the 2010 AFL Premiership Season is not a random selection of matches, but rather is planned by the AFL. It is intended to produce a balanced draw while also providing the fans and television networks with blockbuster games. In a competition with 16 teams and 22...
, coinciding with the unveiling of the 2009 premiership flag.
A$50,000 was also spent on a new 600-seat temporary stand between the Reg Hickey and Doug Wade stands.
In May 2009 it was revealed that the City of Greater Geelong as stadium owner had approached a number of Melbourne based AFL clubs discussing the financial advantages of playing home games at the ground. The ground could see clubs earning A$30 a patron at Skilled Stadium, compared to A$7 earned at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. The Geelong Football Club had first floated Skilled Stadium as a potential home game venue for Melbourne clubs in 2006.
On 10 April 2011, the Victorian Government announced it will invest A$25 million into the third stage of a major redevelopment of Geelong’s Skilled Stadium. Under the plans, the Doug Wade stand at the southern end of the stadium will be pulled down at the end of the 2011 AFL season
2011 AFL season
The 2011 Australian Football League season was the 115th season of the Australian rules football competition. It was the debut year for , and was scheduled to be the only season to be played with 17 teams...
, with a new stand incorporating a new community wellness and education centre expected to be completed before the start of the 2014 season. Once finished it will increase the capacity of the stadium by more than 7000 to 34,500. Geelong CEO Brian Cook
Brian Cook
Brian Joshua Cook is an American professional basketball player. Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers...
said stage three of the stadium's redevelopment would cost $34 million in total, with the club still looking for $3 million from both the AFL and the City of Greater Geelong. Due to Australia's failed 2022 FIFA World Cup
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve...
bid, guaranteed funding from the Federal Government for the full $130 million redevelopment of the stadium has been rejected and the final stage to redevelop the northern or city end of the stadium remains in limbo.
On 13 May 2011, the Geelong Football Club applied for Federal Government funding for A$9 million to install AFL and international cricket standard lighting at Skilled, and $6 million to deliver a sports museum, permanent broadcast screens, improved food and beverage facilities for spectators, an upgrade to existing education centre plans, and a long room-style members' lounge.
On 22 June 2011, it was announced the stadium will have a new name in 2012. After 10 years as naming rights sponsor of Skilled Stadium, Skilled Group has decided to relinquish these rights as of 31 October 2011.
From 1 November 2011, the venue became known as Simonds Stadium, after homebuilding group Simonds Homes signed a five year naming rights deal.
Hosted events
- Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
- Victorian Football LeagueVictorian Football LeagueThe Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
- Geelong Football LeagueGeelong Football LeagueThe Geelong Football League is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia. It is the highest quality league in the Geelong area, with numerous former AFL players playing for various clubs.-History:...
finals series - Victorian Premier CricketVictorian Premier CricketVictorian 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...
for the Geelong Cricket ClubGeelong Cricket ClubGeelong Cricket Club is an Australian cricket club located in the Victorian city of Geelong. The club is part of the Victorian Premier Cricket, the highest level of cricket in Victoria... - KFC Twenty20 Big BashKFC Twenty20 Big BashThe KFC Twenty20 Big Bash was the domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Australia. The competition was organised by Cricket Australia, and sponsored by fast food chicken outlet KFC. The competition was replaced by the Big Bash League as Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition after the 2010–11...
- A-League Pre-Season Challenge CupA-League Pre-Season Challenge CupThe A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup competition was an annual tournament held for all Hyundai A-League clubs in July and August in the lead up to the start of the A-League season. The competition featured a group stage and a knockout stage...
- W-League (Australia)W-League (Australia)The W-League is the preeminent women's semi-professional football league in Australia. Established in 2008, it is composed of eight teams - seven of them are affiliated with seven of the Australian clubs currently in the A-League, with the eighth team based in Canberra...
Crowd Records
- Australian Football- 49,109, Geelong v Carlton, Round 19, 1952
- CricketCricketCricket 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...
- 12,327, Victoria Bushrangers vs QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(KFC Twenty20 Big BashKFC Twenty20 Big BashThe KFC Twenty20 Big Bash was the domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Australia. The competition was organised by Cricket Australia, and sponsored by fast food chicken outlet KFC. The competition was replaced by the Big Bash League as Australia's domestic Twenty20 competition after the 2010–11...
), 4 January 2009 - Soccer- 8,500, Melbourne VictoryMelbourne VictoryMelbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
v Newcastle Jets, 2008
VFL/AFL Records
- Highest Team Score:
- 37.11 (233) – Geelong vs. Melbourne, 30 July 2011
- 35.18 (228) – Geelong vs. St Kilda, 13 May 1989
- 32.18 (210) – Geelong vs. Adelaide, 9 May 1992
- 29.24 (198) – Geelong vs. Richmond, 5 April 1992
- Largest Winning Margin:
- 186 pts – Geelong (233) def. Melbourne (47), 30 July 2011
- 129 pts – Geelong (179) def. Brisbane Bears (50), 20 May 1989
- 126 pts – Geelong (198) def. Richmond (72), 5 April 1992
- 123 pts – Geelong (210) def. Adelaide (87), 9 May 1992
- Lowest Team Score:
- 1.9 (15) – South Melbourne vs. Geelong, 8 August 1964
- 2.10 (22) – North Melbourne vs. Geelong, 21 April 1956
- 3.6 (24) – North Melbourne vs. Geelong, 25 August 1951
- Most Goals in a Game:
- 13 – Doug WadeDoug WadeDouglas Graeme Wade is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club....
, Geelong vs. North Melbourne, 14 August 1971 - 12 – Gary Ablett, Sr., Geelong vs. Richmond, 16 May 1993
- 11 – Doug WadeDoug WadeDouglas Graeme Wade is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club....
, Geelong vs. Footscray, 2 August 1969 - 11 – Lindsay WhiteLindsay WhiteLindsay G. White was a forward for Geelong and South Melbourne during the 1940s and is regarded as one of the best forwards from that era...
, Geelong vs. St Kilda, 19 June 1948 - 11 – Fred FanningFred FanningFred Fanning is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League . He was a strongly built forward who stood at 193 cm and weighed 102 kg and, prior to the Coleman Medal, topped the league's goal kicking charts in 1943 , 1944 and 1945...
, Melbourne vs. Geelong, 27 May 1944
- Most Disposals in a Game:
- 48 – Tony ShawTony ShawAnthony 'Tony' Shaw is a former Australian rules footballer, coach and media personality.-Playing career:Shaw was recruited to Collingwood from Reservoir-Lakeside to make his debut in 1977 alongside brother Ray...
, Collingwood vs. Geelong, 12 May 1984 - 43 – Joel SelwoodJoel SelwoodJoel Anthony Selwood is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
, Geelong vs. Melbourne, 30 July 2011 - 43 – Barry MitchellBarry Mitchell (footballer)Barry Mitchell is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Sydney Swans, Carlton and Collingwood in the Australian Football League ....
, Sydney vs. Geelong, 17 August 1991 - 43 – Paul CouchPaul CouchPaul Couch is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the Australian Football League.Prior to playing with Geelong, Couch initially tried out with Fitzroy, but was rejected for being too slow....
, Geelong vs. Fitzroy, 8 July 1989
- Most Games Played:
- 138 – Ian NankervisIan NankervisIan J. Nankervis is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League . Nankervis played for Geelong for 17 seasons and was captain from 1978 to 1981, and again in 1983. Nankervis holds the record of most senior level games for Geelong with 325 VFL...
(Geelong) - 132 – John 'Sam' NewmanSam NewmanJohn Noel William "Sam" Newman is a retired Australian rules football player and current television personality. He is a featured presenter on the AFL version of The Footy Show.-VFL career:...
(Geelong) - 113 – Bill GogginBill GogginWilliam "Bill" Goggin is a former Australian rules football player in the Victorian Football League for Geelong Football Club and later coached Footscray and Geelong football clubs. Goggin ranks as one of Geelong's greatest ever players in a career that spanned more than a decade...
(Geelong)
- Most Goals Kicked:
- 413 – Doug WadeDoug WadeDouglas Graeme Wade is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club....
(Geelong/North Melbourne) - 391 – Gary Ablett, Sr. (Geelong)
- 242 – Lindsay WhiteLindsay WhiteLindsay G. White was a forward for Geelong and South Melbourne during the 1940s and is regarded as one of the best forwards from that era...
(Geelong)
- Longest Undefeated Streak:
- 29 games – Geelong, 2008–2011
- 22 games – Geelong, 1954–1956
Source
Dimensions
- Length – 170m
- Width – 115m
- Goals run north to south
Source
The field is the narrowest playing field used for AFL games, however many other venues are much shorter (with the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
the shortest).