Docklands Stadium

Docklands Stadium
Marvel Stadium
Map
Former names
  • Colonial Stadium (2000–2002)
  • Telstra Dome (2002–2009)
  • Etihad Stadium (2009–2018)
LocationHarbour Esplanade, Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates37°48′59″S 144°56′51″E / 37.81639°S 144.94750°E / -37.81639; 144.94750
OwnerAustralian Football League
OperatorAustralian Football League (2020–present)
Melbourne Stadiums Limited (2000–2020)
Capacity56,347 (venue capacity)
53,343 (seating capacity)
47,000 (cricket[1][2] and rectangular mode)[3]
Record attendance76,150
(Adele, March 2017)
Field size160 m × 129 m (525 ft × 423 ft)[4]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundOctober 1997
Opened9 March 2000
Construction costA$460 million
ArchitectPopulous in association with Daryl Jackson
General contractorBaulderstone Hornibrook
Tenants
Australian Football League

Essendon Football Club (2000–present)
St Kilda Football Club (2000–present)
Western Bulldogs (2000–present)
North Melbourne Football Club (2000–present)
Carlton Football Club (2005–present)

Cricket

Melbourne Renegades (BBL; 2011–present)

Other
Melbourne Storm (NRL; 2001, Finals 2006–09, 2010, 2023)
Melbourne Victory (A-League Men; 2006–2021)
Australia men's national soccer team (selected matches)
Australia women's national soccer team (selected matches)
Australia national rugby union team (selected matches)
Australia national rugby league team (selected matches)
Website
marvelstadium.com.au
Ground information
End names
Lockett End
Coventry End
International information
First ODI16 August 2000:
 Australia v  South Africa
Last ODI3 February 2006:
 Australia v  South Africa
As of 22 August 2015
Source: ESPNcricinfo

Docklands Stadium, known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the suburb of Docklands in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was completed in 2000 at a cost of A$460 million ($930 million in 2023 terms[5]). The stadium features a retractable roof and the ground level seating can be converted from oval to rectangular configuration.[6]

The stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football and was originally built as a replacement for Waverley Park.[6] Offices at the precinct serve as the headquarters of the Australian Football League (AFL) which, since October 2016, has had exclusive ownership of the venue.[7] With a capacity for over 53,000 spectators for sports, it is the second-largest stadium in Melbourne after the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It has hosted a number of other sporting events—including domestic Twenty20 cricket matches, Melbourne Victory soccer home matches, rugby league and rugby union matches, as well as special events and concerts. The precinct is headquarters for the Seven Network's digital broadcast centre and an NAB branch.

  1. ^ "No place like a home BBL final for Renegades". The Age. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Etihad Stadium ready for BBL record crowd". SBS. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  3. ^ Windley, Matt. "Etihad Stadium expected to be at a capacity 47,000 for Saturday's Melbourne derby". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  4. ^ Atkinson, Cody; Lawson, Sean (15 June 2022). "From the SCG to Kardinia Park — do ground sizes contribute to the end result in AFL games?". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  5. ^ "$460,000,000 in 1997 → 2023 | Australia Inflation Calculator". www.in2013dollars.com. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Marvel Stadium". Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Done deal: AFL signs off on Etihad Stadium purchase". Australian Football League. 7 October 2016. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016.