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]
Docklands Stadium under construction in December 1998
Plans for the stadium were announced in October 1996 as a more centrally located replacement for the much larger but ageing Waverley Park as a headquarters for the Australian Football League.[8] It was built in the Melbourne Docklands to the immediate west of the CBD, a central but largely deserted industrial area which had just begun its own urban renewal project. Construction of the stadium by Baulderstone began in October 1997 under the working name "Victoria Stadium",[9] and was completed ahead of the 2000 AFL season. The stadium was originally developed by the Docklands Stadium Consortium and thereafter controlled by the Seven Network. The remaining leasehold interest in the stadium was sold to James Fielding Funds Management in June 2006 for A$330 million.[10]
The stadium, like Waverley Park, was built primarily for Australian rules football, unlike most grounds of a similar size in Australia which were originally designed for cricket then later developed for football. It was the first Australian rules football stadium built with a retractable roof, which throughout its history has usually been closed for night matches and for wet weather day matches; the roof closure policy for dry weather day matches has varied. It was the first stadium in Australia to have movable seating. All four level-one tiers of the stadium can be moved up to 18 metres forward into a rectangular configuration. Despite this being a key feature of the stadium design, it has rarely been used, due to damage to turf, time to deploy the seats, and a reduced capacity, since the corner bays of the stadium become unavailable in rectangular configuration.
Development
Construction was finished only weeks before the first match, and some scheduled pre-season matches were relocated as a result.[11] The first match to be played at the ground was between Essendon and Port Adelaide, before a crowd of 43,012, on 9 March 2000. Essendon won the match by 94 points, and Michael Long kicked the first goal at the ground.[12][6] The game was to have been played under the closed roof, but due to technical issues it remained open. Six days later, Barbra Streisand staged the venue's first concert.[13] The stadium's third football game, between Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions on 19 March, was the first to be played under the roof.[11] On 16 August 2000, the world's first indoor One Day International was held at the venue between Australia and South Africa. The first game played in the rectangular configuration was a Melbourne Storm game in July 2001. The first soccer match played was in round 5 2001 of the National Soccer League between South Melbourne FC and Melbourne Knights FC.[14]
From the beginning, the stadium's playing surface was criticised for its slipperiness, hardness and lack of grass coverage, and the increased risk of injury that this causes to players.[15] Maintaining surface quality remains one of the stadium's biggest challenges.[16] The stadium's orientation and highly built-up grandstands mean that the Northern end of the stadium in particular receives only 6 weeks of sunlight a year. Concerts held at the stadium are also usually placed at the Southern end due to the ability for grass to recover more quickly.[17] The entire surface undergoes regular, expensive replacement during the season with turf grown externally, under contract by HG Turf, whereas the responsibility of laying and managing the turf lies with Docklands Stadium management.[18] Since 2007, elaborate heating and lighting to better allow grass to be grown and managed within the stadium have been in use.[17]
The venue was damaged by a thunderstorm in March 2010 during the 2010 Victorian storms. The external roof at Gate 2 caved in, causing damage and flooding inside the entertainment area. That evening's pre-season match between St Kilda and Fremantle was delayed due to WorkSafe inspections, but it still went ahead before a small crowd of 5,000.[19]
Marvel Stadium pictured from above (February 2019)
In 2015, LED electronic advertising was added around the perimeter of the ground on level 1 and 2, as well as a strip synthetic turf around the edge of the fence, outside the boundary line. The synthetic strip was narrowed after Brisbane Lions player Michael Close suffered a season ending ACL injury on the uneven surface during a game in 2015.[20][21]
The stadium became unpopular with many of its tenant clubs, especially St Kilda, North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs, as high operating costs and the high proportion of gate revenues which were paid back to the stadium meant that clubs earned much lower returns for a game at Docklands than they would have earned from the same attendance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. At least 20,000 spectators were usually required to break even on a game.[22] Those three clubs all received compensation payments from the AFL to balance the weak deals,[23] and sold occasional home matches to small interstate or international venues for greater financial returns than they could earn at Docklands.[24]
The stadium and broader precinct underwent a $225 million redevelopment, funded by the AFL and Victorian Government, between 2021 and 2024.[25][26][27] This included two new video screens, which hang underneath the stadium's roof and were installed behind the goal at each end of the stadium ahead of the 2022 AFL season.[26] The rest of the redevelopment upgraded stadium infrastructure, connected the precinct to the Melbourne CBD and opened up access to the Docklands waterfront.[27][28] The redevelopment was completed in March 2024.[29]
In May 2023, Docklands Stadium opened The Runner, becoming the first venue in the Southern Hemisphere to utilise Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology for checkout-free purchases.[30][31] The Runner outlets, consisting of one bar and one food kiosk, work by having attendees scanning their credit or debit card, or mobile wallet payment option at the entry, entering to collect their items, and then leaving the outlet without having to wait in line to checkout.[32][33] The outlets utilises cameras, sensors, machine learning algorithms, motion tracking and artificial intelligence like computer vision and deep learning techniques, including generative AI, to accurately determine who took what in any retail environment.[34][35][36]
Ownership
Under the terms of the agreement governing construction and operation of the venue, in 2025 the AFL was to win ownership of the stadium for a nominal $30 fee;[37] but the AFL Commission opted to purchase exclusive ownership of the stadium earlier than this, in October 2016, for approximately $200 million.[7] This purchase left the stadium's tenant AFL clubs millions of dollars better off, as they and the AFL arranged more favourable tenancy agreements;[24] although clubs continue to make more money at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, leading to a push from tenant clubs Carlton, Essendon and St Kilda to reduce their annual matches at the ground.[38] The stadium was eventually integrated into the AFL structure several years later, ending the independent management of the venue by Melbourne Stadiums Limited.[28]
The purchase also soon proved critically important to the AFL's finances during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was able to leverage its ownership of the stadium in obtaining a $500–600 million line of credit to cover cash flow shortages when the 2020 AFL season was suspended.[39]
Naming rights history
Docklands Stadium being renamed from Etihad Stadium to Marvel Stadium
The stadium has never operated under the name 'Docklands Stadium', having been covered by naming rights deals throughout its entire operating history. When it opened, the Colonial State Bank paid $32.5 million for 10 years of naming rights, and the stadium opened as Colonial Stadium.[40] The same year, Commonwealth Bank took over the Colonial State Bank and began to discontinue the brand. Commonwealth then sold the balance of the naming rights contract to Telstra for about $50 million, and the stadium's name was changed to Telstra Dome in October 2002. During this time it was colloquially referred to as "The Dome" – a colloquialism used actively by clubs which were sponsored by rival telecommunications companies (such as Essendon with 3 and Carlton with Optus).
In March 2009, the naming rights transferred to Etihad Airways.[41] The venue became known as Etihad Stadium under a five-year deal, which was later extended to ten years, at a cost estimated at between $5–$8 million per year.[42][43] This once again caused problems, as the AFL would not initially recognise the new name due to its deal with rival airline Qantas.[44] The league recognised the new name only after further negotiation between the two parties.
In September 2018, the stadium was renamed Marvel Stadium after the stadium operators negotiated an eight-year deal with the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of Marvel Entertainment, to change the naming rights and install a Marvel retail store at the venue.[45]
Stadium features
Oval-shaped, turf playing surface of 19,053 square metres (205,080 sq ft) or 170 by 140 m (560 by 460 ft)
Retractable roof 38 metres (125 ft) above the playing surface, opens east–west, and takes eight minutes to fully open or close.[46]
Movable seating (4 sections of the lower tier can move 18 metres forward to give a rectangular configuration)
Two large internal video screens, one behind each goal (installed 2022); and two smaller internal video screens on opposite flanks of the field (original construction) – displaying scores, video replays and advertisements.
Dimensions of playing area are 159.5 metres by 128.5 metres (174.4 yards by 140.5 yards)
The ends of the ground, where the AFL goal posts are located, are named after the two leading goalkickers in VFL/AFL history: the northern end is the Lockett End, after Tony Lockett; and the southern end is the Coventry End, after Gordon Coventry. Some clubs informally use alternative names during their home games in place of those to honour their own histories.[48]
Marvel Stadium in oval configuration in 2022
Docklands Stadium in rectangular configuration in 2015
A section of the movable seating
One of the original, smaller LCDs at Docklands Stadium
Exterior view of the stadium as seen from the harbour side
Use
Australian rules football
Docklands Stadium prior to an AFL match in May 2024
As of 2024, five AFL teams have deals in place to play home games at Docklands Stadium:[49]
St Kilda – ten home games per year. The club has played almost all home games at the venue since it opened in 2000.[11]
Western Bulldogs – nine home games per year. The club has played almost all home games at the venue since it opened in 2000.[11]
North Melbourne – seven home games per year. The venue has been the club's primary home ground since 2005, but it had previously played about five games per year from 2000 to 2004.
Essendon – seven home games per year. The club has a 25-year deal, which has been in place since the stadium opened in 2000.[11]
Carlton – six home games per year. The club has a deal for six home games per year in place since 2005, with the exception of 2015–2017 when five home games were played.[50]
All Victorian-based AFL teams, including those not listed here, have played some home games at the ground during its history, owing to a contractual requirement between the AFL and the stadium's original owners to stage at least 46 AFL matches per year until 2013, and 40 matches per year thereafter. Geelong and Collingwood both had deals to play around four home matches per year during the 2000s,[11] with the latter playing two home games per year at the ground since 2014. Most other clubs still play one or two home matches there per year to make up the numbers; for example, Richmond have played one home game per year at the ground since 2011 and Hawthorn have played one home game per year at the ground since 2017.
In 2020, to mark 20 years of AFL football at the ground, the AFL named the 20 biggest moments and stories involving games played at the stadium in a video.[51] The top 5 were as follows:
Lance Franklin completing a 100-goal season in 2008 – Hawthorn vs Carlton, Round 22 (30 August), 2008
Wayne Carey's return to face North Melbourne after his extramarital scandal involving former teammate Anthony Stevens – North Melbourne vs Adelaide, Round 6 (2 May), 2003
James Hird leading a final-quarter comeback with 15 touches and the winning goal – Essendon vs West Coast, Round 3 (10 April), 2004
The venue's major summer tenant is Big Bash League side Melbourne Renegades, which has played its home games at the Docklands Stadium since the league's inception in 2011/12. A drop-in pitch is used to facilitate cricket at the venue. At the end of the 2016/17 Big Bash, the stadium was rated the most entertaining venue for T20 cricket in Australia.[52]
In 2016, Chris Gayle of the Renegades and the West Indies tied the record for the fastest T20 half century (12 balls) during the last round of BBL 5 at the ground against the Adelaide Strikers.[53]
Although rare, multiple players have hit the roof during a game, which is 38 metres (125 feet) above the playing surface.[54] For example, in 2018, Perth Scorchers batsman Ashton Turner hit a Dan Christian delivery into the roof; under the BBL rules, such a hit is considered to be six runs, with the ball being considered dead and unable to be caught for the purpose of getting the batsman out.[55]
Soccer
The first time it was used for soccer was in 2001 between South Melbourne and Melbourne Knights in the NSL. A-League team Melbourne Victory played home matches at the stadium between 2006–07 and 2020–21. Originally, the plan was that the stadium would only be used for games against its biggest rivals, Sydney FC, in the 2006–07 A-League; but after the success of that game, the club shifted permanently from Olympic Park Stadium to Docklands from the 2006–07 season until the 2009–10 season. This gave the stadium its first major summer tenant. After the opening of the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in 2010, the club played only high-drawing games and finals at Docklands, with all other games being played at the new stadium; and as of the 2022–23 season, Victory ceased playing home matches at the stadium.[56] The stadium hosted the 2024 A-Leagues All Stars Games on 24 May 2024, as part of Global Football Week Melbourne.
Rugby league
In the 2001 National Rugby League season, the stadium was the permanent home ground for the Melbourne Storm, but this deal lasted only one year. The club occasionally hosted high-drawing home games and finals at Docklands after that, including their first three home games of the 2010 NRL season while awaiting the completion of their then new home ground AAMI Park. In 2023, the Storm returned to play two games at the ground, while AAMI Park was unavailable in July–August due to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[57]
Docklands has also hosted interstate and international rugby league games. As Telstra Dome, Docklands hosted its first State of Origin game in 2006 as it hosted the deciding third game. As Etihad Stadium, the stadium also hosted Origin games in 2009 and 2012. The 2012 match attracted 56,021, a new record for rugby league at the stadium.[58]
Docklands Stadium being used for a RMIT University graduation ceremony in 2022
Outside of sporting events, the stadium hosts special events and concerts. Adele holds the record for the largest concert attendance at the stadium, on the Adele Live 2017 tour. Ed Sheeran holds the record for the largest concert series attendance at the stadium, on the Divide World Tour.[67] In November 2023, the stadium was the first in Australia to hold a K-pop concert and the first in Australia to be headlined by a female group, when Twice held their Ready to Be World Tour concert at the stadium.[68]
RMIT University uses the stadium as the site for its graduation ceremonies annually.[69]
A 2008 AFL match at Docklands StadiumRecord setting attendance at the 23 May 2012 State of Origin match between Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues
Docklands Stadium is serviced primarily by trains at Southern Cross Station, which is located on the City Loop and is serviced by most major metropolitan and country train and coach lines. The stadium is located on a public pedestrian concourse adjoining the northern end of the station.
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