An historic and purpose-built Melbourne football ground which hosted a grand final and is now surrounded by residential housing is set to turn full circle and return to the organisation that established it.
Waverley Park, formerly VFL Park, has been sold back to the Australian Football League (AFL) for up to $20 million by Hawthorn Football Club, which is moving to its new $100 million John Kennedy Community Centre in Dingley this year.
The AFL sold the 80-hectare site in 2001 for $110 million to property developer Mirvac which built a $1 billion integrated residential community in the car park and grandstand, leaving the oval itself encircled by 1,400 homes.
All except one grandstand was demolished after the final AFL game at the venue in 1999, ending 29 years of football at the ground in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Mulgrave, about 25 kilometres from the central business district.
The first ground developed specifically for Australian rules football and better known as “Arctic Park’ for frigid temperatures, hosted the 1991 AFL grand final in front of 90,000 people when the Melbourne Cricket Ground was being redeveloped. It also hosted World Series cricket matches and concerts.
AFL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Dillon said he was pleased historic elements of Waverley, including a giant mosaic mural, would be retained and it would “work through” future options for Waverley.
“Waverley Park has had a long history [of] footy, being the first venue to be designed and built specifically for Australian rules football,” he said.
“The purchase of the ground and facilities is a rare and timely solution that will help with our talent pathways programs, community footy, and umpire development programs, all of which will now be worked through with the relevant stakeholders.”
To achieve the AFL’s target of including one million participants, it needs to add two ovals every week for the next five years.
“We are always looking for green space so we can continue expanding the playing fields we need to accommodate the strong national growth in people playing our game,” Dillon said.
Hawthorn chief operating officer Jacob Attwood said the club was confident Waverley Park’s historical significance would be preserved by the AFL.
"Looking forward for our club, the sale of this facility puts us in a very strong position to make the move to the Kennedy Community Centre later this year," he said.
Hawthorn bought the balance of the site for $1 from Mirvac for its administration, club facilities and team training which has been based there since 2006, and leased out the gymnasium for $1 million a year, according to financial accounts.
