Deakin Geelong Stadium | |
 | |
 Interactive map of Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct | |
| Location | 75 Pigdons Road,Waurn Ponds,Victoria |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°11′49.6″S144°17′57.13″E / 38.197111°S 144.2992028°E /-38.197111; 144.2992028 |
| Owner | Deakin University |
| Capacity | 10,000[2] |
| Field size | 157 metres × 130 metres (Football oval) |
| Surface | Grass (Football oval) Artificial turf (Soccer pitch) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 12 September 2015 |
| Opened | 19 May 2016 |
| Architect | SportENG |
| Builder | Pitchcraft[1] Civilex |
| Project manager | SportENG |
| Tenants | |
| Geelong Football Club (2016–present) Deakin Ducks Football Club (2016–present) | |
TheDeakin University Elite Sports Precinct is a series ofsports venues located on the campus ofDeakin University inWaurn Ponds, Victoria. The precinct'sAustralian rules football oval is used as a training facility by theGeelong Football Club'sAustralian Football League (AFL) andAFL Women's (AFLW) teams, and as a secondary home ground by itsVFL Women's (VFLW) team.
Sporting facilities atDeakin University's Waurn Ponds campus were previously limited to a large natural turf playing surface and two dilapidatedbaseball diamonds.[3] The creation of the precinct was first announced by the university in a media release in September 2015 at a cost of $8.1 million, with construction expected to be completed by April 2016.[4] The total cost grew to $8.4 million by the time of completion.[5] More than 40,000 square metres of turf was brought in fromSouth Australia as part of the project.[6]
The Australian rules football oval was specifically constructed to the exact dimensions of theMelbourne Cricket Ground, allowing theGeelong Football Club to gain vital experience practising on a finals-like venue, as opposed to the narrow playing surface ofKardinia Park.[7] The Cats have used the precinct as an "alternative training base" since its inception.
The first competitive sporting game took part at the precinct in July 2017, when Geelong hostedSt Kilda Sharks in round 7 of the2017 VFL Women's season.[8] The Cats'VFL Women's team played an elimination final at the venue in June 2022.[9]
The precinct caters for multiple sports and is used by bothprofessional sporting clubs and community sporting clubs.
It includes:[10]