Kardinia Park's decades-long dream becomes a reality
More fans than ever before can gather under lights at the biggest and best stadium in regional Australia, with the new Joel Selwood Stand at Geelong’s Kardinia Park ready for first bounce on Saturday night.
The new stand is part of the precinct’s Stage 5 Redevelopment which has boosted venue capacity to 40,000.
The Victorian Government’s $142 million investment in Stage 5 has delivered the venue’s largest-ever stand, plus a new Fred Flanagan Function Room, a new media centre, the Argyle Bar, AFL-standard unisex change rooms and other key amenities. The stand also includes room for 2,300 standing patrons for a unique matchday experience.
A new Geelong Sports Museum, and a new Barwon Regional Cricket Centre and indoor cricket hub, are also soon to be completed as part of the redevelopment – and the new northern plaza will be named Djilang Plaza, honouring Geelong’s First Peoples.
Patrons can now enjoy world-class facilities all year round, with the venue set to host a packed schedule of events of AFL, T20 cricket, football, concerts and the many other community activities that make Kardinia Park such a hub for the region.
More than 120 full-time jobs were created during construction of the Stage 5 project, with the stadium remaining operational throughout in a boost for events, local jobs and the economy.
Construction on the redevelopment – managed and delivered by the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust – is a culmination of 5 separate stages of upgrades, with the Victorian Government investing $121 million in Stages 1 to 4 between 2003 and 2017.