:''This page is for Telstra Dome, Melbourne. There is also a
Telstra Stadium in Sydney.''
'Telstra Dome' is a
stadium in the
Docklands precinct of
Melbourne,
Australia, that caters for both sporting and entertainment events. The stadium was opened on
March 9 2000, as 'Colonial Stadium'. The name was changed to Telstra Dome on
October 1 2002 when the
telecommunications company
Telstra acquired the naming rights.
The stadium was developed as a replacement for
Waverley Park. The
Seven Network previously owned the stadium, but on
June 21 2006 sold its interests to
James Fielding Funds Management for $
AUD 330 million.
[1] In 2020 the network was meant to hand the stadium to the
AFL.
Like Waverley, it was built specifically for
Australian rules football, unlike most grounds that were originally designed for
cricket. It is used as a home ground by
St Kilda,
Western Bulldogs,
Carlton and
Essendon. It is also a partial home ground for the
Kangaroos, and other Melbourne based teams in the
AFL competition (along with the
MCG). In the summer months, it is used as the home ground for the
Melbourne Victory team games in the
A-League football (soccer) competition. The stadium has also been host to other sporting events, including
cricket,
rugby league and
rugby union, as well as many general entertainment events such as concerts and wrestling.
The non-commercial name for the venue is 'Docklands Stadium', which is named for its location in
Melbourne Docklands. The name is used primarily by those who wish to mention stadiums by their non-commercial names, such as non-commercial organisations like the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is also colloquially referred to as simply 'the Dome', particularly by clubs who are sponsored by rival
telecommunications companies. Some club and AFL supporters also refer to it as 'Phone Dome'. This is due to its rather simplistic approach to the game of AFL Football.
Stadium Features
A panoramic view of the interior of Telstra Dome with the roof closed. Taken during a Collingwood vs. Port Adelaide AFL match.
★ Retractable roof--38 metres above playing surface, opens east-west, and takes 8 minutes to fully open or close.
★
Movable seating
★ ‘Colosseum’ arena structure
★ Two large internal replay screens which display scores and advertisments.
★ External Super screen
★ 1,000 video seats
★ 13 Function Rooms
★ 66 Corporate Boxes
★ Premium Club membership area, The Medallion Club
★ 2,500 Car parks below the ground
★ Oval shaped, turf playing surface of 19,053 square metres (170m x 140m)
★ Over 700 2000-watt lights for arena illumination
★ A varying capacity of 12,000 - 74,000- depending on the event. For example seats can be laid on the ground.
★ An
AFL capacity of 53,355
★ The ends of the ground, where the
AFL goal posts are located, are named after
VFL/AFL goal-kicking legends,
Tony 'plugga' Lockett and
Gordon 'goal kicking machiene' Coventry. The northern end being called the Lockett End, and the southern end, the Coventry End.
Turf & Surface Issues
Since its inception, Telstra Dome has endured a barrage of criticism over the quality and suitability of its turf, in particular for AFL requirements. It has been criticized by players and coaches for its slipperiness, hardness and lack of grass coverage.
[2] The turf has required regular expensive replacement since its inception due to a lack of sunlight inside the stadium. The turf itself is supplied under contract by HG Turf, whereas the responsibility of laying and managing the turf lies with Telstra Dome management.
[3]
Issues with the ground's ability to grow grass all year round can be attributed to the stadium's irregular North-South orientation which was a requirement due to its placement between the surrounding roads and Docklands body of water. In particular, the Northern end of the stadium only receives 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 faster in that section of the ground.
[4]
In August 2007, Telstra Dome chief executive Ian Collins confirmed talks were underway to purchase an elaborate lighting and heating system to allow grass to be grown by curators all year round. This followed extensive visits by Telstra Dome officials to several World Cup soccer venues in Germany, locations in the USA and Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium.
[4]
Studies have also been conducted due to concerns that hard surfaces like Telstra Dome increase the likelihood of player injury, in particular in contributing to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
[6]
On the injury front, two broken legs have occurred at this venue, -
Richmond's
Nathan Brown horrifically broke his leg in 2005
[2] and
St Kilda's
Matt Maguire did the same in 2006
[3]
Events
2000
★ Super Challenge,
One Day International Cricket Series - Australia v South Africa (3 matches). These were the first indoor one day internationals ever played.
★
Rugby Union International - Australia v South Africa
★ Ultimate Rock Symphony Concert
★
Barbra Streisand Concert
★
Ricky Martin Concert
★ Catholic Jubilee Mass
★
World Reconciliation Day Concert
2001
★
Rugby Union International - Australia v
British and Irish Lions
★
National Rugby League -
Melbourne Storm home games (13 matches)
★
National Soccer League -
South Melbourne v
Melbourne Knights
2002
★ Super Challenge II,
One Day International Cricket Series - Australia v Pakistan (3 matches)
★
Rugby Union International - Australia v France
★
Global Warning World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) event
★ 2002
AFL Brownlow Medal
★ 2002 Grand Final Breakfast
★ M-One Rock Concert
★
Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert
★ Rumba Concert
★
Leeds United vs
Colo Colo
AFL night match at the Telstra Dome
2003
★
World Title Fight -
Kostya Tszyu v
Jesse James Leija
★ Concert -
KISS and the
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
★
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Concert
★
Rugby Union International- Australia v England
★
Rugby World Cup 2003 (7 matches)
★
Robbie Williams Concert
★ The Big Day In
2004
★
FIFA Match –
Australia v
Turkey
★ 2004
AFL Coaches Awards
★ 2004
Chappell-Hadlee Trophy match 1
Australia vs
New Zealand
★ Rugby union International - Australia v Scotland
2005
★ Australia Unites
Telethon
★ Festival Victoria
★
ICC Super Series,
One Day International Cricket Series - Australia vs 'The Rest of the World' (3 matches)
★
Green Day Concert
★ Rugby union International - Australia v Italy
2006
★
Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens (27 matches)
★
Rugby union International -
Australia v
England
★
U2 filmed both shows of their
Vertigo Tour in the dome
★
State of Origin III,
NRL, New South Wales v Queensland
★
2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations -
Australia v
New Zealand. This will be the first time since 2002 that the stadium will utilise its
Movable seating for a sporting event
★
Robbie Williams Close Encounters World Tour concert
★ home matches - eight of their eleven
2006-07 A-League season home games have been moved here from
Olympic Park Stadium
2007
★
2006-07 A-League Major Semi-Final and Grand Final
★
Tool 2007 10,000 Days Tour
★ A possible
Melbourne Storm preliminary final
Annual/Regular
★
RMIT Graduation Ceremony
★
AFL Premiership Season (approx. 44 matches)
★
AFL Finals Series (approx. 2 matches)
★
NAB Cup (approx. 4 matches)
★ E.J Whitten Legends Game
★ Royal Children’s Hospital
Good Friday Appeal
★ Hyundai A-League Melbourne Victory home matches
Attendance records
★ 'Largest attendance'
Catholic Jubilee Mass
November 15 200070,000 people
★ 'Largest entertainment event attendance'
Robbie Williams Close Encounters Tour
December 18 200666,500 people
★ 'Largest sporting event attendance'
Rugby Union - Australia v British and Irish Lions
August 7 200156,605 people
★ 'Largest A-League attendance'
February 2007
Melbourne Victory v
Adelaide United A-league Final
55,436 people
★ 'Largest AFL attendance'
Round 12,
June 15 2007Carlton v Hawthorn
53,459 people
Trivia
★ St. Kilda did not lose a game at the Telstra Dome during the 2004 season, winning 13 straight games played at the venue that year. Their first loss at The Dome came a year later against the Kangaroos, Round 3, 2005.
★ The Telstra Dome appears in the 2007 movie ''
Ghost Rider'' in which its name, wherever visible, has been digitally changed to the ''
SoBe Dome''.
★
Melbourne Victory FC will splite home games at the venue, with blockbusters that attract over 35,000 to be moved to the Dome, while most season matches for the Victory will be played out of the 32,000 capacity Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. All Victory AFC Champions League matches will be played at Docklands in 2007.
★ The
Melbourne Storm played all of their home matches in the
2001 season at this venue. However, it did not work, with attendances decreasing. The following year, they moved back to
Olympic Park.
External links
★
Official website
★
Satellite photo of Telstra Dome
★
Docklands Stadium
★
References
1. Seven sells Telstra Dome stake
2. Surface Tension ends at Telstra Dome
3. Turf Experiment for Dome
4. Turf's up at the Dome
5. Turf's up at the Dome
6. Dried out grounds bring hard times
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