Marrara Oval

Coordinates: 12°23′57″S 130°53′14″E / 12.39917°S 130.88722°E / -12.39917; 130.88722
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Marrara Oval
View of the grandstand at Marrara Oval in March 2016
Map
Former namesMarrara Oval, Football Park
LocationMarrara, Northern Territory
Coordinates12°23′57″S 130°53′14″E / 12.39917°S 130.88722°E / -12.39917; 130.88722
OwnerGovernment of the Northern Territory
OperatorAFL Northern Territory
Capacity12,000
SurfaceGrass
Opened1991

Marrara Oval (also known as Football Park and currently as TIO Stadium due to naming rights) is a sports ground in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The ground was built in 1991 and Australian rules football and Cricket are primarily played at the venue. The venue was officially opened to the public on 30 June 1991 and was conservatively estimated as costing $8 million.[1] Events held at the stadium includes Northern Territory Football League matches, pre-season Australian Football League matches, and also two AFL Premiership matches each year. The record crowd of 17,500 was set in 2003 for an AFL pre-season practice match between the Aboriginal All-Stars and Carlton Football Club which the All-Stars won.

The first game played under lights at Marrara was a match between Nightcliff and Southern Districts on 9 December 1994. Transport and Works Minister Daryl Manzie officially handed over the lights to the NTFL that day. Installing the lights cost $1.2 million.[2] The light towers were constructed by Darwin firm Norbuilt.[3]

The Sydney Roosters played host against the North Queensland Cowboys in Round 7 of the 2012 NRL season in front of 10,008 fans. This was the first time Darwin hosted a professional Rugby League game since 1995.[4] The second game at Marrara came in Round 17 of the 2013 NRL season when the Penrith Panthers (who had previously played games in Darwin during the 1990s) defeated the Gold Coast Titans 40-18 in front of 8,050 for what was a Titans home game.

The stadium hosted two cricket Tests in 2003 with Australia against Bangladesh and 2004 against Sri Lanka, as well as a total of four one day internationals against Bangladesh in 2003 and 2008. The current total capacity is around 15,000 including 5,000 seats.

Since 2010 both Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have hosted a single "home" game each year at the stadium, except for 2011 when Richmond hosted a game rather than the Western Bulldogs. Between 2004 and 2008 a single Western Bulldogs "home" game was the only AFL season game played at the ground. Port Adelaide also had had a three-year deal with the Northern Territory government and Marrara Oval, in which Port would play two "away" games at TIO Stadium each year between 2009 and 2012.

TIO Stadium has hosted AC/DC for their "Ballbreaker" tour in November 1996, when 13,000 fans and 170 tonnes of equipment packed the ground. Sir Elton John performed for the first time in the Northern Territory, at TIO Stadium on the 17 May 2008 as part of the his Australian Tour.[5][6]

In 2014, Sydney based National Rugby League (NRL) club the Parramatta Eels announced they would be playing four games at Marrara over the following four years. The first game came on 9 August (Round 22) during the 2014 NRL season when the Eels defeated the Canberra Raiders 18-10 in front of 9,527 fans.

Attendance records

Top 10 sports attendance records
No. Date Teams Sport Competition Crowd
1 7 February 2003 Indigenous All-Stars vs. Carlton Australian rules football AFL (preseason) 17,500
2 12 February 1994 Indigenous All-Stars vs. Collingwood Australian rules football AFL (preseason) 15,000
3 12 August 2006 Western Bulldogs vs. Port Adelaide Australian rules football AFL 14,100
4 14 August 2004 Western Bulldogs vs. Port Adelaide Australian rules football AFL 13,271
5 11 February 2007 Indigenous All-Stars vs. Essendon Australian rules football AFL (preseason) 13,119
6 18 June 2005 Western Bulldogs vs. Carlton Australian rules football AFL 13,037
7 4 July 2015 Melbourne vs. West Coast Australian rules football AFL 11,873
8 28 May 2011 Richmond vs. Port Adelaide Australian rules football AFL 11,506
9 16 June 2007 Western Bulldogs vs. Fremantle Australian rules football AFL 11,449
10 28 June 2008 Western Bulldogs vs. Port Adelaide Australian rules football AFL 11,373

Last updated on 4 July 2015

AFL records

Sources

See also

References

  1. ^ Geracitano, Ted (29 June 1991). "Marrara magic: public spotlight shines on colosseum". Northern Territory News.
  2. ^ Media release: Northern Territory Government Sports Minister Eric Poole Ref: E-1117-94; 8 December 1994
  3. ^ Morris, Grey (15 November 1004). "Park lights up for footy action". Northern Territory News.
  4. ^ Darwin to host Cowboys and Roosters | News | NT News | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | ntnews.com.au
  5. ^ "Elton John to rock with the crocs". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  6. ^ "Sir Elton rolls in for crocodile rock". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j http://afltables.com/afl/venues/marrara_oval.html

External links

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