A football stadium in Australia is a massive structure that usually comes with a roofless enclosing along with a field that football can be played on. The structure contains tiers of seats, allowing fans to sit during a sporting event. Australia offers a wide variety of stadiums with football pitches.
Most of the stadiums in Australia are designed to host more than one sporting event, including rugby leagues and cricket tournaments. The national football team of Australia does not have a national stadium which the players can call home. Therefore, the football team is usually required to play at various stadiums across the country when there’s a match in the state. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest football stadiums in Australia.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Situated in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, the Melbourne cricket ground is considered the biggest stadium in the country and is often referred to as The G by the locals. With a 100,024 seating capacity, the Melbourne cricket stadium is not only known as one of the most popular cricket stadiums in the world but also hosts a wide variety of football matches in the country. The stadium was initially constructed in 1853 and is currently ranked as the 10th largest stadium in the world, and the biggest stadium in Australia as well as the Southern Hemisphere.
Stadium Australia
With an 84,000 seating capacity, Stadium Australia is situated in Sydney, New South Wales, and is considered the second biggest stadium within the country. Previously known as Telstra Stadium and commonly referred to as Olympic Stadium, the multi-purpose stadium first opened its doors in 1999 ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2000. You will also notice that the New South Wales rugby team plays the State of Origin home matches in the stadium each year since it opened its doors.
Docklands Stadium
With a 56,347 seating capacity, the Docklands Stadium is regarded as the third biggest stadium in Australia and is also a multi-purpose stadium hosting cricket, rugby, and football matches. The stadium also has a wide range of other names, including the Etihad Stadium, Telstra Dome, and Colonial Stadium due to sponsorships. The stadium was initially constructed in 1997 and opened its doors in 2000 after costing $460 million. The stadium is primarily used for Australian Football, also referred to as Aussie Rules.
Adelaide Oval
With a 53,853 seating capacity, the Oval is situated in Adelaide, South Australia and is considered the fourth biggest stadium in the country. This is a multi-purpose stadium where you can enjoy Australian Football matches or cricket games. Other sporting events that are hosted in the stadium include rugby leagues, concerts, rugby union, and soccer. The Adelaide Oval plays host to both the South Australian National Football League as well as the South Australian Cricket Association. The stadium opened its doors in 1871 and received loads of renovations in 2008 as well as 2014.