AFL 2025: Hawthorn sell Waverley Park to AFL
Waverley Park, the site of one of only three AFL grand finals not played at the MCG, will remain a football venue after the league purchased it back from Hawthorn in a sale worth up to $20m.
Hawthorn won the 1991 grand final at what was then VFL Park and then made it the club's training base following the last match played at the venue in 1999.
The AFL sold the surrounding land to a developer for $110m, used the proceeds to fund Marvel Stadium, which it also now owns, before the Hawks purchased the freehold to the oval and administration building for just $1.
But ahead of a move to a $100m new training facility in Melbourne's southeast, Hawthorn put Waverley up for sale and the AFL snatched it up with plans to use it for 'talent pathways programs, community footy, and umpire development and programs'.
Games could also return to the venue in some form, possibly AFLW or even under-18 games.
'Waverley Park has had a long history in footy, being the first venue to be designed and built specifically for Australian rules football,' AFL boss Andrew Dillon said.
'The purchase of the ground and facilities is a rare and timely solution that will help with our talent pathways programs, community footy, and umpire development programs, all of which will now be worked through with the relevant stakeholders.
'The AFL has targeted having 10 million attendees at AFL/AFLW games, events, and festivals, two million AFL club members and one million participants, and in order to achieve the target for participation we need two ovals a week every week for the next five years.
'We are always looking for green space so we can continue to expand the playing fields we need to accommodate the strong national growth in people playing our game.'
Hawthorn defeated West Coast in the 1991 grand final, played away from the MCG that was being redeveloped.
The only other two grand finals not at the MCG were at the Gabba in Brisbane in 2020 and Optus Stadium in Perth in 2021, both due to Covid restrictions.
Originally published as Nearly three decades after last AFL game played at Waverley the venue is back in league hands
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
44 minutes ago
- West Australian
CONRAD LIVERIS: There's no superhero to fix Australia's productivity. It's up to us
Australia's productivity growth is limping along at 0.7 per cent. We're moving slower than traffic on the freeway in peak hour, with about as much co-ordination. It's the kind of dysfunction you'd expect from an episode of Utopia: big ambitions, lots of PowerPoints, and somehow, still no action. Treasurer Jim Chalmers' recent speech at the National Press Club offered some good ideas. But productivity isn't a spreadsheet problem. It's a systems problem. And more than that, it's a people problem. As an economist, I know that we are not short on people. We're just not letting them do the work they're capable of doing. If we want a more productive Australia, we need to stop managing for scarcity and start building for abundance. More people working. More care being delivered. More capability in government. More houses, faster. And definitely more managers who know what they are doing. To assist the Treasurer, I have a few ideas. We have to stop wasting our potential. We keep telling ourselves we have a 'tight labour market'. But that's like saying your petrol is full because it is at 75 per cent. Right now, the under-utilisation rate (people who are unemployed or underemployed) is hovering around 10 per cent. That includes parents stuck without child care, older workers who want to keep working and people with disabilities facing unfair hurdles. This amounts to tens of thousands of people in WA alone who want to work — and could — if the system wasn't working against them. Next, we need to build productivity in the care economy. Aged care, child care, disability support aren't just services, they are infrastructure. They enable everyone else to work. But we treat them like a cost centre instead of the productivity engine they are. Care workers remain woefully underpaid, under-supported, and often working with retro tech and paper rosters. Boosting productivity in care industries by just 10 per cent could save $9 billion a year, according to the Productivity Commission. That's a lot of money that can be invested in improving efficiency and creating jobs. ASIC chair Joe Longo has been a leading voice on deregulation to improve productivity. He wants to go deep and look at the specific pain points, not just wishy-washy frameworks. Longo is right: the problem isn't just too much regulation but too much of the wrong kind. Aged care providers stuck in admin quicksand, small business managers buried in procurement rules, and skilled workers blocked by paperwork. Resolving everyday efficiencies are where productivity gains can be made. Then there's management capability, or the lack thereof. A lot of Australian workplaces are badly managed. Like, 30 open tabs and no idea who owns the project badly managed. Our national management capability scores are below the OECD average. The Productivity Commission calls it a 'capability gap'. I call it the reason your local café is taking 30 minutes to get you the eggs benedict. The truth is that almost nobody in Australia is taught how to manage. Everyone struggles at times, but there's a vacuum of support. The go-to solution is often to outsource to a consultant to fix the immediate issue, rather than build the long-term skills managers need to, you know, manage. Then there's housing. A recent CEDA report showed that dwellings built per construction worker have halved since the 1970s. Even with better tools and technology, we're building less per worker. The problem isn't a lack of effort, but red tape. The CEDA report also found that if the construction industry matched manufacturing, they would produce $54 billion more in revenue without any additional labour. That's equivalent to 150,000 extra construction workers. We can only dream. Many of us know the quagmire of council delays, inconsistent zoning and design-by-committee. Planning has become so slow it makes the NBN roll-out look nimble. Let's reward councils that approve housing faster. Offer incentives for early completion of affordable housing. And stop making developers submit 200-page traffic studies for a five-unit block. Finally, all levels of government must look at themselves. This is a team effort. To see real productivity growth, the Federal Government has to work with State and local governments. Because it's not just what's said in Canberra that matters, it's what gets delivered closer to the ground. Nobody wants government that is bloated, but ours is not the most efficient it can be. This is a handbrake on productivity. Chalmers himself cites a new book by journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance, as a key influence. But abundance doesn't start or end in Parliament House. It starts on the ground: in faster council approvals, mobile workforces, child care places that exist, and digital systems that aren't allergic to logic. We're not short on ideas. We're short on execution. That's why Chalmers' reform round table in August matters. But let's make sure it isn't another polite Canberra talkfest where everyone agrees to be ambitious later. Treasurer, what we need is simplicity. Australia needs simplicity around how we work. We've been waiting for productivity to be saved like it's the final act of an Avengers movie. But there's no superhero coming. It's up to us to build, fix, and deliver. Conrad Liveris is an economist and non-profit executive.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Warner hopes for another 100 games in Swans colours
As Sydney superstar Chad Warner prepares for his 100th game, the gun midfielder has made a telling statement on his future, declaring he wants to play another hundred in red and white. Warner was chased by both Fremantle and West Coast last year ahead of his contract ending at the end of this season. Instead, the 24-year-old re-committed to the Swans in April on a two-year deal that will take him into free agency. Now ahead of his landmark match, Warner heaped praise on the club that drafted him with the hope of passing even more milestones in the red and white. 'It's pretty weird to think (100 games) has come around already, coming from Perth and not knowing what was going to happen after that or even if I'd play one game,' he said 'I'm so grateful for the chance given to me by the club and to be valued by the footy club and the community. 'It's so exciting and I can't wait to see the next 100 or so hopefully.' While there's still plenty to play out before Warner needs to decide on a new deal, his statement is an early blow both West Australian clubs ahead of them ramping up their pursuit of him again ahead of free agency. West Coast chief executive Don Pyke said he would not give up the club's chase of Warner. 'It probably pushes that can down the road for a couple of years, but we will certainly stay in touch with Chad, probably have another game of golf or two with Chad,' he told 7NEWS last month. 'We will just stay in touch with Chad, and he will make his decision. If he's ready in two years and he wants to come back, then we'll push our case forward, as we should.' Having been taken at pick 39 in the 2019 draft, Warner was something of a steal for the Swans as he developed into one of the most damaging midfielders in the competition. Chad Warner of the Swans celebrates a goal. Credit: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos / AFL Photos via Getty Images In what was a stacked year for classy midfielders, Warner said he finds plenty of motivation in trying to prove himself against his peers. 'I do compare myself to in people in my draft year, and a lot of them were mids and really good mids,' he said. 'People like Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Tom Green and Caleb Serong and I'd hope they'd say the same and compare themselves because it's just that competitive mentality. 'It's not necessarily a point to prove but I want to be better than them when I can really.'
Canberra Times
an hour ago
- Canberra Times
What you can buy in Europe versus Australia's capital cities
What can you get for a million dollars? According to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, an average Australian home. "The national mean price of residential dwellings passed $1 million for the first time in the March quarter 2025, rising 0.7 per cent to $1,002,500," said ABS head of finance statistics, Dr Misha Tan. Australia is the 10th most expensive country to buy a home. Pic: Supplied. Compared to the rest of the world, statistics like this make Australia the 10th most expensive country to buy a home. With many Australians currently planning or dreaming about a summer escape in Europe, we compared what you could buy in some of the most popular destinations versus Australia's capital cities This home in Taren Point, New South Wales for $4.4 million Located in Taren Point is this three-bedroom waterfront property. It features private beach access, boat house with kitchenette, carport and outdoor entertaining area. Or, this chateau in the Loire Valley, France for $3.9 million Own your very own castle in the Loire Valley. Pic: Supplied. For just a little less, you could own your very own castle in the Loire Valley. Surrounded by 25 hectares of land, the chateau includes 15 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, swimming pool and horse stables. This home in Narre Warren, Victoria for $1.045 million Over in Narre Warren is a four-bedroom home located on a 917sqm block. The property includes three living zones, a main suite with ensuite and spa bath, and a remote-controlled garage. Or, this villa in Siena, Italy for $954,000 This 1930s villa in Siena is currently owned by painter and sculptor Anna Izzo. Pic: Supplied. If you're after more history, you could opt for this 1930s villa in Siena. The four-bedroom home is currently owned by painter and sculptor Anna Izzo and features a private garden, three bathrooms and the ability to split the property into two apartments. This home in Wellington Point, Queensland for $1.1 million This brick house in Wellington Point is located on a 740m2 block on a quiet, peaceful street. It features four bedrooms, one bathroom, a separate shed, lock-up garage and veggie garden. Or, this home in Crete, Greece for $1.01 million The hillside home has views of the sea. Pic: Supplied. Otherwise, you could purchase this renovated property in Crete. Built the late Minoan III period, the hillside home has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a lift for access to the three levels and a terrace with hot tub overlooking the sea. This home in Fairview Park, Adelaide for $875,000 Renovated and conveniently located, this Fairview Park home boasts four bedrooms, two bathrooms, double carport and undercover entertaining area. Or, this villa in Malaga, Spain for $867,000 This unique Gaudi-style property has sweeping sea views. Pic: Supplied. For a bit less, you could have this unique Gaudi-style property with sea views in Malaga. The architectural villa includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, modern kitchen, terrace with poolside pergola and fruit trees. This unit in Kalamunda, Western Australia for $1.15 million Only two years old, this three-bedder in Kalamunda is located on a 483 square metre block close to the local town. It features a media room, alfresco area, double garage and rear access. Or, this villa in Florence, Italy for $1.042 million The sun-drenched terrace offers views of the rolling hills. Pic: Supplied. If you're after a bit more space, check out this 1700s stone villa in Florence. Located on four acres, the property includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, large kitchen and sun-drenched terrace with views of the rolling hills. This home in Swan Bay, Tasmania for $2 million Located on the beautiful Tamar River, this architecturally designed home offers a chance to take in Tasmania's natural beauty. The home offers five bedrooms, three bathrooms, gourmet kitchen and lap pool. Or, this home in The Cotswolds, England for $2.07 million This period home in the picturesque Cotswolds offers an abundance of natural beauty. Pic: Supplied. If you're after a different kind of natural beauty, this period home in the picturesque Cotswolds is just a little bit more expensive. The stone estate features five bedrooms, formal dining room, extensive gardens and paddock with
