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Waverly Park, formally known as VFL Park, was built in 1970 by the Australian Football League at a cost of $3 million. Original plans for the ground were to build the main grand stand right the way round the massive ground, it would of held over 140,000 people. However, this was not to be, the main stand was built on just one side of the ground, this made the total capacity of the all-seat stadium around 72,000.

Australian Football was the main sport played at the ground, however other sports to be played at Waverly include Cricket and Baseball. When the stadium was first built, it was very different that it is today, the main stand was the size of the current outer seating, and the outer was even smaller. However the stadium was later totally redeveloped into what it is today.

30 Years on, Waverly Park is outdated but still a much-loved football venue. The last official Australian Football League game was played in 1999 between Hawthorn and Sydney in front of a sell-out crowd of 72,130. In 2000, AFL pre-season cup matches were played at the venue, and it also played host as the main Victorian Football League venue with 1-2 games every week, as well as finals and the grand final. However the 2000 VFL grand final was the last ever game of football played at the venue.

In 2001, Waverley Park was converted to a ghost-town. A massive amount of vandalism took place at the ground with trespassers forcing their way into the venue and causing as much damage as they can. Almost every window was smashed, once-exclusive super boxes were trashed, and graffiti was sprayed on walls. The playing surface, which was once the best in the league, became over-grown, and weeds began to grow right around the stadium, including through the concrete terraces.

Plans by the AFL to sell the stadium caused many protests. Concepts included turning Waverley Park into a sports theme park, retaining it as a playing venue, and demolishing it and turning the land into housing. When the AFL released a statement saying that no more AFL football will ever be played at the venue in the future, all hope was lost for the ground and it's days seemed over.

Waverley Park was sold by the AFL in December 2001 to Mirvac which proposes to develop the 80-hectare site into a $700 million fully integrated residential community of national significance. Mirvac's proposal for the site includes 1400 new dwellings that will one day be home to 3500 people. A careful and sensitive response has been proposed for items of heritage importance including the grandstand and the playing field. Mirvac also plans to preserve all significant trees and the sense of enclosure and landmark character of the stadium.

A significant section of the grandstand will be retained as Waverley Park's centrepiece and transformed into a vibrant community hub accommodating administration offices and club facilities for the Hawthorn Football Club and an indoor swimming pool and gymnasium.

The Hawthorn Football Club will relocate it's administration to the ground which will be situated inside the old grandstand which will be redeveloped. The club will also use the ground, which is the original playing surface, as their main training venue.

Approximately 4 bays of the existing members grandstand will be retained and converted into administration offices and community facilities. The above image shows a plan of how the side of the grandstand currently looks on the left, and how it is proposed to look when completed.

Demolition work began on Waverley Park early December 2002.

Demolition Photos - March 14, 2003
(Click for larger version)

November 2004:

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