Countdown: Best A-League stadiums
As we count down to the start of the new A-League season on December 28, the Austadiums team is revealing our top stadiums in use during the upcoming 2020/21 season.
We reveal one stadium per day as we count the days towards the season-opener between Western United and Adelaide United in Geelong, and give each a ranking out of ten.
Follow us on Instagram (@austadiums) to see each stadium revealed, and this article will also be updated regularly as we count down to number one.
View the full 2020/21 A-League Fixture
We’ve incorporated each club’s primary home stadium only, with the exception of Melbourne where we’ve included Marvel Stadium due to AAMI Park being shared by two clubs, meaning the likes of Leichhardt Oval, Stadium Australia and Mars Stadium aren’t included. WIN Stadium takes the place of Sky Stadium due to the Phoenix playing out of Wollongong this season.
As we look ahead to the new season, picking the champions is difficult given the limited number of pre-season matches, however Sydney FC go in early favourites, followed by Melbourne City and Western United. Football betting news can give you some insights into league odds for the 2020-21 campaign.
As always, we love to hear your opinion, so feel free to comment on our social media channels!
#12 – GMHBA Stadium
We start the countdown with the temporary home of Western United. While it’s a fantastic venue for AFL and undoubtably Australia’s best regional stadium, unfortunately GMHBA Stadium hasn’t quite worked out for United, who last year decided to move games away from the venue due to poor crowds. While the top tier of the Reg Hickey Stand provides great viewing of the pitch, the long-oval-shaped playing surface results in poor viewing at either end. Oval grounds simply don’t work well for association football. Western United's new purpose-built stadium can't come soon enough. Our ranking: 4/10
#11 – Marvel Stadium
The multi-purpose Marvel Stadium is scheduled to host five of Melbourne Victory’s 14 home games this coming season. While its 56,000-capacity was ideal during the peak of the competition, crowds have declined and many consider it too large, while its oval playing field means fans are some distance from the action. This is helped however by the retractable seating, which is in use for most matches these days, bringing fans on level one closer to the field. While there’s no doubting it’s another great AFL stadium, about to get even better with a multi-million dollar redevelopment, its suitability for the A-League sees it placed at number 11 in our countdown. Our ranking: 6/10
#10 – WIN Stadium
The first top-10 venue is WIN Stadium in Wollongong, which replaces Wellington’s Sky Stadium as the home of the Phoenix this season due to Covid-19. Unlike the cake tin, this venue is rectangular and has a 23,000 capacity, including seating for 13,000, with the spectacular backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. Facilities were boosted with the opening of the western grandstand and it’ll be a great place to watch A-League football this summer. Our ranking: 6/10
#9 – Dolphin Stadium
Brisbane Roar’s new home, Dolphin Stadium, comes in at number 9. The club has downsized from the 52,000-capacity Suncorp Stadium to the 11,500-capacity Redcliffe venue. This is a fantastic boutique stadium, but it does lack corporate facilities, undercover seating and broadcast-quality lighting. It’s also located 40km from the city which may make it difficult for some fans. Still, the atmosphere is guaranteed to be electric in this smaller venue this A-League season. Our ranking: 7/10
#8 – Campbelltown Stadium
Number 8 is Campbelltown Stadium - home of new A-League club, Macarthur FC. The 20,000-capacity stadium is the part-time home of the NRL Wests Tigers and now the full-time home of the Bulls. Our ranking: 7/10
#7 – Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium is number 7 in our countdown. Sydney FC’s (primary) temporary home until they return back to the brand-new Sydney Football Stadium. The ground has a capacity of around 20,500 capacity with plenty of seating available and a great hill to watch the action from. Our ranking: 7/10
#6 – HBF Park
The home of Perth Glory has come a long way since its days as Perth Oval, now with a 20,500-capacity, great facilities and the iconic shed still a feature, HBF Park takes number 6 in our stadium countdown. Our ranking: 8/10
#5 – Central Coast Stadium
The 20,000-seat home of the Central Coast Mariners opened in 2000 and offers great views of the action. With its iconic palm trees and open end, it also offers spectacular views over the water. Our ranking: 8/10
#4 – McDonald Jones Stadium
Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium is number 4 in our best stadiums countdown. The 30,000-capacity home of the Jets has had several upgrades and features great facilities and hills behind both goals. Our ranking: 8/10
#3 – Coopers Stadium
Coopers Stadium is #3 in our A-League Best Stadiums countdown. The 16,500-capacity home of Adelaide United was redeveloped in 2000 for the Olympics and is purpose-built for football. A planned $45m upgrade will give its facilities a much-needed improvement. Our ranking: 8/10
#2 – AAMI Park
Melbourne's AAMI Park is runners-up in our stadium countdown. A truly magnificent venue, the home ground of Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City has a capacity of just over 30,000 with modern facilities, generates an electric atmosphere especially for Victory home games, is close to Melbourne's CBD and boasts great public transport links. Our ranking: 9/10
#1 – Bankwest Stadium
The A-League's newest venue, Bankwest Stadium, takes top spot in our best stadiums countdown. Home of the Western Sydney Wanderers, Bankwest also has a 30,000-capacity with modern facilities, boasts the steepest grandstands in Australia, features a safe-standing area behind the goals, LED lighting and two large video screens. See photo at top of article. Our ranking: 10/10
What do you think? Agree/disagree with our rankings - Let us know on social media.. @austadiums
