Riverway Stadium becomes AFL’s 48th venue

Townsville’s Riverway Stadium became the AFL’s 48th venue and Queensland fifth when it hosted the Gold Coast Suns v St Kilda match on in mid-June.

The round 13 fixture, played in front of 7,243 fans, saw Riverway Stadium join a venue list that began with four matches in round one of the first AFL/VFL season in 1897.

Host venues in that round were Collingwood’s Victoria Park, Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street Oval, South Melbourne’s Lake Oval and the old Corio Oval at Geelong.

Since then, AFL fixtures have been held in New Zealand (Wellington’s Westpac Stadium) and China (Shanghai’s Jiangwan Stadium).

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The other Queensland venues to host AFL Premiership clashes have been the Gabba in Brisbane, Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast (formerly Carrara Stadium), Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns and the Brisbane Exhibition Ground.

The Brisbane Exhibition Ground staged its fixture in round eight in 1952 when all matches were played at regional and interstate venues to promote the game outside of traditional Victorian markets. Other grounds used were the SCG, North Hobart Oval plus Albury in regional NSW, and Euroa and Yallourn in regional Victoria.

The Brisbane Exhibition Ground had also hosted Queensland Football League matches prior to the First World War and the 1950 Australian carnival.

While the Townsville venue had previously hosted pre-season AFL fixtures, this was the first match played for premiership points, with the Gold Coast Suns previously having played the corresponding fixture in Cairns. State cricket matches have also been played at the venue including the JLT One-Day Cup and Sheffield Shield.

Formerly known as Tony Ireland Stadium, Riverway Stadium is an international standard AFL and cricket stadium with a 10,000 capacity, featuring a 1013-seat grandstand and supporting facilities, video screen, lights and a second practice oval.