Skilled Stadium (Kardinia Park)

Capacity: 28,300

Kardinia Park is an Australian rules football (AFL) stadium located in South Geelong, Victoria. The stadium is the home ground of the Geelong Football Club which began playing home games at Kardinia Park in 1941 after its previous home ground, Corio Oval, was needed for military reasons.

The stadium is currently known as Skilled Stadium, named as a result of a sponsorship agreement between Skilled Group and the Geelong Football Club. Previous names as a result of sponsorship deals have been Shell Stadium, and Baytec Stadium. On May 23, 2002, Kardinia park hosted a visit from the Dalai Lama who will again visit the stadium in 2007.

The stadium was for many years the only VFL ground located outside the Melbourne metropolitan area.

An AUD $28 million redevelopment of the ground was opened on May 1, 2005 during the first home game of the 2005 season which includes a new western entry and membership area, as well as a new five level grandstand with a capacity of approximately 6000 spectators on the eastern side of the stadium. A favourite for the honour of the naming of the new stand was Bob Davis, coach of the Cats’ last premiership side in 1963.

On June 15, 2005, City of Greater Geelong councillors granted the club its wish to change the name of the new eastern stand to the Reg Hickey Stand, while the southern stand became the Doug Wade Stand. The northern terrace became known as the Gary Ablett Terrace while the western gate was re-named the Bob Davis Gate.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

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Skilled Stadium wikipedia entry
Geelong Cats
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AFL website

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