Former usage Olympic Park Stadium

1 former usage

1.1 athletics
1.2 soccer
1.3 rugby league

1.3.1 rugby league test matches


1.4 rugby union
1.5 other sports
1.6 events

former usage

the stadium 1 of largest in victoria suited rectangular configuration, made ideal hosting rugby league, rugby union, soccer , gridiron matches. whilst larger etihad stadium , melbourne cricket ground stadiums support rectangular configuration, due oval-shaped grounds, viewing conditions less ideal. larger 30,050-seat rectangular stadium (sponsored name aami park) adjacent olympic park stadium completed in may 2010.

the stadium had lighting suited night athletics meets world standard athletics track refurbished in 1997, stadium last being redeveloped in 1998. athletics track refurbished again in 2010 national championships. until 2009, stadium home of (nrl) team, melbourne storm. served home of melbourne victory (a-league) home games 2 seasons (2005–2007). olympic park had capacity of 18,500 spectators, 11,000 seats.

athletics

australian athletes competed on track on fifty years , venue hosted twelve national championships. thirteen world records in athletics had been established @ stadium pole vaulter emma george setting 4 between 1995 , 1998.

mitch mitchell s sculpture depicting landy s moment of sportmanship

australian middle-distance runner star john landy featured in memorable race @ 1956 national championships, stopped during mile championship assist fallen junior champion, ron clarke. landy s actions, in front of 22,000 strong crowd have been described finest sporting moment in history of sport . landy went on win event many commentators believing stop had cost him world record. photograph of fall named best australian sporting photo of twentieth century while landy s conduct named sport australia hall of fame nation s finest sporting moment of 20th century.

the track host significant athletics meeting in australia each year, athletics grand prix series, melbourne, meet (previously telstra a-series meet).

soccer

olympic park first stadium in australia recognised officially fifa soccer ground. mid-1950s onward venue considered unofficial home of soccer in victoria. regularly hosted important games of victorian state league, including dockerty cup finals , games overseas touring teams. stadium held fifa world cup qualification matches, 1993 fifa world youth championship matches, , group matches of 1956 olympics football competition.

australia played 34 internationals @ olympic park 11 wins. last international match played @ olympic park friendly against paraguay on 15 june 2000, australia won 2–1. wasn t supposed host game game moved olympic park because venue play host soccer international, colonial stadium, had unsafe surface had caused australian football league match moved colonial stadium melbourne cricket ground.

as hosting several national soccer league grand finals, various soccer clubs used venue permanent or temporary home, such melbourne knights, south melbourne , heidelberg united. a-league club melbourne victory played home games @ venue, before capacity issues saw move larger docklands stadium following season.

rugby league

melbourne storm playing south sydney rabbitohs @ olympic park

game ii of 1990 state of origin series first played in melbourne , stadium packed capacity new south wales victory on queensland. capacity stadium upped 25,800 through use of temporary seating @ each end. stadium held nswrl premiership match in 1993, when st. george dragons defeated western suburbs magpies 20–8 in front of 11,822 fans. match designated wests home game.

the stadium hosted australia vs new zealand test match on 3 july 1991 part of 1991 trans-tasman test series. match first rugby league test held in australia outside of new south wales or queensland, kiwi s scoring upset 24–8 win on world champions in front of 26,900 fans.

olympic park home ground of melbourne storm 1998–2000 , 2002–2009. exception being 2001 when storm moved home games larger, 56,347-capacity telstra dome, due in part storm s first 3 seasons (1998, 1999 , 2000), each having season average attendance of on 13,000. attractive in move chance play indoors due stadium having retractable roof, , stadium s ability move seating closer rugby league field. seating moved 1 game, however, due cost involved , damage done playing surface, hosted australian football league (who part owners of stadium). round 21 clash defending premiers brisbane. 32–28 win on broncos saw storm s season high crowd of 15,470. ultimately, move docklands deemed failure, and, average season crowd of 11,981, storm decided move olympic park beginning 2002. following move olympic park, storm play of home games , finals @ venue until moving new 30,050-all-seated aami park, built adjacent olympic park, in 2010 (in 2009 major finals against higher drawing teams brisbane , manly-warringah, moved docklands).

during rugby league matches western grandstand named glenn lazarus stand after storm s foundation , first premiership winning captain, while eastern grandstand named tawera nikau stand after new zealand international lock forward played 53 games storm, including 20–18 1999 nrl grand final win on st george-illawarra in front of world record rugby league crowd of 107,999 @ sydney olympic stadium. local fans unofficially dubbed northern end standing room, marcus bai stand after 1 of storm s popular players , outstanding wingers.

the melbourne storm s nickname stadium graveyard , due excellent record @ stadium (136 games, 106 wins, 28 losses, 2 draws). storm s first ever home game @ ground in round 4 of 1998 season when 20,522 saw new team defeat north sydney bears 24–16. game remains highest attended melbourne storm game @ olympic park. highest attended finals game @ stadium storm s first ever finals game when 18,247 saw sydney roosters win 26–12 in 1998 major preliminary semi-final.

melbourne storm moved out in 2010, stadium poorly suited rugby league because dimensions of pitch small. played last game there in round 25, 29 august 2009, winning 38–4 against sydney roosters.

rugby league test matches

list of rugby league test , world cup matches played @ olympic smart stadium.

rugby union

the stadium has hosted international rugby union matches, , in 2007 home defunct melbourne rebels (arc) in season of australian rugby championship. victorian rugby union returned stadium in 2011 when melbourne rebels played warm-up, debut super rugby season, against pacific island kingdom of tonga.

other sports

the stadium hosted gridiron victoria vic bowl s between 1985 , 1993.

in january 1995, olympic park used motorcycle speedway when hosted round of australian speedway masters series. 400 metres (440 yards) speedway track laid out on existing athletics track. masters series included world s best speedway riders, including reigning world champion tony rickardsson sweden, 1993 world champion sam ermolenko of united states, multiple long track world champion simon wigg of england , australia s best riders, including leigh adams, craig boyce, jason crump , jason lyons.

events

the king of pop, michael jackson, performed sold out concert @ stadium on 13 november 1987 during bad world tour.

bon jovi played here in november 1995 during these days tour