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With the opening of the new Casey Fields footy ground thought I look at all the different grounds that have had VFA/VFL football over the years.
Casey Fields- opening this Saturday April 29
Williamstown cricket ground Point Gellibrand - still in use
Cramer Street Preston - still in use
Box Hill City Oval - still in use
Chirnside Park Werribee - still in use
Queen Elizabeth Oval - still in use
Teac Oval/ North Port Oval Port Melbourne - still in use
Trevor Barker/ Beach Road Oval Sandringham - still in use
Coburg City Oval - still in use
Northern Oval North Ballarat - still in use
Frankston City Oval - still in use
Kardinia Park/Skilled Stadium Geelong - still in use
North Hobart Oval - Tassie home game in Hobart now in Belerive Oval. Played games there last year.
Aurora Stadium/ York Park Launceston - still in use
Belerive Oval Hobart - still in use. New base in Hobart for Tassie
Devenport Oval - No games there this year. I went to see Williamstown v Tassie here in 2001. Played a game here last year.
Ulverstone Oval - Has been used twice. No games there this year.
Newcomen Road Springvale- Last game here was against Port Melbourne last year. Springvale Districts played Highett under light last Friday night.
Shepley Oval Dandenong - Springvale played at Shepley Oval in 2004. Dandy Demons ex Dandenong West are looking to play here under the Dandenong banner in the future.
VFL/ Waverley Park - been bulldozed and now Hawthorn's base.
Springvale had home games here in early 2000. Also had some night
matches for C7 Optus. Hosted the 2000 VFL Grand Final between Sandringham v North Ballarat.
Moorabbin - Springvale played home games as well as St Kilda when they were stand alone. VFA finals were played here in 1993. Jack Aziz kicked a goal after the siren in 1993 in the Preliminary Final to propel Werribee into the Grand Final.
Punt Road Oval - Coburg played 2 games last year. No games there this year. Hosted the 1967 VFA Grand Final bloodbath between Port v Dandy.
Princes Park/ Optus Oval- Still in use for VFL Grand Finals. This year ?? Maybe at Port Melbourne.
Windy Hill- Bendigo have 2 home games there this year. Also hosted the 1988 VFA Grand Final.
Western/ Whitten Oval- Yarraville played home games here in 1983. Sunshine played Werribee in a curtain raiser to the Footscray v Brisbane Bears match. Werribee has played Williamstown a couple of times in early 2000.
Lakeside Oval - Was used for the Ardath Cup in 1977/8. Watched Coburg knock off East Perth under lights as well as Dandenong thrash Central Districts in a day game. supporters were here from Adelaide chanting centrals centrals.
Junction Oval - Great memories all those VFA Grand Finals. Now used by Melbourne as a training base.
Victoria Park/ Jock McHale Stadium - Preston, stand alone Collingwood had home games here. Sandy beat Box Hill in 1994 at this ground.
Westgarth St Northcote - Last used in 1987 Northcote's last year. Northcote Park play here. Those flats overlooking the ground are a trademark.
Princes Park Caulfield - Caulfiled last played here in the 1987 season. St Kevin's Ormond who merged with Gardenvale and are now called Caulfield play here. The Bricker Pavillion and the Bear Cave were great.
Ben Kavanagh Reserve Mordialloc - Mordialloc still play here. Mordialloc last won a flag in 1999 in SFL 2nd Division. Will struggle this year as lost a host of players. Looks likely to be back in 2nd Divisioon next year.
Warrawee Park Oakleigh - Springvale played a home game here in the mid 1990s. Use to draw large crowds in the 70s. Ground is open and is used by Oakleigh Chargers.
Toorak Park - Legendary 2nd Divsion Finals. Blood sweat and tears.
Skinner Reserve Sunshine - very large ground that has been used for VFL practice matches in the mid to late 1980s. Sunshine played here until their demise. Soccer was played on the ground but I think the ground is derelict. WRFL used this ground for finals a few years ago.
Elsternwick Park - Was home for the Brightonb Penguins until the merger of Brighton to become Brighton- Caulfield. Once the Brighton name disappeared Caulfield played at Princes Park. Is now a base for the VAFA. My old club won the 1989 H Grade VAFA flag on this ground.
Selwyn Park Sunshine- The Sunshine crows played for a season or two before moving to Skinner Reserve. Albanvale played home games here last season as their ground was under reapair.
Western Oval Geelong West- The bicycle track. A classic. Big crowds in the 70s. Geelong West merged with St Peters and are called Geelong West St Peters and are called the saints. Still play here. The roosters had a few night games there in their last couple of seasons in the VFA.
Central Reserve Waverley- Sri Lanka played Victoria in a one day game their a few months ago. Big crowd. Waverley merged with Mt Waverley and are called Waverley blues. They play on Mt Waverley Reserve. Thsi ground is used by Mazenod in the VAFA.
Gillon Oval Brunswick- North Old Boys in the VAFA play here. I remeber watching Jacko playing for Brunswick against Sandringham and the crowd was huge.
Camberwell Sports Ground - Great old ground used by St Kevins I think. Camberwell cricket club merged with Collingwood and are called the Camberwell Magpies. They use this ground. Tried to get a Box Hill game to be played here but had no luck.
Colchester Road Kilsyth - Used by Kilsyth juniors as well as YVMDFL as a reserve for finals when needed. I watched 2 VFA games here. In 1983/4 both Northcote matches.
Berwick Recreation Reserve- Still in use by Berwick. Saw 2 VFA games here. Dandenong v Berwick and Northcote v Berwick. I also watched a game in 1999 between Berwick v Narre Warren and in atrocious wet windy conditions there was still at least 1000 people as there was some big function for past players day.
Buchanan Reserve Berwick- Was used by Berwick in the first yerar in the VFA until a fire wnet through the clubrooms.
Yarraville Oval- The Yarraville eagles last played here in 1982. Kingsville Football Club now called Yarraville play here. WRFL have finals here. Watched St Albans v Parkside Grand Final a couple of seasons ago.
Traralgon Sports Ground- Watched one game in 1996 Traralgon v Williamstown play a draw. Nathan Thompson played for Williamstown. Traralgon beat Maffra in the Grand Final played here last year.
Lavington Sports Ground- Murray Kangaroos played a handful of games at this ground. Never got to see a game here.
Bentleigh Recreation Oval- Moorabin played hteir last season here. Bentleigh who now play in the VAFA use this ground.
McKinnon Reserve - Moorabbin had one seson here in the mid 1980s. I watched Moorabbin play Brunswick. St Pauls Bentleigh play here as well as Old Haileybury in the VAFA.
Dandenong Showgrounds- Was used by Dandenong when they joined the VFA before going to Sepley Oval. I watched Dandy Demons take on Doveton Eagles here last year. Dandenong want to reform under the Dandenong banner and play back at Shepley Oval. Sounds good to me.
Cheltenham- Was used by Moorabbin for a season before they went to Moorabin. I watched Mordialloc play Surret Park in the SFL in 1999.
Brighton Beach Oval- used by the Brighton Penguins upto the late 20s. Before my time. Now used by Old Brighton in the VAFA. Played a game for my old club Richmond Central in 1988 at this ground. Nice old grandstand as the train goes past the ground. Brighton penguins moved to Elsternwick afterwards.
Motordrome - hosted VFA finals and was called Olympic Park when coverted for the 1956 Olympics.
## The Reid Oval in Warrnambool you can add to this list from Saturday May 27 when Werribee play Casey (Springvale) Scorpions.
