Carrara Stadium
Encyclopedia
Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast
in Queensland
, Australia
, located in the suburb of Carrara
.
It received substantial redevelopment work prior to the entry of the Brisbane Bears
to the VFL/AFL
in 1987, but since the Bears relocated to the Gabba in 1993, it has been used for other sports including rugby league
, rugby union
and even baseball
. The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games
.
after the Brisbane Bears
were granted a licence to enter the VFL
Australian rules football competition. The stadium was built with makeshift stands designed for night games and to maximise the television audience. The Fitzroy Football Club
defeated the Brisbane Bears in the first VFL game played at Carrara Oval before a crowd of 17,795 in 1987. (The Brisbane Lions
website records this crowd as 22,684, however the stadium did not have this capacity in 1987.)
The Bears' onfield performance was poor and VFL crowds at Carrara Stadium never reached these heights again. In 1993 the Bears relocated to the Gabba.
The ground was owned by the Albert Shire Council and transferred to the Gold Coast City Council when the two local authorities amalgamated in 1995. The field is officially known as Laver Oval after long time Albert Shire Chairman Councillor Bill Laver.
In 1988, Carrara Stadium played host to the very first Touch Football World Cup
in which teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the USA competed in the Men's, Women's and Mixed Opens as well as Men's Over 35's divisions. Australia won all four division finals which were all played against New Zealand.
The Gold Coast Clippers
played their 1989-1990 Australian Baseball League (1989-1999) season at Carrara before changing their name to the Daikyo Dolphins
and moving to Palm Meadows
. For the 1992-93 season they moved back to Carrara as the Gold Coast Cougars
. The Cougars stayed at Carrara until the abolition of the Australian Baseball League in 1999.
In 1996 the Gold Coast Seagulls
moved to Carrara from Tweed Heads
. They continued to use the ground until the end of the 1998 NRL
season when they were excluded from the competition as a part of the rationalisation of the National Rugby League
. Rugby league matches continued to be played at the stadium, with pre-season trials being played there annually from 2002 to 2005, and NRL premiership matches played in 2001 and 2005. The ground's capacity was increased slightly during this time. In 2005 the NRL announced that a licence would be awarded to the Gold Coast Titans
, and that the stadium would be their home ground in 2007 until the completion of Skilled Park, which was opened in 2008.
In response to the NRL move, the AFL scheduled three AFL 'home games' for the North Melbourne Football Club
and a NAB Cup
match for Carrara in 2007, and the Queensland State League began hosting Grand Finals there.
-shaped grandstand was completed. By April 2011, the turf had been laid and the 23 by 8.5 m (75.5 by 27.9 ft), LED
-powered high-definition video board
had been installed.
The redeveloped stadium cost $144.2 million to build and seats 25,000 spectators (with the ability to house an additional 15,000 temporary seats). The stadium features an AFL oval capable of accommodating an ICC-compliant cricket oval, an IAAF Athletics field and a FIFA World Cup football field, facilities for 2,000 corporate patrons, AFL team and officials’ changing facilities, AFL media facilities, and team and officials’ suites. Watpac were contracted for the construction, which is scheduled for completion in mid-2011. MakMax Australia has been contracted to complete the fabric roof of the stadium. The stadium was opened for an open day on 22 May 2011, before the first match on 28 May 2011.
The ground recorded its biggest ever figure when 23,302 people watched the Suns tackle defending premiers in Round 18 of the 2011 AFL season. However, it was noted that 7,000 Collingwood supporters had flown up from Melbourne to watch the game, won by Collingwood by 54 points.
Following the success of the Collingwood match, Metricon Stadium then played host to an International Rules match in November 2011.
The Gold Coast's successful bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games
will see this venue further upgraded to a 40,000+ seat venue, and will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as athletics.
games.
On 15 March 2011, the Gold Coast Football Club announced that home builder group Metricon signed a $3 million, 5 year deal for naming rights of Carrara Stadium, to be known as Metricon Stadium.
The Gold Coast Suns
played their first game at the reconstructed stadium on Saturday, 28 May 2011, Round 10 of the 2011 AFL season
. Unfortunately, the Suns lost the match against by 66 points, despite many highlights such as Karmichael Hunt's first AFL goal. This ground also saw the Gold Coast host 2010 AFL Grand Final
ists and in consecutive rounds, 18 and 19, respectively. The Collingwood showdown was sold out two months before the actual game. In front of a record crowd of 23,302, the Suns kicked the first two goals before Collingwood shot out to a 54-point halftime margin, with the margin staying that way until the fulltime siren. In the other game against , the Suns were brave but eventually went down by 20 points.
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, located in the suburb of Carrara
Carrara, Queensland
Carrara is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located on the southern bank of the Nerang River. At the 2006 Census, Carrara had a population of 10,687....
.
It received substantial redevelopment work prior to the entry of the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
to the VFL/AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
in 1987, but since the Bears relocated to the Gabba in 1993, it has been used for other sports including rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and even baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games
2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event that will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia between 4 to 15 April 2018...
.
History
Carrara Stadium was redeveloped by Christopher SkaseChristopher Skase
Christopher Charles Skase was an Australian businessman who later became one of his country's most wanted fugitives, after his business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Majorca in Spain.-Early life:...
after the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
were granted a licence to enter the VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Australian rules football competition. The stadium was built with makeshift stands designed for night games and to maximise the television audience. The Fitzroy Football Club
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
defeated the Brisbane Bears in the first VFL game played at Carrara Oval before a crowd of 17,795 in 1987. (The Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
website records this crowd as 22,684, however the stadium did not have this capacity in 1987.)
The Bears' onfield performance was poor and VFL crowds at Carrara Stadium never reached these heights again. In 1993 the Bears relocated to the Gabba.
The ground was owned by the Albert Shire Council and transferred to the Gold Coast City Council when the two local authorities amalgamated in 1995. The field is officially known as Laver Oval after long time Albert Shire Chairman Councillor Bill Laver.
In 1988, Carrara Stadium played host to the very first Touch Football World Cup
Touch Football World Cup
-World Cup Results 1988 - 2007:-World Cup Venues:The following outlines the World Cups held and planned for the future* 1988 - Australia * 1991 - New Zealand * 1995 - USA * 1999 - Australia * 2003 - Japan...
in which teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the USA competed in the Men's, Women's and Mixed Opens as well as Men's Over 35's divisions. Australia won all four division finals which were all played against New Zealand.
The Gold Coast Clippers
Gold Coast Clippers
The Gold Coast Clippers were a foundation team in the now defunct Australian Baseball League. The Clippers changed their name to the Daikyo Dolphins following the signing of a major sponsorship deal with Daikyo to create one of the strongest teams in ABL history.- See also :*Sport in...
played their 1989-1990 Australian Baseball League (1989-1999) season at Carrara before changing their name to the Daikyo Dolphins
Daikyo Dolphins
The Daikyo Dolphins were formerly the Gold Coast Clippers, a foundation team in the now defunct Australian Baseball League. The Clippers changed their name to the Daikyo Dolphins following the signing of a major sponsorship deal with Japanese real estate development company Daikyo to create one of...
and moving to Palm Meadows
Palm Meadows
Palm Meadows International Baseball Facility is an Australian baseball field located on the Gold Coast, Queensland. It is owned by Hungtat Worldwide Pty Ltd and is leased through Gold Coast city council...
. For the 1992-93 season they moved back to Carrara as the Gold Coast Cougars
Gold Coast Cougars
The Gold Coast Cougars were the re-branded Daikyo Dolphins after major sponsor Daikyo had to end sponsorship of the team due to financial problems with the Australian arm of the company.- See also :*Sport in Australia*Australian Baseball...
. The Cougars stayed at Carrara until the abolition of the Australian Baseball League in 1999.
In 1996 the Gold Coast Seagulls
Gold Coast Chargers
Gold Coast were a professional Rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998...
moved to Carrara from Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads, New South Wales
Tweed Heads is a town located on the Tweed River in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia in Tweed Shire. Tweed Heads is located next to the border with Queensland, adjacent to the "Twin Town" of Coolangatta, a suburb of the Gold Coast...
. They continued to use the ground until the end of the 1998 NRL
National Rugby League season 1998
The 1998 NRL season was the 91st season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the inaugural season of the newly formed National Rugby League. After the Australian Rugby League and Super League organisations ran separate competitions parallel to each other in 1997, they joined to...
season when they were excluded from the competition as a part of the rationalisation of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
. Rugby league matches continued to be played at the stadium, with pre-season trials being played there annually from 2002 to 2005, and NRL premiership matches played in 2001 and 2005. The ground's capacity was increased slightly during this time. In 2005 the NRL announced that a licence would be awarded to the Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
, and that the stadium would be their home ground in 2007 until the completion of Skilled Park, which was opened in 2008.
In response to the NRL move, the AFL scheduled three AFL 'home games' for the North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
and a NAB Cup
Australian Football League pre-season competition
The Australian Football League pre-season competition, which is known at present as the NAB Cup, is a competition held before the beginning of the Australian Football League premiership season...
match for Carrara in 2007, and the Queensland State League began hosting Grand Finals there.
Redevelopment
On 7 May 2009, it was confirmed that the Carrara Stadium receive a $126 million redevelopment. On 30 October 2009, demolition of the old stadium began. By January 2010, demolition works were complete. Foundations for the grandstands as well as construction for the player and corporate facilties began in May 2010. By October 2010, the eastern grandstand was nearing completion. Just three months later in January 2011 the whole horseshoeHorseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
-shaped grandstand was completed. By April 2011, the turf had been laid and the 23 by 8.5 m (75.5 by 27.9 ft), LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
-powered high-definition video board
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
had been installed.
The redeveloped stadium cost $144.2 million to build and seats 25,000 spectators (with the ability to house an additional 15,000 temporary seats). The stadium features an AFL oval capable of accommodating an ICC-compliant cricket oval, an IAAF Athletics field and a FIFA World Cup football field, facilities for 2,000 corporate patrons, AFL team and officials’ changing facilities, AFL media facilities, and team and officials’ suites. Watpac were contracted for the construction, which is scheduled for completion in mid-2011. MakMax Australia has been contracted to complete the fabric roof of the stadium. The stadium was opened for an open day on 22 May 2011, before the first match on 28 May 2011.
The ground recorded its biggest ever figure when 23,302 people watched the Suns tackle defending premiers in Round 18 of the 2011 AFL season. However, it was noted that 7,000 Collingwood supporters had flown up from Melbourne to watch the game, won by Collingwood by 54 points.
Following the success of the Collingwood match, Metricon Stadium then played host to an International Rules match in November 2011.
The Gold Coast's successful bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games
2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event that will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia between 4 to 15 April 2018...
will see this venue further upgraded to a 40,000+ seat venue, and will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as athletics.
Current
Carrara is the home ground for the Gold Coast Football Club, and also hosts events such as the junior representative championships and QAFLQueensland Australian Football League
The Queensland Australian Football League was an Australian rules football competition for clubs from South East Queensland.Up until 2010, the QAFL was the premier semi-professional competition in Queensland, with salary cap rules and regulations in place.It was previously known as the Queensland...
games.
Gold Coast Football Club
Beginning mid-2011, the Gold Coast Football Club will play games at Carrara. The Queensland Government has promised to contribute $60 million towards the redevelopment of the stadium which would increase the capacity to around 25,000 with 23,500 seated. The Gold Coast City Council also will contribute $20 million. Finally the AFL has promised $10 million. This is a total of $90 million. The establishment of the Gold Coast Football Club is expected to contribute $34 million dollars to the region, 92 per cent of which will go to benefit non-AFL businesses in the Gold Coast such as tourism, retail and hospitality industries.On 15 March 2011, the Gold Coast Football Club announced that home builder group Metricon signed a $3 million, 5 year deal for naming rights of Carrara Stadium, to be known as Metricon Stadium.
The Gold Coast Suns
Gold Coast Suns
The Gold Coast Suns were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The club split their home games between Miami and Pompano Beach, FL and hired future Hall of Famer Earl Weaver as manager. In the league's inaugural season, the...
played their first game at the reconstructed stadium on Saturday, 28 May 2011, Round 10 of the 2011 AFL season
2011 AFL season
The 2011 Australian Football League season was the 115th season of the Australian rules football competition. It was the debut year for , and was scheduled to be the only season to be played with 17 teams...
. Unfortunately, the Suns lost the match against by 66 points, despite many highlights such as Karmichael Hunt's first AFL goal. This ground also saw the Gold Coast host 2010 AFL Grand Final
2010 AFL Grand Final
The 2010 AFL Grand Final is either of two Australian rules football contests between the Collingwood Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club. Together they are considered the 114th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, and were staged to determine the...
ists and in consecutive rounds, 18 and 19, respectively. The Collingwood showdown was sold out two months before the actual game. In front of a record crowd of 23,302, the Suns kicked the first two goals before Collingwood shot out to a 54-point halftime margin, with the margin staying that way until the fulltime siren. In the other game against , the Suns were brave but eventually went down by 20 points.
Attendance records
| Date | Teams | Sport | Competition | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 July 2011 | Gold Coast Suns Gold Coast Suns The Gold Coast Suns were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The club split their home games between Miami and Pompano Beach, FL and hired future Hall of Famer Earl Weaver as manager. In the league's inaugural season, the... v. Collingwood Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League... |
Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
AFL Australian Football League The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football... |
23,302 |
| 18 March 1994 | Gold Coast Chargers Gold Coast Chargers Gold Coast were a professional Rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998... v. Brisbane Broncos Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two... |
Rugby League Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
NSWRL | 22,688 |
| 28 May 2011 | Gold Coast Suns Gold Coast Suns The Gold Coast Suns were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The club split their home games between Miami and Pompano Beach, FL and hired future Hall of Famer Earl Weaver as manager. In the league's inaugural season, the... v. Geelong Geelong Football Club The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also... |
Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
AFL Australian Football League The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football... |
21,485 |
| 27 May 2005 | North Queensland Cowboys North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership... v. Canterbury Bulldogs |
Rugby League Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
NRL National Rugby League The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand... |
21,012 |
| 3 September 2011 | Gold Coast Suns Gold Coast Suns The Gold Coast Suns were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The club split their home games between Miami and Pompano Beach, FL and hired future Hall of Famer Earl Weaver as manager. In the league's inaugural season, the... v. Hawthorn Hawks |
Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
AFL Australian Football League The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football... |
19,314 |
| 28 February 2005 | St George Illawarra Dragons St George Illawarra Dragons The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the... v. Canterbury Bulldogs Canterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions... |
Rugby League Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
NRL National Rugby League The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand... |
18,356 |
| 15 July 1989 | Brisbane Bears Brisbane Bears The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995... v. Geelong Geelong Football Club The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also... |
Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
VFL Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association... |
18,198 |
Sources
- AFL Attendance Records
- NRL Attendance Records
- Brisbane Lions website
- Gold Coast Titans website
- Nerang Bulls Rugby Union website
- Gold Coast City Council - Carrara Stadium
- BPN news article