Punt Road Oval
Encyclopedia
Punt Road Oval is a sporting ground located in Yarra Park
, East Melbourne, Victoria
situated only a few hundred metres to the east of the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground
.
Punt Road Oval is historically notable as a former venue of the Victorian Football League
(now Australian Football League) with 544 official VFL/AFL matches played there between 1908 and 1964 and as the headquarters and former home ground of the Richmond Football Club
.
to play matches on the Richmond
paddock next to the site occupied by the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Club
. The first documented cricket
match on the oval was played on December 27, 1856.
It was used as the home ground by the Richmond Football Club
in the Victorian Football Association from 1885 to 1907 then in the Victorian Football League
from 1908 to 1964. It was also used by the Melbourne Football Club
during and immediately after World War II
, when the MCG became a military base. Not until late 1946 were Melbourne able to play the MCG again. Owing to the arrangement of the draw for 1942, South Melbourne
played one home game there against Hawthorn
when Richmond had the bye.
The Tigers
, under the stewardship of Club President Ray Dunn
, negotiated to move their home games to the MCG
and, on August 22, 1964, the last senior VFL game was played at Punt Road when Richmond
played host to Hawthorn
.
In November 1999 it hosted a Mercantile Mutual Cup match between Victoria and Canberra
and it remains the club's administrative headquarters. A statue of Tigers legend Jack Dyer
is outside the ground. A $20 million redevelopment is underway to provide a modern state-of-the-art facility for the Richmond football club. The redevelopment is under the management of Buxton Construction.
It has remained as the home ground for the Richmond Cricket Club
from 1856 to the end of the 2010/2011 season. The Richmond cricket club has moved from Punt Road after being the longest-serving survivors in cricket to keep their ground from the AFL sides. They now play in Mount Waverly. When completed in 2012 the redeveloped sports facilities at Punt Road will accommodate a range of business and community sports organisations, including Klim Swim, the VRI Fencing Club
and the Indigenous Youth Education Centre.
Yarra Park, Melbourne
Yarra Park is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct - the premier sporting precinct of Victoria, Australia. Located in Yarra Park is the Melbourne Cricket Ground and numerous sporting fields and ovals, including the associated sporting complexes of Melbourne & Olympic Parks...
, East Melbourne, Victoria
East Melbourne, Victoria
East Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, East Melbourne had a population of 4,330....
situated only a few hundred metres to the east of the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
.
Punt Road Oval is historically notable as a former venue of the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(now Australian Football League) with 544 official VFL/AFL matches played there between 1908 and 1964 and as the headquarters and former home ground of the Richmond Football Club
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
.
History
In October 1855 an application was made for the Richmond Cricket ClubRichmond Cricket Club
This article concerns the Richmond club in Australia. For the English club of the same name, see Richmond Cricket Club, SurreyThe Richmond Cricket Club is an Australian cricket club based in Richmond, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria....
to play matches on the Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
paddock next to the site occupied by the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Club
Melbourne Cricket Club
The Melbourne Cricket Club is a sporting club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is regarded as the oldest sporting club in Australia....
. The first documented cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match on the oval was played on December 27, 1856.
It was used as the home ground by the Richmond Football Club
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
in the Victorian Football Association from 1885 to 1907 then in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
from 1908 to 1964. It was also used by the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
during and immediately after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when the MCG became a military base. Not until late 1946 were Melbourne able to play the MCG again. Owing to the arrangement of the draw for 1942, South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
played one home game there against Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
when Richmond had the bye.
The Tigers
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
, under the stewardship of Club President Ray Dunn
Ray Dunn
Raymond Hudson Dunn was a noted lawyer and football administrator with VFL club Richmond. Ray Dunn was one of the towering figures at Richmond who laid the foundations for the club's greatest era of success...
, negotiated to move their home games to the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
and, on August 22, 1964, the last senior VFL game was played at Punt Road when Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
played host to Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
.
In November 1999 it hosted a Mercantile Mutual Cup match between Victoria and Canberra
Ground records - VFL
- Most Goals (Individual) in a Match: 14 by Doug StrangDoug StrangDoug Strang was an Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL between 1931 and 1935 for the Richmond Football Club.Whilst several injuries restricted his VFL career to just 64 games...
(Richmond vs North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe 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...
Round 2, 1931) - Highest Score: Richmond 30.19 (199) (vs North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football ClubThe 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...
Round 2, 1931) - Lowest Score: St KildaSt. Kilda Football ClubThe St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League, the sport's premier league....
1.10 (16) (vs Richmond 1910) - Greatest Winning Margin: 168 points (Richmond vs North Melbourne Round 2, 1931)
- Drawn Matches: 6
- Record attendance: 46,000 (Richmond vs Carlton, 19491949 VFL seasonResults and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1949.-Premiership season:In 1949, the VFL competition consisted of twelve teams of 18 on-the-field players each, plus two substitute players, known as the 19th man and the 20th man...
)
Today
The ground is still used for training by the Richmond Football ClubRichmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
and it remains the club's administrative headquarters. A statue of Tigers legend Jack Dyer
Jack Dyer
John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM , always known as Jack Dyer, was one of the colossal figures of Australian rules football during two distinct careers, firstly as a player and coach of the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1931 and 1952, and later in the broadcast media for...
is outside the ground. A $20 million redevelopment is underway to provide a modern state-of-the-art facility for the Richmond football club. The redevelopment is under the management of Buxton Construction.
It has remained as the home ground for the Richmond Cricket Club
Richmond Cricket Club
This article concerns the Richmond club in Australia. For the English club of the same name, see Richmond Cricket Club, SurreyThe Richmond Cricket Club is an Australian cricket club based in Richmond, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria....
from 1856 to the end of the 2010/2011 season. The Richmond cricket club has moved from Punt Road after being the longest-serving survivors in cricket to keep their ground from the AFL sides. They now play in Mount Waverly. When completed in 2012 the redeveloped sports facilities at Punt Road will accommodate a range of business and community sports organisations, including Klim Swim, the VRI Fencing Club
VRI Fencing Club
VRI Fencing Club located in Richmond, Victoria is an Australian fencing club distinguished as being one of few sports clubs in any sport to have produced athletes for every Olympiad since 1956....
and the Indigenous Youth Education Centre.