Rushton Park
Encyclopedia
Rushton Park, officially called
Bendigo Bank Stadium, is an Australian rules football
ground located in Mandurah, Western Australia
. The ground is currently used as a home ground by three clubs: the , competing in the West Australian Football League
(WAFL), the Mandurah Mustangs, competing in the Peel Football League
(PFL), and the Peel Thunderbirds, competing in the West Australian Women's Football League
(WAWFL).
(WAFL) match in April 1986 between and , with a record attendance at the time of 7,147 people. A further game was hosted in the 1987 season, between and South Fremantle, with 4,547 in attendance. After the Peel Thunder Football Club
was accepted into the WAFL for the 1997 season, Rushton Park became its home ground. The first game of the 1997 season, against , drew a crowd of 5,781 people. Attendances declined during the late 1990s and early 2000s, with an average of around 1,200 attending games at Rushton Park. A match in 2000 between Peel and drew only 815 people.
Australian Football League
(AFL) pre-season matches in 2004 ( and ) and 2006 ( and ), attracted crows of 7,527 and 8,283 people respectively, with the latter a new ground record. In September 2009, naming rights
to the ground were sold to the Bendigo Bank
as part of a three-year deal. A A$
9 million redevelopment of the ground, consisting of the construction of a new grandstand and facilities, began in February 2010, and was completed in June 2011. The ground hosted the 2011 State Game against Queensland in June 2011.
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
Bendigo Bank Stadium, is an 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...
ground located in Mandurah, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The ground is currently used as a home ground by three clubs: the , competing in the West Australian Football League
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
(WAFL), the Mandurah Mustangs, competing in the Peel Football League
Peel Football League
The Peel Football League is a country football league based in the Peel region of Western Australia. The competition was formed in 1992 when teams from the Metropolitan Football League and Murray Districts Football League merged...
(PFL), and the Peel Thunderbirds, competing in the West Australian Women's Football League
West Australian Women's Football League
The West Australian Women's Football League is the governing body of the Women's Australian rules football Sport in the state of Western Australia.-Clubs:*Claremont Piranhas*Coastal Titans*East Fremantle Sharks*Joondalup Falcons*Mt Lawley Hawks...
(WAWFL).
History
Rushton Park was first used in the 1960s by the Mandurah Football Club in the Sunday Football League. The ground held its first West Australian Football LeagueWest Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
(WAFL) match in April 1986 between and , with a record attendance at the time of 7,147 people. A further game was hosted in the 1987 season, between and South Fremantle, with 4,547 in attendance. After the Peel Thunder Football Club
Peel Thunder Football Club
The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park...
was accepted into the WAFL for the 1997 season, Rushton Park became its home ground. The first game of the 1997 season, against , drew a crowd of 5,781 people. Attendances declined during the late 1990s and early 2000s, with an average of around 1,200 attending games at Rushton Park. A match in 2000 between Peel and drew only 815 people.
Australian 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...
(AFL) pre-season matches in 2004 ( and ) and 2006 ( and ), attracted crows of 7,527 and 8,283 people respectively, with the latter a new ground record. In September 2009, naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
to the ground were sold to the Bendigo Bank
Bendigo Bank
Bendigo Bank is an Australian financial institution, operating primarily in retail banking. The company merged with Adelaide Bank in November 2007, with shareholders voting in March 2008 to change the merged company’s name to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited.Before the merger, Bendigo Bank...
as part of a three-year deal. A A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
9 million redevelopment of the ground, consisting of the construction of a new grandstand and facilities, began in February 2010, and was completed in June 2011. The ground hosted the 2011 State Game against Queensland in June 2011.