Editing St Kilda Football Club (section)

===Home grounds===

==== Junction Oval: 1897–1964 ====
St Kilda's first home ground in the [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League]] was [[Junction Oval]]. The club used this ground until 1964, when it moved to Moorabbin Oval.<ref name=About>{{cite web |title=About |url=https://www.saints.com.au/club/about |website=saints.com.au |access-date=23 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The oval was formerly known as the St Kilda Cricket Ground and was originally established as the home of the [[St Kilda Cricket Club]] in 1856.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onmydoorstep.com.au/heritage-listing/117260/st-kilda-cricket-ground|title=St Kilda Cricket Ground (Heritage Listed Location)|publisher=On My Doorstep |access-date=24 October 2021|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318144239/http://www.onmydoorstep.com.au/heritage-listing/117260/st-kilda-cricket-ground|archive-date=18 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/455136/end-of-an-era-no-more-footy-at-junction-oval|title=End of an era: No more footy at Junction Oval|date=21 July 2015|access-date=27 March 2022}}</ref>

By the late 1950s, the St Kilda Football Club sought to move its playing base away from Junction Oval as it wanted to operate its own venue rather than continue being a tenant of another club. In 1959, the club made enquiries about a lease to play at and develop [[Elsternwick Park]] in the neighbouring suburb of [[Elsternwick, Victoria|Elsternwick]], but no deal was signed.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial|date=4 April 1959|page=54|author=Jack Dunn|title=St Kilda to seek new home ground|publication-place=Melbourne}}</ref>

During 2014, St Kilda became involved in discussions with the Victorian government to return as a co-tenant at Junction Oval alongside Cricket Victoria. As part of the proposals, St Kilda would utilise the oval as a training and administrative base, with the site to receive a second oval to accommodate the club.<ref>{{cite news |title=AFL moots Saints return to Junction Oval |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/afl-moots-saints-return-to-junction-oval |access-date=23 October 2021 |work=SBS News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/st-kilda-return-to-junction-oval-back-on-table-20141121-11rlwd.html|title=St Kilda return to Junction Oval back on table|date=21 November 2014|access-date=23 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria-state-election-2014/junction-oval-redevelopment-boon-for-cricket-victoria-st-kilda-football-club/news-story/f5779a7d3f7feb9b16c3b1535fc90a4c|title=Junction Oval redevelopment boon for Cricket Victoria, St Kilda Football Club|date=21 November 2014|access-date=23 January 2023}}</ref> This proposal was later rejected by the Victorian government,<ref>{{cite web |title=St Kilda eyes return to Moorabbin after Junction Oval bid silenced by State Government |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/st-kilda-eyes-return-to-moorabbin-after-junction-oval-bid-silenced-by-state-government/news-story/74312093c263263bb2b319cd733936cb |website=Fox Sports |access-date=23 October 2021 |language=en |date=11 March 2015}}</ref> and Junction Oval was converted into a full-time cricket venue as of 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Connolly |first1=Rohan |title=End of an era for footy at the Junction Oval |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/end-of-an-era-for-footy-at-the-junction-oval-20150723-gij96p.html |access-date=23 October 2021 |work=The Age |date=24 July 2015 |language=en}}</ref>

==== Moorabbin Oval: 1965–1992 ====
[[File:Training drill in front of stand, St Kilda FC 01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Players training in front of the [[Graham Huggins|G. G. Huggins Stand]] (demolished in 2017) before the [[2009 AFL Grand Final]]]]
Moorabbin Oval has been St Kilda's training and administrative base since 1965, excluding an 8-year period between 2010 and 2018.<ref name=About/>

In March 1964, the club arranged a deal to move its playing, training and administrative base to [[Moorabbin Oval]] on Linton Street, [[Moorabbin, Victoria|Moorabbin]], with all home games at the new venue starting from the [[1965 VFL season|1965 season]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial|publication-place=Melbourne|page=52|author=Jack Dunn|date=25 March 1964|title=Saints will move to Moorabbin in '65}}</ref> The club signed a lease agreement in August 1964, giving the club access to all Moorabbin Oval facilities for 75 years  provided it completed required works at the ground to establish a social club, training facilities and spectator seating on the site in time for the 1965 premiership season. The club had to invest a set amount, combined with funds from the local council, and complete the required works by a deadline date to ensure the agreement was ratified and the purchase was complete. Loans provided to St Kilda by the council were to be repaid over the subsequent lease period.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whitehead |first1=Graham |title=The Saints Come to Moorabbin {{!}} Kingston Local History |url=https://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/articles/238 |website=localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au |access-date=23 October 2021}}</ref>

Following the club's move away from Moorabbin Oval as a venue for playing games, it was retained as an administrative and training facility for the club. In 2007, the relationship between the club and the [[City of Kingston]], which governs the suburb of Moorabbin, deteriorated. As a result, St Kilda announced that it would move its primary administrative and training base away from Moorabbin.<ref>{{cite news |title=Saints to leave Moorabbin |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/saints-to-leave-moorabbin-20070531-gdq9ox.html |access-date=23 October 2021 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=30 May 2007 |language=en}}</ref> After the 2010 season, the club temporarily moved to a new facility built at Belvedere Park in [[Seaford, Victoria|Seaford]].<ref name=Development/> During this time, the club continued to manage Moorabbin Oval, using it as a retail, museum, entertainment and occasional training venue.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Amy |first1=Paul |last2=Leader |first2=Moorabbin |title=Linton Oval hub plans take shape |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/talks-on-multi-million-dollar-upgrade-for-st-kilda-football-clubs-spiritual-moorabbin-home/news-story/ace8354c6b2a437721bcf8bb4be1eb8b |access-date=24 October 2021 |work=Herald Sun |date=20 March 2013}}</ref>

In 2018, St Kilda returned to using Moorabbin Oval as their primary administrative and training facility, as part of a two-stage redevelopment deal, costing approximately 30 million dollars.<ref name=March>{{cite news |last1=Amy |first1=Paul |title=Saints march back to Moorabbin |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/inner-south/st-kilda-is-settling-in-to-new-digs-at-its-old-home-moorabbin-reserve/news-story/6ef073b746bc49dcc973672680d259e2 |access-date=22 October 2021 |work=Herald Sun |date=20 March 2018}}</ref> Moorabbin Oval also serves as the primary home ground for the [[Sandringham Dragons]] and the [[Southern Football League (Victoria)|Southern Football League]] as well as being the administrative centre for football development in the south-east.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sommerville |first1=Troels |title=Moorabbin Oval's $8m injection |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/moorabbin-oval-to-get-8m-injection/news-story/6402a0bf584b80a4173e20f114d630a8 |access-date=23 October 2021 |work=Herald Sun |date=5 May 2014}}</ref>

==== Waverley Park: 1993–1999 ====

[[Waverley Park]] was opened by the [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League]] in 1970 under the name "VFL Park".<ref>{{cite news |title=Richmond hits top form in VFL win |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107920634?searchTerm=VFL%20Park%20open |access-date=23 October 2021 |work=Canberra Times |date=20 April 1970}}</ref> The ground was constructed by the league, for a variety of reasons, with the primary reason being that the ground would be owned by the VFL. As the majority of teams in the competition at the time did not have control over their home grounds, they were unable to exercise control over various aspects, such as ground drainage and ticket prices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bednall |first1=Jai |title=Super stadium that never was |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/the-157000seat-super-stadium-that-never-was/news-story/2c031a2774cc7e2353cf3857f3985723 |access-date=23 October 2021 |work=news.com.au |date=2 October 2015}}</ref>

Since the 1960s, the AFL had been embarked on a strategy of ground rationalisation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lane |first1=Tim |title=Grounds for concern: Can Princes Park shake off the blues to rise again? |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/grounds-for-concern-can-princes-park-shake-off-the-blues-to-rise-again-20160305-gnbdi0.html#ixzz424m92iNm |access-date=23 October 2021 |work=The Age |date=5 March 2016 |language=en}}</ref> During the 1990s, as part of this strategy, St Kilda opted to take a deal to move home games to Waverley Park from 1993 and renovate the ageing Moorabbin Oval for training, administration and social club purposes. The club voted in favour of the move in a weighted vote of members in July 1992. The club received $430,000 upfront and $120,000 per year for three years from the AFL's grounds rationalisation funds, which helped to clear some of the club's debt.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|publication-place=Melbourne|page=40|author=Patrick Smithers|date=14 July 1992|title=Saints vote for move to Waverley}}</ref>

In 1999, the AFL announced that it would not schedule any further matches at Waverley Park and that the stadium would be sold to pay for the under-construction Docklands Stadium.<ref name=Whither>Hay, R., Lazenby, C., Haig-Muir, M. and Mewett, P. (2002) [http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30004696/hay-whithersportingheritage-2001.pdf 'Whither Sporting Heritage: reflections on debates in Victoria about Waverley Park and the Melbourne Cricket Ground] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127144516/http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30004696/hay-whithersportingheritage-2001.pdf |date=27 January 2021 }}', in Dr David S Jones (ed.), 20th Century Heritage&nbsp;– Our Recent Cultural Legacy: Proceedings of the [[Australia ICOMOS]] National Conference 2001, pp. 367–370, University of Adelaide, Adelaide. |access-date=12 August 2021</ref>

==== Docklands Stadium: 2000–present====
{{See also|Docklands Stadium}}
[[File:Etihad Stadium crop.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Docklands Stadium]] – St Kilda's home ground]]
In 2000, St Kilda moved to a new playing home at [[Docklands Stadium]] following the discontinuation of Waverley Park as a scheduled ground.<ref name=Resurgence/><ref name=Docklands>{{cite web |title=Docklands Stadium (Marvel) |url=http://www.footyindustry.com/?page_id=73 |website=Sports Industry AU |access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref>

Docklands Stadium was conceived as a multi-purpose venue to be used for Australian rules football, soccer, rugby and other general entertainment events.<ref name=NewStadium>{{cite news|url=http://150.theage.com.au/view_bestofarticle.asp?straction=update&inttype=1&intid=927|title=City to get $200m high-tech stadium|last=Linnell|first=Stephen|author2=Shane Green|date=31 October 1996|work=[[The Age]]|access-date=23 October 2021|location=Melbourne|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050618035646/http://150.theage.com.au/view_bestofarticle.asp?straction=update&inttype=1&intid=927|archive-date=18 June 2005}}</ref> The AFL sought to replace Waverly Park, which would have been nearly 30 years old in 2000. The decision to build a new stadium was supported by the AFL due to issues regarding accessibility and Waverly Park, with the league stating there would be no improvement to the situation if upgrades were made to the stadium, and any upgrades would result in little financial return.<ref name=Docklands/> The stadium was designated to be in the Docklands region of Melbourne, behind [[Southern Cross Station]], and was designed to hold 52,000 people.<ref name=NewStadium/> The stadium cost approximately $460 million to construct.<ref>{{cite web |title=Docklands Stadium |url=https://pocketozmelbourne.com.au/docklands-stadium.html |website=pocketozmelbourne.com.au |access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref> Exclusive ownership of the ground was later purchased by the AFL in October 2016.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Matt |title=Done deal: AFL signs off on Etihad Stadium purchase |url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-07/done-deal-afl-signs-off-on-etihad-stadium-purchase |website=afl.com.au |date=7 October 2016 |access-date=22 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Due to Waverley Park being disused following the construction of Docklands Stadium, St Kilda, alongside fellow tenants Hawthorn, were forced to find a new home ground. As part of the initial arrangement, both clubs were planned to play a significant number of games at the stadium,<ref name=NewStadium/> however, only St Kilda would move to the ground.<ref name=Tenants>{{cite web |title=Tenant Clubs |url=https://marvelstadium.com.au/tenant-clubs/ |website=Marvel Stadium |access-date=22 October 2021 |language=en-AU}}</ref> St Kilda set the attendance record for the ground in 2009, when [[St Kilda vs Geelong (2009 AFL season)|54,444 people attended a match against Geelong]], a match notable for being the latest meeting between undefeated teams in VFL/AFL history. Other former club players also hold records at the venue, with [[Lenny Hayes]] holding the record for most games played at the venue, and [[Nick Riewoldt]] holding the record for most goals kicked.<ref name=Tenants/> To date, St Kilda has played the most AFL matches of any AFL team at Docklands Stadium, and has won the most matches of any AFL team at the ground.<ref>{{cite web |title=Docklands |url=https://afltables.com/afl/venues/docklands.html |website=AFL Tables |access-date=15 November 2024}}</ref>

During the [[2021 AFL season|2021]] and [[2022 AFL season]]s, St Kilda played one home game a year at [[Cazalys Stadium]]. Beginning with the [[2023 AFL season]], St Kilda have played one home game a year at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]], with their remaining 10 home games played at Docklands Stadium.

==== Additional facilities ====

St Kilda's primary administrative and training base from late 2010 until 2018 was the Linen House Centre at Belvedere Park in Seaford.<ref name=March/> The creation of the base came about due to disagreements between St Kilda and the City of Kingston's council regarding proposed upgrades to their Moorabbin facilities, which included the implementation of 80 poker machines.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Caroline |title=The Saints' troubled home life |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-saints-troubled-home-life-20120511-1yide.html |website=The Age |access-date=29 June 2021 |language=en |date=2012-05-11}}</ref> The club subsequently negotiated a deal with the neighbouring City of Frankston to develop Frankston Park into its new training base. However, when proposed costs blew out by $5 million, a new agreement was formed between the two entities.<ref>{{cite news |title=St Kilda to move base to Seaford |url=https://amp.heraldsun.com.au/sport/saints-move-to-seaford/news-story/26bed379ab78758e7cbd9dadfd8b6d87 |access-date=22 October 2021 |work=amp.heraldsun.com.au |date=17 September 2008}}</ref> In this new deal, the club would develop Belvedere Park in conjunction with the Frankston City Council, the Victorian state government and the AFL. The cost of developing the facilities was valued at approximately $11 million.<ref name=Development/> The centre received its name as part of a naming rights sponsorship deal with Linen House.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Connolly |first1=Eoin |title=Linen House in new naming rights deal with St Kilda |url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/linen_house_in_new_naming_rights_deal_with_st_kilda/#:~:text=SHARE%20THIS%20ARTICLE-,Australian%20Football%20League%20team%20St%20Kilda%20has%20signed%20Linen%20House,which%20began%2017%20years%20ago. |work=SportsPro |date=22 March 2010 |access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref>

The club signed a lease on the facility until 2059. The club, however, chose to relocate back to Moorabbin Oval as its primary administrative and training base by 2018. As a result, in December 2020, St Kilda made a proposal to the Frankston City Council to repurpose the facility as a centre to be used by the wider Frankston community.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cowburn |first1=Brodie |title=St Kilda plans for Seaford future |url=http://baysidenews.com.au/2021/03/01/st-kilda-plans-for-seaford-future/#:~:text=FRANKSTON%20Council%20has%20given%20St,facilities%20to%20Moorabbin%20by%202018. |access-date=22 October 2021 |work=Bayside News |date=1 March 2021 |language=en-AU}}</ref>