Motordrome (Melbourne)
Olympic Park Speedway | |
 | |
| Former names | Olympic Park Speedway, Melbourne Speedway, Victorian Speedway |
|---|---|
| Standort | Olympic Park, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°49′29″S 144°58′52″E / 37.82472°S 144.98111°E |
| Owner | Melbourne Carnivals Pty Ltd |
| Operator | Melbourne Carnivals Pty Ltd/Melbourne Football Club |
| Capacity | 15 000 for football, 32 000 for racing. |
| Surface | Grass (oval)/Asphalt (raceway) |
| Bauwesen | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Closed | 1951 |
| Demolished | 1951 |
| Tenants | |
| Melbourne Football Club | |
The Motordrome, also known as the Olympic Park Speedway or the Melbourne Speedway, was a former speedway and Australian rules football ground located on the site of Olympic Park in Melbourne, Victoria. The ground was primarily a speedway track, but also hosted football matches, including hosting three VFA Grand Finals in 1925, 1926 and 1927, and three of Melbourne Football Club's home games between Rounds 2 and 6 in the 1932 VFL season when the MCG was unavailable due to re-surfacing.
History
Melbourne Carnivals Pty. Ltd, a company established in 1923 by Jack Campbell and Jim DuFrocq, developed and leased the site from the Crown with the help of local entrepreneur John Wren. The Melbourne Motordrome was opened on 13 December 1924. During the time of the Great Depression the ground regularly drew in crowds of 30 000+ to watch speedway, motorcycle and sidecar racing. The ground also hosted three Victorian Football Association (VFA) Grand Finals in 1925, 1926 and 1927. In 1925 there was a proposal for the Victorian Football League (VFL) to have its headquarters at the ground, similar to what happened with Waverley Park 50 years later. However, this proposal fell through.[1] The last football game played at the ground was an exhibition game in 1935 between South Melbourne and Richmond. The complex was sold after the Second World War and began to be converted into the Melbourne Olympic Park for the 1956 Olympics.
VFL Games
The Motordrome hosted three VFL matches in 1932 as Melbourne's home ground. Melbourne lost all three games:
- Round 2: Richmond defeated Melbourne 15.26 (116) to 7.13 (55) on 7 May 1932
- Round 4: Geelong defeated Melbourne 20.13 (133) to 14.11 (95) on 14 May 1932
- Round 6: Carlton defeated Melbourne 12.15 (87) to 9.9 (63) on 4 June 1932
References
- ^ "Football Control The Motordrome Bait / Proposal for the League" (pdf). The Argus. 25 February 1925. Retrieved 26 June 2011.