Frankston Park Explained

Stadium Name:Kinetic Stadium
Location:Frankston, Victoria
Coordinates:-38.1422°N 145.1203°W
Owner:Frankston City Council
Operator:Frankston Football Club
Surface:Grass
Dimensions:185m × 110m
Tenants:Frankston Football Club (PFA, MPFL, VFL 1887-)
Hawthorn Football Club (AFLW 2022-)
Melbourne Rising (NRC) (2015–2019)
Former Names:Frankston Park
Kars Street Oval
Skybus Stadium
Seating Capacity:5,000 (1000 seated)[1]

Frankston Park, known commercially as Kinetic Stadium, is a suburban Australian rules football ground located in Frankston, Victoria, in Australia. It is home to the Frankston Football Club, which plays in the Victorian Football League.

Frankston Park is noted for the unusually long and narrow dimensions of its playing surface.[2] It is also a rare example of a top municipal football ground which has, for most of its history, not been used for cricket during the summer months. In the early 1920s, the council determined that it preferred to leave the ground as a public space during summer and to not compromise the surface by installing cricket pitches. Since that time, Jubilee Park has been the district's primary cricket venue.[3]

In 2008, the St Kilda Football Club had planned to move its primary training base from Moorabbin Oval to Frankston Park and to re-develop it into a top class training venue for the club; but these plans fell through due to high cost, and the club instead developed and moved to Belvedere Park in nearby Seaford.[4]

Bryan Mace Grandstand

The grandstand at Frankston Park was the original grandstand from the first ever Australian Scout Jamboree in 1935, and was relocated to the ground shortly after.[5] In 2005, Frankston City Council funded a A$1.2 million refurbishment of the grandstand.[6] Following the latest refurbishment, it was renamed the "Bryan Mace Grandstand", in honour of the Frankston Football Club stalwart and general manager. The historic grandstand remained as a landmark at Frankston Park for 72 years, until it was destroyed by fire on 12 February 2008.[7] The grandstand was subsequently reconstructed and completed in January 2011.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Frankston Park. austadiums.com. Austadiums. 25 September 2015.
  2. Web site: Senior team match report – Round 17. Daniel Duffy. 10 August 2009. 24 March 2014.
  3. News: Frankston and Somerville Standard. Frankston, VIC. 6 June 1923. 4. Frankston Cricketers and the park.
  4. Web site: Saints to move training base to Seaford in 2010. 17 September 2008. 24 March 2014. Matt Burgan.
  5. Jones, Michael. Frankston: Resort to City. Allen & Unwin: Sydney. 1989.
  6. Web site: Frankston Internet – Media Release – Frankston Park upgrade of track, 8 February 2005 . 24 June 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080802191358/http://www.frankston.vic.gov.au/Newsroom/2005/February/Frankston_Park_Upgrade_On_Track/indexdl_2437.aspx . 2 August 2008 . dead .
  7. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-13/fire-destroys-historic-frankston-grandstand/1040944 ABC News – Fire destroys historic Frankston grandstand, 13 February 2008
  8. Web site: Frankston Park Grandstand.