Hands Oval
{{short description|Sports stadium in South Bunbury, Western Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Hands Oval
| nickname = JE Hands Memorial Park
| image =
| location = Blair Street, South Bunbury, Western Australia
| coordinates = {{coord|33|20|46|S|115|38|34|E|display=it}}
| broke_ground =
| opened = {{circa|}}{{start date and age|1954}}
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = City of Bunbury
| operator = South Bunbury Football Club
| surface = Grass
| construction_cost =
| architect =
| former_names = South Bunbury Showgrounds
| tenants = South Bunbury Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club (AFL) (2025-present)
| seating_capacity = 8,000{{cite web |title=Hands Oval |url=https://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/hands-oval |website=Austadiums |access-date=7 April 2025}}
| record_attendance = 7032 (1 March 2025 - AFL preseason match between West Coast and North Melbourne)
}}
JE Hands Memorial Park, more commonly known as Hands Oval, is a stadium in South Bunbury, Western Australia. The ground is mainly used for football matches, but has also hosted cricket and soccer.
Uses
=Australian rules football=
The oval has been the home ground of South Bunbury Football Club and in the South West Football League since the early 1950s.[http://www.sbfc.com.au/history.html History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913034525/http://www.sbfc.com.au/history.html |date=13 September 2009 }} - South Bunbury Football Club Hands Oval has also hosted five West Australian Football League matches, with the first being held on 1 April 1984 with East Perth defeating Swan Districts by 14 points. The record attendance for the ground was set during this match, with 6573 spectators attending the game.{{cite web|title=Round 1 - East Perth vs Swan Districts|url=http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/3422|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208004818/http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/3422|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 February 2018|website=WAFL|accessdate=7 February 2018}}
The ground is home to the South West Football League headquarters and hosts its grand final each year, with 4,075 spectators attending the 2024 grand final.
The ground also hosted two Fremantle Dockers pre-season NAB Challenge in 2009 and 2011:[http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=320 Hands Oval] - Austadiums
{{AFLGameHeader|title=2009}}
{{AFLGame|Saturday, 14 March 2009|{{AFL Fre}}|20.6 (126)|H|{{AFL Car}}|12.11 (83)|Hands Oval|5,000 est.}}
{{AFLGameFooter}}
{{AFLGameHeader|title=2011}}
{{AFLGame|Saturday, 5 March 2011|{{AFL Fre}}|9.14 (68)|A|{{AFL WB}}|14.14 (98)|Hands Oval|4,000 est.|[https://web.archive.org/web/20110629005109/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/05/3156226.htm?site=sport§ion=afl Report] }}
{{AFLGameFooter}}
In June 2025, the ground will host its first AFL match for premiership points when {{AFL NM}} hosts {{AFL WC}} in June 2025 as part of a three-year deal for North Melbourne to play two home matches in Western Australia, with the other match to be played at Optus Stadium.{{Cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/1255351/north-melbourne-kangaroos-to-play-two-home-games-in-wa-from-2025-27|title=Roos to play two 'home' games in WA from 2025-27|website=AFL.com.au|access-date=13 November 2024}}
=Cricket=
Hands Oval has hosted three List A cricket matches with the Western Warriors as the home team:[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/2/6253_a.html Hands Oval, Bunbury] - CricketArchive
{{Cricket Match Summary
| date = 8 February, 2009
| daynight =
| team1 = {{flagicon|Western Australia}} Western Warriors
| score1 = 148 (40 overs)
| team2 = {{flagicon|South Australia}} Southern Redbacks
| score2 = 2/150 (36.4 overs)
| result = South Australia won by 8 wickets.
| scorecard = [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/180/180631.html Scorecard]
}}
{{Cricket Match Summary
| date = 5 December, 2009
| daynight =
| team1 = {{flagicon|Victoria}} Victorian Bushrangers
| score1 = 8/277 (50 overs)
| team2 = {{flagicon|Western Australia}} Western Warriors
| score2 = 5/279 (49.3 overs)
| result = Western Australia won by 5 wickets.
| scorecard = [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/255/255892.html Scorecard]
}}
{{Cricket Match Summary
| date = 19 February, 2011
| daynight =
| team1 = {{flagicon|Western Australia}} Western Warriors
| score1 = 6/255 (50 overs)
| team2 = {{flagicon|Tasmania}} Tasmanian Tigers
| score2 = 189 (39.4 overs)
| result = Western Australia won by 66 runs.
| scorecard = [http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/engine/match/64252.html Scorecard]
}}
=Soccer=
Hands Oval hosted an A-League pre-season match between Perth Glory and Gold Coast United at the beginning of the 2009–10 season, with Gold Coast defeating Perth 1–0.[http://www.perthglory.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=28363 Glory go close in battle of Bunbury] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225022436/http://www.perthglory.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=28363 |date=2011-02-25 }} - PerthGlory.com.au. A crowd of 2985 people attended the match:
{{footballbox
|date = 25 July 2009
|time =
|team1 = Perth Glory
|score = 0 - 1
|team2 = Gold Coast United
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110225022436/http://www.perthglory.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=28363 Report]
|goals1 =
|goals2 = Porter {{goal|23}}
|stadium =
|attendance = 2985
|referee = David Costello }}
Redevelopment
Between 2022 and 2024, the stadium underwent a $17.5 million redevelopment. It received a brand new grandstand and new changerooms,{{cite news |title=See the pictures: What Hands Oval overhaul could look like |url=https://www.swtimes.com.au/news/south-west/first-images-emerge-of-what-the-potential-136-million-hands-oval-overhaul-in-bunbury-could-look-like--c-8733623 |access-date=31 October 2024 |work=South Western Times |date=2 November 2022 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Redevelopment of Hands Oval |url=https://www.bunbury.wa.gov.au/projects/hands-oval-redevelopment |access-date=31 October 2024 |work=City of Bunbury |language=en-AU}}{{cite news |title=North Melbourne, AFL, WA government set to bring games to Bunbury's Hands Oval |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-30/north-melbourne-freo-west-coast-to-play-bunbury-hands-oval/104539646 |access-date=31 October 2024 |work=ABC News |date=30 October 2024 |language=en-AU}} as well as coaches boxes and a media centre.{{cite news |title=Bunbury to host historic AFL clash as Roos sell games to WA |url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/north-melbourne-kangaroos/north-melbourne-to-sell-two-games-to-western-australia-bunbury-and-optus-stadium-to-host--c-16578486 |access-date=31 October 2024 |work=The West Australian |date=30 October 2024 |language=en |quote=Bunbury's Hands Oval has just had the finishing touches put on a $17.5 million redevelopment to build a completely new grandstand on top of what was previously the outdated South West Football League headquarters.}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{West Australian Football League}}
{{AFL grounds}}
Category:West Australian Football League grounds
Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in Australia
Category:Sport in Bunbury, Western Australia
Category:Sports venues in Western Australia
Category:Cricket grounds in Western Australia