Rushton Park
{{Short description|Australian rules football ground in Western Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Lane Group Stadium
Rushton Park
| image = Rushton Park 06.jpg
| caption = Rushton Park, 2020
| fullname = Rushton Park
| former_names = David Grays Arena
Bendigo Bank Stadium
| location = Dower Street, Mandurah, Western Australia
| coordinates = {{coord|32|31|58|S|115|44|27|E|type:landmark|display=it}}
| built = 1960s
| expanded = 2009–2011
| owner = City of Mandurah
| surface = grass
| capacity = 9,000{{cite web |title=Lane Group Stadium |url=https://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/david-grays-arena |website=Austadiums |access-date=10 November 2022}}
| record_attendance = 9,000 ({{AFL WC}} vs. {{AFL PA}}, 3 March 2012)
| tenants = Peel Thunder Football Club (WAFL)
Mandurah Mustangs (PFL)
Peel Thunderbirds (WAWFL)
}}
Rushton Park (also known as Lane Group Stadium under ground sponsorship arrangements{{Cite web |date=25 Nov 2021 |title=Welcome to Lane Group Stadium |url=https://www.peelthunder.com.au/news/21461/welcome-to-lane-group-stadium |access-date=15 Apr 2022 |website=Peel Thunder}}) is an Australian rules football ground located in Mandurah, Western Australia. Having been in use as a football ground since the early 1960s, the ground is currently used as a home ground by three clubs: the {{WAFL|PT}}, 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). Rushton Park is the only regularly-used ground in the WAFL that falls outside the Perth metropolitan area.
History
The area that is now Rushton Park was first gazetted as a sanitation site on 20 August 1926, and was converted to a recreation reserve in September 1958, under the Mandurah Road Board. The reserve was named for Richard Rushton, a former local government commissioner, with the new name approved on 22 May 1972.[http://www.mandurah.wa.gov.au/mandurah.htm Mandurah] – City of Mandurah. Retrieved 4 April 2013. The park was first used for football in the 1960s by the Mandurah Football Club in the Sunday Football League.[http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=202 Rushton Park] – austadiums.com. Last updated 8 March 2006. Retrieved 16 November 2011. The ground held its first West Australian Football League (WAFL) match in April 1986 between {{WAFL|Per}} and {{WAFL|SF}}, with a record attendance at the time of 7,147 people.[http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/3602 Round 2 – 1986] – wafl.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2011. A further game was hosted in the 1987 season, between {{WAFL|EP}} and South Fremantle, with 4,547 in attendance.[http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/3685 Round 1 – 1987] – wafl.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2011. As well as football, the ground also hosted two cricket matches between a Western Australia Country XI and touring Sri Lankan and Tamil Nadu sides, in 1987 and 1988, respectively.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/2/4528.html Rushton Park, Mandurah] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 February 2012. 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 {{WAFL|SF}}, drew a crowd of 5,781 people.[http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/4574 Round 1 – 1997] – wafl.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
Attendances declined during the late 1990s and early 2000s, with an average of around 1,200 attending games at Rushton Park.[http://www.wafl.com.au/games Bendigo Bank Stadium games] – wafl.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2011. A match in 2000 between Peel and {{WAFL|EF}} drew only 815 people.[http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/4907 Round 14 – 2000] – wafl.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2011. Australian Football League (AFL) pre-season matches in 2004 ({{AFL Fre}} and {{AFL Kan}}) and 2006 ({{AFL WC}} and {{AFL StK}}), attracted crowds of 7,527 and 8,283 people respectively, with the latter a new ground record.[http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums_crowds.php?id=202 Rushton Park Crowds] – austadiums.com. Retrieved 16 November 2011. In September 2009, naming rights to the ground were sold to the Bendigo Bank as part of a three-year deal.[http://www.footygoss.com/index.php/main/club_news/peel/view/rushton_park_no_more/ Rushton Park no more] – footygoss.com. Retrieved 2 September 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2011. 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.[http://www.austadiums.com/news/news.php?id=407 Rushton Park Redevelopment to start in Feb 2010] – austadiums.com. Retrieved 25 October 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2011.[http://www.garygray.com.au/media/kick-off-for-new-rushton-park/ KICK-OFF FOR NEW RUSHTON PARK] – garygray.com.au. Published 18 June 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2011. The ground hosted the 2011 State Game against Queensland in June 2011.[http://www.footygoss.com/index.php/main/club_news/wafl_general/view/black_swans_win_wafl_state_game/ Black Swans win WAFL State game] – austadiums.com.au. Published 20 June 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2011. An AFL pre-season match between West Coast and {{AFL PA}} during the 2012 NAB Cup was attended by approximately 9,000 people, setting a new ground record.Schmook, Nathan (2012). [https://web.archive.org/web/20120306014358/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/129928/default.aspx Kerr's late sealer see Eagles pip Port] – Australian Football League. Published 3 March 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{austadiums|202}}
{{AFL Women's grounds}}
{{West Australian Football League}}
{{WAFL Women's}}
Category:West Australian Football League grounds
Category:Sports venues in Western Australia
Category:Peel Thunder Football Club