Head of AFL Victoria and 1989 Hawthorn premiership player, Greg Madigan, City of Boroondara Mayor Sophie Torney and Australian Football Hall of Famer Michael Tuck. Image: City of Boroondara
The historic Glenferrie Oval, the home of the Hawthorn Football Club for nearly 70 years, is being given a second lease on life thanks to a $30 million redevelopment at the hands of City of Boroondara and the Australian Football Facilities Fund.
Glenferrie Oval opened in 1906, and Hawthorn played their final VFL match at the ground in 1973 but retained it for their training and administration until 2006, when they headed to Waverley Park.
In the grandstand named after him, Hawthorn Hall of Fame Legend Michael Tuck, who played a record 426 games and in seven flags for the Hawks, reflected on the historic suburban ground and inspected the preliminary building works, alongside fellow Hawthorn premiership player and Head of AFL Victoria Greg Madigan and City of Boroondara Mayor Sophie Torney.
The grandstand deteriorated after Hawthorn’s departure and has been closed off, not in use for nearly 20 years.
Tuck said he was “fascinated’’ by what was going on at Linda Crescent, he told the Herald Sun's Paul Amy.
“They’re doing a very good job. It’s coming back to normal. It’s very good for the community,’’ Tuck said.
In 1990, the grandstand was named after Tuck, who was nearing the end of a career later judged worthy of inclusion in the Australian football hall of fame and Hawthorn’s team of the century.
Head of AFL Victoria, Greg Madigan joined the Hawks in 1989, when they were training at Glenferrie Oval and playing at Princes Park in Carlton.
Like his 1989 premiership skipper Tuck, Madigan likes what’s going on at the Hawks’ long-time headquarters.
“Great for the community. As ‘Tucky’ said, it possibly could have gone to ruin. For it to now be repurposed and have so many more hours of football played on it, with girls and young kids, and for the community to interact with the ground itself, that’s terrific,’’ Madigan said.
AFL Victoria consider Glenferrie Oval, and the Michael Tuck Stand, critical assets from both a historical perspective and for current and future participation, and will be contributing an investment from the Australian Football Facilities Fund towards this project.
There has been more than a 50 per cent increase in women and girls football participation across Boroondara City Council since the start of AFLW in 2017, with the Glenferrie Oval redevelopment expected to boost this further with increased hours of use for existing tenants (Hawthorn Auskick and Hawthorn Citizens Junior Football Club) as well as a shared hub for junior and women's community sport.
The redevelopment will provide the community with an improved playing surface with drainage and irrigation, adequate lighting, coaches boxes in addition to the significant upgrades to the Michael Tuck Stand.
A community consultation period is currently underway until September 15. Click here to have your say.