Downer Oval
Upgrading a historical Field of Play to an elite oval
Victoria

This historical ground was due for an overall upgrade of its natural turf playing surface. Being home to elite cricket and football teams, the oval experiences a high level of turf wear and tear, which the current oval surface couldn't handle anymore. 

Indeed, its drainage quality was worsening, and its soil was becoming increasingly organic and clogged. Also, an underground water tank, put in during the drought, was no longer in working condition. As a result, drainage issues started to develop, rendering the surface very muddy, especially during the VFL season, and challenging to play on in general. 

"We had low drainage first and foremost, and the ground became unplayable on certain occasions when the weather turned foul on us, and the ground was unable to drain away. […] (The clay base expanding) also left undulations on the ground, and the AFL wouldn't allow us to play games at home (in certain conditions)." CEO Jason Reddick said.

Source: VFL's oldest foes go toe-to-toe on newest surface

Furthermore, the cricket practice nets saw a high level of use and needed an urgent upgrade. It was also essential to include a re-evaluation of the oval's level, as it had changed substantially over time due to surface movements. 

As the upgrade of the oval was deemed critical, timelines were brought forward a year and as a result, the oval and cricket practice nets upgrades became two separate designs. 

With all this in mind, there was much excitement and interest in the new natural turf profile. It needed to meet the elite ground level requirements of being able to welcome VFL games, and potentially welcome AFLW games in near future. 

To build up this new elite playing surface, SPORTENG started by removing the existing water tank and in doing so, were able to reconstruct the whole surface while releveling it by taking some of the cross fallout, and creating a constant fall from one side to the other. 

While levelling the surface, SPORTENG also had to keep the overall dimensions of the oval precisely the same to fit the elite game's requirements. 

The next step was installing a Perched Water Table rootzone, which replaced the existing loamy soil that didn't drain very well. The inclusion of a drainage gravel blanket beneath the rootzone sand layer facilitates water accumulation at the interface of two material layers and is also free draining.

Shortly after Williamstown unveiled its new A-grade facility, the club hosted its first game against its oldest foe, Port Melbourne. The game was the 50th clash between Williamstown and Port Melbourne in the VFL era, and launched the facility at its traditional first home game for the year. 

"This is an important step in our overall master plan to develop Downer Oval so that we can provide suitable facilities for the diverse range of teams, such as women's and juniors, who utilise the ground." Club President Clint Rippon said.

Source: All systems go for Downer Oval ground reconstruction

"[…] now we've got a first-class AFL equivalent ground to host games on […] And after the first year when it has settled, the ground will be able to host more games at a community level as well, so it's a great outcome for everyone.

It looks magnificent to me, and I'm super excited, as are all our players and the coaches to finally get on it." Williamstown CEO Jason Reddic said.

Source: VFL's oldest foes go toe-to-toe on newest surface

Video courtesy of Pitchcraft