Natural Turf for West Coast Eagles Training Ovals in WA

Location :

Lathlain, WA

Client :

West Coast Eagles Football Club

Year :

2014-2017

Sector :

Natural Turf | AFL

The existing site was the home of the Perth Football Club and consisted of a single AFL sized natural turf oval, an outdated club room/spectator grandstand, and a large sealed carpark. The West Coast Eagles Football Club, working closely with the local council and Perth Football Club proposed to redevelop the site into an elite training venue with two natural turf ovals and a purposed built training facility and admin for the club.

As part of the redevelopment, the existing oval would be reconstructed to meet the dimensions of the new Perth Stadium oval. An additional oval was to be constructed where the existing sealed overflow carpark was located.

THE CHALLENGE

The proposed profile for the ovals was a perched water table. The site won sands were stockpiled, sieved, quality-tested, and then reused as the growing medium to be placed above the imported drainage gravel layer. A substantial Quality Assurance testing regime was implemented to ensure the site won material was consistent across the site and suitable for the intended use.

THE SOLUTION

The perched water table profile was constructed over natural sands that had high infiltration rates. The high infiltration rate of the natural sands enabled both ovals to be constructed flat, with no formalised drainage required.

The irrigation system consisted of a bore pump that serviced both ovals.