Redevelopment of Historical Moorabbin Oval | SPORTENG Sports Facility Design

Location :

Moorabbin, VIC

Client :

St Kilda Football Club

Year :

2021-2022

Sector :

Natural Turf | AFL

Moorabbin Oval (also known as RSEA Park) is an AFL ground located in Melbourne, in the suburb of Moorabbin.

Moorabbin Oval is famous for being the home ground and primary training and administrative base of the St Kilda Football Club from 1965 to 2010, after which they relocated their training facility to Seaford.

However, by 2018, the ground was once again reopened as the primary training and administrative base for St Kilda. One of the most significant recent developments in the history of Moorabbin Oval was the RSEA project, which aimed to improve the performance and functionality of the field. Prior to the redevelopment, the natural turf oval performed poorly throughout the year, particularly in winter when the profile readily held water and became boggy, which negatively impacted performance.

THE CHALLENGE

One of the biggest challenges faced during the RSEA project was the poor performance of the natural turf oval. The field's poor drainage system was leading to waterlogging during heavy rains, which negatively impacted the performance of the players. The discovery of an unknown drainage pit that had been leaking for an extended period of time also posed a challenge during the earthworks phase, requiring the area to be stabilized before construction could proceed.

SPORTENG was tasked with finding a solution that would support healthy turf growth while readily draining in a heavy rain event via a subsurface drainage network.

THE SOLUTION

To address the challenges posed by the poor drainage system, SPORTENG proposed increasing the oval's dimensions to 160m (goal-to-goal) x 130m (boundary-to-boundary) and growing medium that supports healthy turf growth while readily draining in a heavy rain event via a subsurface drainage network.

The company also implemented a fully automated, efficient irrigation system to ensure that the field received the optimal amount of water without overwatering.

Aerial view of the RSEA AFL natural turf oval with blue sky

Aerial view of the RSEA St Kilda FC natural turf oval.

Close up of a natural turf oval with whine line marking and sport facility in the background

RSEA natural turf oval with professional AFL white line marking.

Natural turf oval with sporting facility and lightning in the background

RSEA natural turf oval with sporting facility and professional lightning.

View of the natural turf oval from the grandstand with red seats

RSEA natural turf oval and grandstands.

Close up of a gate surrounding a natural turf oval with sporting facility in the background

RSEA natural turf oval surrounded by safety gates.

THE RESULTS

The oval reconstruction was completed in early 2022, with turf establishment achieved for first use by March.

The redevelopment has led to a significant improvement in the field's performance, with players reporting a faster and more stable playing surface. The new drainage system has also ensured that the field remains playable even during heavy rain events, further enhancing the performance and functionality of the field.

The RSEA project has been a resounding success, and SPORTENG is proud to have played a role in ensuring the St Kilda Football Club has a top-quality field of play.

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