Corio Oval

Corio Oval was an Australian rules football ground, located in Geelong, Victoria and used by the Geelong Football Club in the VFL from 1897 to 1941.^[1] Located in the Eastern Gardens, the oval was served by trams from 1930 when the line was extended.

At the end of the 1940 season, the club was forced to relocate due to the oval being needed for military training during World War 2. Kardinia Park was decided upon as a temporary solution, with the start of the 1941 season seeing the ticket boxes and turnstiles relocated. The team went into recess during 1942 and 1943, and at the start of the 1944 season there was much debate over whether to return to Corio Oval. The supporters of Kardinia Park won out.

After the departure of football, the oval lay empty until 1956 when the Geelong Trotting Club held its inaugural meeting there, using it until 1978 when they relocated to Beckley Park, Corio.

In the early 1980s a hospital and residential houses were built on the oval, thus ending the existence of Corio Oval.

The attendance record for Corio Oval was set on 29 August, 1925 when 26,025 fans saw Geelong defeat Collingwood by nine points.^[2]

References

1. ^ Rodgers, Stephen (1983). Every Game Ever Played. Melbourne: Lloyd O'Neil Pty Ltd. 085550482X. 
2. ^ http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/vn_corio_oval.html

Peter Begg (1990). Geelong - The First 150 Years. Globe Press. ISBN 0-9592863-5-7

Coordinates: 38°09′04.81″S 144°23′01.92″E / 38.1513361°S 144.3838667°E / -38.1513361; 144.3838667