Princes Park

Princes Park is an Australian rules football ground located at Princes Park in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton North, Victoria.Prior to a partial redevelopment the ground had a capacity of 35,000, making the ground the third largest Australian rules football venue in Melbourne after the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Docklands Stadium. Two stands were removed and replaced with an indoor training facility and administration building, reducing the capacity. Austadiums lists the capacity of the stadium at around 22,000.It is a historic venue, having been the home ground of the Carlton Football Club since the formation of the VFL/AFL in 1897. It has the second oldest grandstand associated with the VFL/AFL competition.The inaugural AFL Women's season opening match between Carlton Football Club and Collingwood Football Club was hosted at Princes Park on 3 February 2017, with a sell-out crowd of 24,568. This event was also the first night game held at the venue, making use of temporary lighting installed above the grandstands for the occasion.HistoryPrinces Park was first used in 1897 by the Carlton Football Club, during the inaugural season of the AFL/VFL. The club went on to win 673 of its 962 VFL/AFL games at the venue. The Alderman Gardiner Stand was designed in 1903 and completed in stages between 1909 and 1913. The mostly iron stand with original cast iron columns remains the second oldest to be associated with the VFL/AFL competition. The Robert Heatley Stand was officially opened by Alderman Sir William Brunton on Saturday, 7 May 1932.