Aurora Stadium
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York Park (also known as Aurora Stadium) is the major Australian rules football ground located in the city of Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. In September 2004, Aurora Energy secured the naming rights to the stadium for the next six years. The precinct around the stadium will still be called York Park, but the stadium itself will be referred to as Aurora Stadium until 2010.
It was recently re-developed and has a capacity of around 23,000.
It was originally the home of the North Launceston Football Club. In 2000 it was re-developed as part of the bid to get Australian Football League games to Tasmania. The upgrades include additional seating and grandstands, as well as lights for night games.
Australian rules football
Since 2002 it has been successful in hosting some AFL games each season - in the most recent (2006) season, Hawthorn played a pre-season NAB Cup quarterfinal and three home games at Aurora, and St Kilda played two home games at the venue. The ground hosts Tasmanian Devils home games in the Victorian Football League.
The record crowd at the ground is 20,961 at a Hawthorn vs Richmond match on June 18, 2006.
The ground also hosts the Tasmanian Devils Football Club in the Victorian Football League and local Northern Tasmanian Football League matches.
Siren controversy
In April 2006, a bizzare incident occurred when during a St Kilda Saints versus Fremantle Dockers match the final siren went, with Fremantle a point in front. The siren to end the game sounded during a stoppage for a ball-up, but the umpire in charge of the ball at the time did not hear the siren, and carried on play despite the reactions of the Fremantle players around him. According to the laws of the game, the game has not ended until the umpire acknowledges the siren by raising both hands in the air, and that the siren should be sounded by the timekeepers until the umpire acknowledges. What followed was a farcical situation where play continued for approximately six seconds, St. Kilda levelling the scores in that period, that score being cancelled and then St. Kilda being awarded a free kick, off which a behind was scored, levelling the scores again. After a protest the AFL commission conviened and overturned the result to award Fremantle the game.
Other sports
York Park has also hosted:
- A game in the 2003 Rugby World Cup between Romania and Namibia
- A National Soccer League game between Melbourne Knights and Perth Glory.
- An A-League pre-season game between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United on July 16 2006.
Record Crowd
- 20,971 - Hawthorn Hawks v Richmond Tigers - 2006 (18 June)
2006 Schedule
The following matches are scheduled for 2006 at Aurora Stadium.
External links
- [Aurora Stadium Official Site]
- [York Park] on Austadiums.com
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