Subiaco Oval

Subiaco Oval (currently known under  naming rights as  Patersons Stadium) is a stadium located in  Subiaco, a suburb of  Perth,  Western Australia. It is the highest capacity stadium in Western Australia, seating 43,500 people. The ground is mainly used for  Australian rules football matches, being the home ground for the  West Coast Eagles and  Fremantle Dockers, the two Western Australian teams in the AFL.

Ground structure
The ground was first built in 1908, at which point it was known as Mueller Park. In 1969 a three-tier stand was constructed at the western end of the stadium, and in 1981 a two-tier stand on the members' wing was completed. A further redevelopment came in 1995 with the opening of the new two-tier "ANZ Stand"(Now NAB stand) opposite the members' wing. In 1997, light towers were installed at the ground. The last redevelopment, which converted the stadium into an all-seat venue, was completed in 1999 at a cost of $35 million.



The three-tier stand is named the Orr-Simmons-Hill stand, in honour of three leading figures in the history of WAFL (then known as WANFL). This was proudly and prominently displayed on the exterior western face of the stand right up until the early 1990s, when it was replaced with the logo of a commercial sponsor. There is a small plaque remembering the original naming of the stand, mounted in one of the stair wells, and each tier has a sign on the back interior wall; for example, the first (ground) tier is the R.W. Hill Tier, second is the W.R. Orr Tier. (W.R. Orr was Secretary of the WANFL in 1932, R.W. Hill was Captain of West Perth in 1940 and 1941, and Secretary of the WANFL in 1968).

Subiaco Oval's capacity is 43,500 fully seated.[1]  The ground is floodlit by four lighting towers.



Ground dimensions
AFL Playing Surface: Fence to Fence
 * Length: 175 m
 * Width: 122 m
 * Goals run east to west

Length: 191m

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Width: 132m<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="line-height:1em;">[2]

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Subiaco Oval is the longest ground in the AFL competition, with visiting interstate teams often having to adjust their playing style accordingly. In the mid-2000s the ground was sometimes referred to as "The House of Pain", with many visiting teams losing by lopsided scores.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height:1em;">[3] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="line-height:1em;">[4] <h2 style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">The Saints at 'Subi'

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Like many away venues, the Saints' have a poor record at Subiaco, although in recent years the ground's advantage has been diminished. In 15 of the Saints' 18 losses at the ground, over 100 points were scored against them, showcasing just how valuable the ground is to the home side. Saints star Leigh Montagna sits in equal forth for the most disposals at Subiaco, picking up 43 in round 15 2009 against West Coast, while Tony Lockett kicked 8 goals against the Eagles in round 15 1991.