Marvel Stadium hosts a range of sports and is proud to be home to five AFL clubs: Essendon, Carlton, North Melbourne, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs, as well as the Melbourne Renegades for KFC’s Big Bash League (BBL).
Essendon
Essendon was the first AFL club to announce it would play home games at the venue now known as Marvel Stadium. The anchor tenant, currently coached by Brad Scott, won the first AFL Premiership match at the stadium on March 9, 2000, beating Port Adelaide by 94 points. Champion midfielder, Michael Long, kicked the first goal at the stadium. Led on the field by James Hird, the club lost just one match for the season and went on to win the 2000 AFL Premiership in a record-breaking season. Essendon, alongside Carlton, are the game’s most successful club with 16 Premierships to its name.
Coach: Brad Scott
Captain: Zach Merrett
Premierships: (16) 1897, 1901, 1911, 1912, 1923, 1924, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1962, 1965, 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000
Brownlow Medalists: Dick Reynolds (1934 & 37-38), Bill Hutchison (1952-53 tied), Graham Moss (1976), Gavin Wanganeen (1993), James Hird (1996, tied), Jobe Watson (2012)
300 game players: Simon Madden (378), Dick Reynolds (320), Tim Watson (307), Garry Foulds (300), Dustin Fletcher (400), James Kelly (313), Justin Madden (332 Essendon/Carlton), Gavin Wanganeen (300 Essendon/Port Adelaide), Brendon Goddard (334 Essendon/St Kilda), Roger Merrett (313), Paul Salmon (324 Essendon/Hawthorn), Terry Daniher (313)
Norm Smith Medallists: Bill Duckworth (1984), Simon Madden (1985), Michael Long (1993), James Hird (2000)
AFL Hall of Fame Legends: John Coleman, Bill Hutchison, Dick Reynolds, Kevin Sheedy
Carlton
With 16 premierships to its credit, Carlton has historically been considered one of the game’s powerhouse clubs. Coach Michael Voss is ushering the club into a new era with exciting times ahead.
Coach: Michael Voss
Captain: Patrick Cripps
Premierships: (16) 1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995
Brownlow Medalists: Bert Deacon (1947), John James (1961), Gordon Collis (1964), Greg Williams (1994), Chris Judd (2010), Patrick Cripps (2022)
300 game players: Craig Bradley (375), Bruce Doull (356), John Nicholls (328), Stephen Silvagni (312), Justin Madden (332 Carlton/Essendon), Eddie Betts (350 Carlton/Adelaide), Mick Martyn (300), Kade Simpson (342), Marc Murphy (300)
Norm Smith Medallists: Wayne Harmes (1979), Bruce Doull (1981), David Rhys-Jones (1987), Greg Williams (1995)
AFL Hall of Fame Legends: Ron Barassi (Melbourne/Carlton/North Melbourne/Sydney Swans), John Nicholls, Alex Jesaulenko (Carlton/St Kilda).
Western Bulldogs
Season 2016 was the Western Bulldogs’ greatest in AFL history, rivalling its only other premiership year in 1954. In his second season as coach, Luke Beveridge became a legend of the club joining the late Charlie Sutton as the Western Bulldogs and Footscray’s only premiership coaches. After the Bulldogs’ victory over the Sydney Swans on Grand Final day before almost 100,000 fans, they became the second Marvel Stadium tenant club to win a premiership after Essendon’s 2000 success in the stadium’s first year of operation. The Western Bulldogs have been a tenant club at Marvel Stadium since the venue’s opening and have always been supported ‘under the roof’ by a loyal band of supporters.
Coach: Luke Beveridge
Captain: Marcus Bontempelli
Premierships: (2) 1954 and 2016
Brownlow Medallists: Allan Hopkins (1930 tied), Norman Ware (1941), Peter Box (1956), John Schultz (1960), Gary Dempsey (1975), Kelvin Templeton (1980), Brad Hardie (1985), Tony Liberatore (1990), Scott Wynd (1992), Adam Cooney (2008)
300 game players: Brad Johnson (328), Chris Grant (341), Doug Hawkins (350), Scott West (324), Ted Whitten (321), Bernie Quinlan (366), Gary Dempsey (329 Western Bulldogs/North Melbourne), Rohan Smith (300), Barry Round (328), Robert Murphy (312), Jason Akermanis (325 Western Bulldogs/Brisbane Lions)
Norm Smith Medallists: Jason Johannisen (2016)
AFL Hall of Fame Legends: Ted Whitten
St Kilda
St Kilda moved its home games to the venue in 2000, enjoying great success at Marvel Stadium. In 2009, the Saints enjoyed a record-breaking season, winning 20 of 22 matches, including 13 wins at Marvel Stadium. St Kilda also set a new AFL attendance record for Marvel Stadium in Round 14, 2009, attracting 54,444 fans to a showdown against Geelong. Nick Riewoldt holds the record for most games played at Marvel Stadium as well as its leading goal kicker.
Coach: Ross Lyon
Captain: Jack Steele
Premierships: (1) 1966
Brownlow Medallists: Colin Watson (1925), Brian Gleeson (1957), Neil Roberts (1958), Ian Stewart (1965-66), Ross Smith (1967), Tony Lockett (1987 tied), Robert Harvey (1997-98)
300 game players: Robert Harvey (383), Nathan Burke (323), Stewart Loewe (321), Barry Breen (300), Nick Riewoldt (336), Russell Greene (304 St Kilda/Hawthorn), Brandon Goddard (334 St Kilda/Essendon), Nick Dal Santo (322)
Norm Smith Medallists: Lenny Hayes (2010)
AFL Hall of Fame Legends: Darrel Baldock, Roy Cazaly (St Kilda/South Melbourne), Ian Stewart (St Kilda/Richmond), Alex Jesaulenko (St Kilda/Carlton), Tony Lockett (St Kilda/Sydney Swans)
North Melbourne
North Melbourne became a tenant at Marvel Stadium in 2000. The Kangaroos have been a part of some significant moments at the stadium, none more poignant than Jason McCartney’s return to AFL ranks on June 6 2003, after suffering horrific burns as a result of the Bali Bombings. The Kangaroos under the current recent leadership of Alastair Clarkson, were a powerhouse during the 1990s and are once again striving to head to the top of the AFL ladder.
Coach: Alastair Clarkson
Captain/s: Luke McDonald and Jy Simpkin
Premierships: (4) 1975, 1977, 1996, 1999
Brownlow Medallists: Noel Teasdale (1965 tied), Keith Greig (1973-74), Malcolm Blight (1978), Ross Glendinning (1983)
300 game players: Glenn Archer (311), Wayne Schimmelbusch (306), Brent Harvey (432), Nick Dal Santo (322 North Melbourne/St Kilda), John Rantall (336), Gary Dempsey (329 North Melbourne/Footscray), Adam Simpson (306), John Blakey (359), Shannon Grant (301 North Melbourne/Sydney Swans), Mick Martyn (300 North Melbourne/Carlton)
Norm Smith Medallists: Glenn Archer (1996), Shannon Grant (1999)
AFL Hall of Fame Legends: Barry Cable, Malcolm Blight, John Kennedy snr (North Melbourne/Hawthorn), Ron Barassi (North Melbourne/Melbourne/Carlton/Sydney Swans), Russell Ebert (North Melbourne/Port Adelaide)
Melbourne Renegades
The Renegades is Marvel Stadium’s Big Bash League tenant club. Established in 2011, the Renegades have developed into one of the league’s most competitive teams. 2018/19 was the Melbourne Renegades greatest season with their first BBL title won in Season 8 (BBL|08), defeating their arch rivals Melbourne Stars at Marvel Stadium. In 2014, the Melbourne Derby between the Renegades and Melbourne Stars attracted a venue record-breaking attendance of 42,837 fans.
Coach: David Saker
Captain: Nic Maddinson
Championship Titles: (1) 2018/19 (Season 8)