Princes Park (Optus Oval) — Carlton’s Spiritual Home

Princes Park is Carlton’s spiritual home — and Carlton fans will tell you they should still be playing here. A heritage suburban ground in inner-north Carlton, surrounded by Royal Parade’s terrace houses and University of Melbourne students, Princes Park hosted Carlton’s home VFL/AFL fixtures from 1897 to 2005. The wind in the third quarter was a club legend; the corporate facilities were dated by the 1990s; and the 2005 closure to AFL fixtures broke Blues fans’ hearts. The ground still exists; it still hosts VFL and community football. But the AFL is gone.

The History: 1897 and Carlton’s Foundation

Princes Park has been Carlton’s home since the club’s foundation in 1897 (when the VFL split from the VFA). The original ground had wooden grandstands, gravel terraces, and a capacity of about 25,000. Over the 20th century the ground was progressively upgraded:

• 1920s: Original grandstands rebuilt with brick.
• 1960s: Major redevelopment, capacity boosted to 47,000.
• 1980s: Modernisation including light towers for night games.
• 1990s: Corporate facility upgrades, AFL standards compliance.
• 2005: Final AFL fixture, transition to VFL/community use.

Capacity at peak: 47,000.

The Footy: 108 Years of Carlton Home Games

Carlton played continuously at Princes Park from 1897 to 2005 — 108 years of unbroken home-ground occupation, the longest in VFL/AFL history. The Blues won 16 premierships during this era (the most of any club, tied with Essendon and Collingwood through 2025). The home-ground advantage at Princes Park was legendary — the wind, the parochial Carlton crowd, the inner-north Melbourne location all conspired to give the Blues an edge.

Other clubs occasionally used Princes Park for one-off fixtures: Hawthorn (briefly in the 1980s), Footscray (during their 1989 financial crisis), and the original Brisbane Bears (early 1990s) all played some “home” games at Princes Park.

The Closure: Carlton’s Move to Marvel

By the early 2000s, the AFL was pushing Carlton hard to abandon Princes Park. The corporate facilities were dated; the broadcast infrastructure was poor; and the AFL preferred Docklands’ Marvel Stadium for league-wide commercial reasons. Carlton resisted but ultimately complied. The final AFL game at Princes Park was in 2005.

The post-closure use:

• Carlton VFL home ground (continuous since 2006)
• Carlton senior training base
• Carlton AFLW home ground (since 2017)
• Community football and SANFL pre-season fixtures

Famous Moments

• 1908 Carlton vs Essendon — first major Princes Park fixture in the modern era, drawing 30,000.
• Numerous Carlton VFL/AFL Grand Final qualifiers hosted here over the decades.
• Round 18, 1979 — Carlton vs Collingwood, the Wayne Harmes “knocked it back” game (no, that was the 1979 Grand Final at the MCG, but Princes Park hosted equivalent legends).
• Stephen Kernahan’s debut in 1986.
• Round 21, 1995 — Carlton thrashing Geelong by 102 points en route to their last (so far) flag.
• Round 19, 2005 — final Carlton AFL home game at Princes Park, hosting Sydney.
• Stephen Silvagni’s 250th game at Princes Park.

The Stadium Itself (Then and Now)

Princes Park in its 1990s heyday had three covered grandstands (Bob Pratt, John Nicholls, Heatley) and an open grass embankment. The northern goal end was famous for the wind — it could turn a 50m punt-kick into a 35m wobbler. The corporate boxes were modest by AFL standards but generated reliable revenue.

Today, the ground is operated by Carlton FC as their training base and VFL/AFLW home. The grandstands are heritage-preserved. The pitch is maintained for VFL standards. AFL fixtures haven’t returned and likely won’t.

Trivia for the Pub

• Princes Park was Carlton’s home for 108 unbroken years (1897–2005).
• The Bob Pratt Grandstand was named after Bob Pratt of South Melbourne — confusingly, but heritage logic prevailed.
• Carlton won 16 VFL/AFL premierships while playing at Princes Park.
• The wind at the northern goal end was independently measured as one of the strongest at any inner-Melbourne ground.
• Princes Park is officially named Optus Oval as of the latest Carlton sponsorship deal (the AFL doesn’t recognise this name).
• The ground’s iconic light towers were installed in 1985 for AFL night games.
• The ground hosts Carlton AFLW home games — the Blues women’s team is the modern senior tenant.

The Rumours

The persistent rumour: AFL fixtures returning to Princes Park. Floated by Carlton fans every time AFL scheduling discussions occur. The AFL has consistently said no — Marvel Stadium is the Blues’ designated home.

The other rumour: Princes Park as a finals venue. Won’t happen — capacity insufficient, infrastructure inadequate.

The wildcard: Princes Park redevelopment as a modern boutique venue. Has been canvassed; cost is prohibitive.

The Verdict

Princes Park is Carlton’s lost home — the spiritual heart of a club that’s now nominally based at Marvel Stadium but emotionally still in Carlton itself. If you walk past Princes Park on a Saturday afternoon and the VFL fixture is on, you’ll feel something genuine — heritage, parochial, and proudly working-class. The AFL is gone but the soul of the place remains. Long live Princes Park.