sport
Craigieburn Opens $17.8M Stadium, Hockey Precinct for 1,600 Weekly Players
From 1,600 weekly players to a new lacrosse pavilion, north-west Melbourne's community sport scene is getting the facilities its clubs have long needed.
How we reported this
More than two years after the $17.8 million Stage 1 upgrade of Craigieburn Sports Stadium opened in February 2024, the facility now serves over 1,600 players a week from local associations including the Craigieburn Eagles Basketball Association, according to Hume City Council, which manages the stadium at 127 Craigieburn Road [1][5]. The upgrade added three new multisport courts-bringing the total to eight-and 80 extra parking spaces for basketball, netball and badminton clubs [1].
The investment signals a broader push for grassroots sport in Melbourne's north-west. For decades, athletes in the region lacked dedicated venues for hockey and lacrosse. That gap was partly filled when a new $1.8 million Hume Hockey and Lacrosse Pavilion at Newbury Park opened recently, replacing what had been a regional void for those sports [3].
Hockey and lacrosse get a permanent home
Hume City Council awarded a $6.25 million contract in October 2024 for Stage 2 of the Hume Hockey and Lacrosse Centre, which includes a second synthetic pitch and a new pavilion [2]. Completion is expected in late 2026 [2]. The new pavilion is already drawing athletes who previously travelled out of the area to train and compete.
Craigieburn Secondary College, which runs Years 7 to 12, offers interschool sports such as volleyball, basketball, soccer and divisional athletics, with teams regularly competing in regional finals like the Northern Regional Soccer and Athletics competitions [1]. The school holds an annual Athletics Carnival in Term 2 and a Swimming Carnival in February, giving students a pathway to divisional and regional selection [1]. Four houses-Aitken, Ridley, Bridgewater and Hume-compete across athletics, swimming and cross country alongside regular physical education classes [1].
The Craigieburn Little Athletics Centre runs a Winter Cross Country season from April to August and a Summer Track & Field season from September to March, with weekly Saturday meets and Friday twilight events [1]. The Sprint Athletics Centre in Craigieburn acts as the home of the Little Athletics Centre and offers free public track access from dawn to dusk [1].
Roadworks force a new way in
For now, getting to Craigieburn Sports Stadium requires a detour. Since July 2024, temporary access restrictions have been in effect due to Craigieburn Road roadworks. Drivers must enter via the back entrance at Newbold Avenue [4].
Council expects the hockey centre's second pitch and new pavilion to be ready by the end of this year. Until then, the focus remains on keeping the existing facilities running for the 1,600-plus players who depend on them each week. For the clubs and schools using the stadium and the new pavilion, the message is simple: the infrastructure is catching up with the demand.