Sports Infrastructure-Western Australia
THE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
‘EYE WATERING’ REVAMP ENDORSED FOR FREMANTLE DOCKERS’ SPIRITUAL HOME
Author: Chris Thomson
The Urban Developer
On the eve of Fremantle’s top-of-the-table clash against the Sydney Swans, a $205-million redevelopment of the Dockers’ spiritual home has been endorsed to help stem the flow of purple to Perth’s outer-suburban Cockburn.
On July 8, ahead of the AFL ladder-leading Dockers’ Round 18 matchup versus second-placed Sydney on Thursday night, the Fremantle council’s strategic and general services committee unanimously endorsed a business case for the redevelopment of Fremantle Oval. At the meeting, city chief executive Glen Dougall conceded the $205.3-million price tag of the project was “eye watering”. He said the city would now submit the business case for the project to Western Australia’s treasury department. “The second stage of that is then starting negotiations with the government about what they’re prepared to support and fund and that will be a different conversation to the one we’ve done to complete the business case, I presume, because it’ll be a little bit more political,” he said. Included in the project is a $66-million mixed-use development with a 77-key short-stay (possibly hotel) accommodation component for which $46.4 million of private investment would be sought. After more than 20 years at the inner-Fremantle oval, the long-term home of the Western Australian Football League’s South Fremantle Bulldogs, the Dockers AFL side in 2017 shifted to a purpose-built greenfields oval outside the Fremantle municipality at the newer locale of Cockburn Central. At the committee meeting, chair Frank Mofflin said the “horse had bolted” on the AFL side ever being based in Fremantle again. “We have lost that high-quality football content from Fremantle Oval,” he said. “Fremantle Football Club has made a decision to make its home at Cockburn because there has been no development at Fremantle Oval to get that up to scratch and up to the expectations to be able to host that level of sport.
An aerial rendering of the Fremantle Oval redevelopment project that has been endorsed for the consideration of WA’s state treasury.
“They have demands which, you know, self interested on their part; they’ve been able to go and develop their home ground to meet those requirements, so good luck to them.” Rubbing salt into the wounds of crestfallen inner-Fremantle footy fans, the Dockers’ AFLW side in May announced it would play all its 2026 home games at Cockburn instead of Fremantle Oval where it had been based. The business case for the project by Urbis considered the door was still slightly ajar for the AFLW side’s return. “Fremantle Oval is the former home of the Fremantle Dockers and retains strong symbolic and strategic importance within the State’s football system,” the 311-page report said. “The loss of most of the AFLW content demonstrates how facilities that do not meet contemporary standards are progressively bypassed for higher-quality alternatives. “Should no investment be made, it is likely that no AFLW games will be hosted at the oval at all.” The business case seeks major funding from the state government and assumes co-funding by the city, the Commonwealth, the AFL and WA Football. If the city is able to finance the four-year project, the footy ground would be realigned and upgraded, a new grandstand built to replace an existing one, facilities for players upgraded, new light towers installed and 7900 seats provided in what would be a 12,100 capacity venue.
A concept rendering of the project that includes the envisaged private development (at left), and the existing Fremantle Hospital (centre, background).
July / August 2026 – 91
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