Etihad+Stadium

__Facts__

 * The name of the stadium has changed during the years save ( July 23th 2002-From Coloniol stadium to Telstra dome) and from ( March 1st 2009-From Telstra dome to Etihad stadium).
 * Etihad Stadium is a venue which hosts sports and entertainment events.
 * It has the unforgettable moment, a place where spectators are so close to the action that they feel like the star players themselves.
 * The construction started in October 1997 under the working name,"Victoria Stadium" and was completed in 2000 at a cost of A$460 million.
 * Originally built as a replacement for the Waverly Park, the stadium is a primarily used for Australian rules football and is the headquaters of the Australian football league (AFL) who, as apart of the construction deal, assume ownership of the ground 2025. Also headquartered at the stadium is seven network's digital broadcast.

__History__

 * The stadium was announced on 31st October 1996 as a replacement for the much larger Waverly Park as a headquaters for the Australian Football League. The opening match was played between Essendon and Port Adelaide before a crowd of 43,012.
 * The stadium was sold to James Fielding Funds Management on 21st June 2006 for A$330 million.

__Stadium features__

 * Retractable roof 38 meters (125ft) above playing surface, opens east-west, and takes eight minutes to fully open or close.
 * Movable seating.
 * Two large internal replay screens which display scores and advertisement.
 * External super screens.
 * 1000 video seats.
 * 13 function rooms.
 * 66 corporate boxes.
 * 500 car parking spaces below the ground.
 * Over 700-2000 watt lights for arena illumination.[[image:mcscbd2011/cooltext583302972.png align="right" link="mcscbd2011/SportingVenuesHome"]]