Origins
Waverley Park (then VFL Park) was first conceived in 1959 when delegates from the 12 VFL clubs requested the league to find land that was suitable for the building of a new stadium. In September 1962, the VFL had secured a 212 acre (860,000 m²) block of grazing and market garden land at Mulgrave. This area was chosen because it was believed that with the effects of urban sprawl, and the proposed building of the South-Eastern (later called Monash) freeway, the area would become the demographic centre of Melbourne. The VFL reportedly lobbied the state government to construct a train connection to the stadium, but this never occurred.
The original plans were for a stadium catering for up to 157,000 patrons, which would have made it one of the biggest stadiums in the world. To accommodate the large number of patrons the members' stand was to be extended around the whole ground. However, in 1982/1983, when the extensions were due to commence, the Government of Victoria refused to approve the plans for the upgrade because it would have threatened the Melbourne Cricket Ground's right to host the AFL Grand Final. Hence, no further development ever occurred and the capacity was set at just over 100,000 patrons (later reduced to 78,000).
The playing surface of 200 metres long and 160 metres wide was the biggest in the league. This caused some controversy and the boundary lines were repainted and goals were relocated to make the playing area more similar to other AFL grounds.
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