Dial Regional Sports Complex

Overview

The Dial Regional Sports Complex is a multi-sports complex located in the Tasmanian north coast town of Penguin. It includes two ovals which host Australian rules football and cricket matches, along with courts for tennis, netball and basketball, and a wider public park.

Dial Sports Complex
Interactive map of Dial Sports Complex
Address1 Dial Park Dr
Penguin, Tasmania
Coordinates41°7′36″S 146°4′21″E / 41.12667°S 146.07250°E / -41.12667; 146.07250
OwnerCentral Coast Council
OperatorCentral Coast Council
Capacity3,000 (200 seated)[1]
Record attendance
2,800 (Tasmania vs Box Hill, 4 July 2026)[2]
Field size
160 m × 135 m (525 ft × 443 ft)[3]
Construction
Opened31 March 2018; 8 years ago (31 March 2018)
Tenants
Penguin Football Club (2018–)
Penguin Cricket Club (2018–)
Tasmania Football Club (2026–)

The Dial Regional Sports Complex (also referred to as Dial Park) is a multi-sports complex located in the Tasmanian north coast town of Penguin.[1] It includes two ovals (known as Oval A and Oval B) which host Australian rules football and cricket matches, along with courts for tennis, netball and basketball, and a wider public park.[4]

It is the home of the Penguin Football Club in the North West Football League (NWFL) and the Penguin Cricket Club in the Mersey Valley Cricket Association (MVCA).[5] The Tasmania Football Club will host AFL Women's (AFLW), Victorian Football League (VFL) and VFL Women's (VFLW) matches at the venue.[6]

History

Work on the Dial Regional Sports Complex Master Plan began in 2016, with a plan to construct two ovals and other facilities at the site of the existing Dial Regional Sports Centre.[7] The Central Coast Council announced that the Penguin Football Club and the Penguin Cricket Club would be relocated from the Penguin Recreation Ground, located approximately 2.3 kilometres (1.4 miles) away, to the new venue.[8] The project also examined whether to move the Cuprona Football Club from the Heybridge Recreation Ground, although this did not eventuate.[8]

Construction on the project continued throughout 2017, with Penguin playing its final North West Football League (NWFL) match at Penguin Recreation Ground in August 2017.[9] The ground was later removed, with plans for it to be developed into housing.[10]

The new venue officially opened at 1:30pm on 31 March 2018 for its first NWFL match, which saw Burnie defeat Penguin by 103 points.[3][11]

In 2022, the Tasmanian Government committed A$25 million for infrastructure upgrades at the venue, including bringing both ovals up to Australian Football League (AFL) Tier 4 standard, which would allow it to host AFL Women's (AFLW) and pre-season matches.[12] The funding was reduced to A$13.5 million in March 2025, which meant that Oval B would not be included in the upgrades, while it was announced at the same time that a proposed ownership transfer from Central Coast Council to Stadiums Tasmania would not take place.[13][14]

On 4 July 2026, Dial Regional Sports Complex hosted its first Victorian Football League (VFL) and VFL Women's (VFLW) matches, when Tasmania played the Box Hill Hawks in a double-header.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Dial Regional Sports Complex". Austadiums. Archived from the original on 6 March 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Tasmania v Box Hill Hawks". Austadiums. 4 July 2026. Archived from the original on 11 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 Lansdown, Sarah (30 March 2018). "First look at Dial Park, Penguin". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "Dial Regional Sports Precinct – Penguin". Central Coast Council. Archived from the original on 21 January 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Fair, Alex (26 February 2018). "Penguin Football Club president Brian Lane not keen on sharing Dial Park with a North-West TSL side". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  6. ↑ Langenberg, Adam (26 April 2023). "Tasmania set to get state AFL team after decades of dreams as funding for new Hobart stadium locked in". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026. A Tasmanian AFLW team will play games at both those stadiums and at Penguin's Dial Park, which will also host AFL pre-season games.
  7. ↑ "Year in Review 2016–2017" (PDF). Local Government Association of Tasmania. 30 June 2017. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026. Commenced building the Dial Regional Sports Complex
  8. 1 2 "Central Coast Council – Committed to the Betterment of Residents' Lives". Business View Oceania. 2 March 2016. Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Eaves, Rick (11 August 2017). "Emotional farewell looms for Penguin's charming and historic footy ground". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Fewer lots planned for Penguin's old football oval housing development". Pulse Tasmania. 1 March 2025. Archived from the original on 6 March 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Penguin 6.4-40 def. by 23.5-143 Burnie". North West Football League. 31 March 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Dial Regional Sports Complex Infrastructure Upgrades Project". Infrastructure Tasmania. Archived from the original on 20 November 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "Central Coast Council Welcomes Decision on Dial Park". Central Coast Council. 14 March 2025. Archived from the original on 2 April 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Fittock, Sarah (30 May 2025). "'Disappointing': What funding cut means for the future of sporting venue". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 31 December 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "2026 Smithy's VFL and VFLW fixtures update". AFL.com.au. 29 May 2026. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.

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