Greater Geelong named regional home of HC Melbourne
Published Fri 26 Jun 2026
Hockey Club Melbourne & Hockey Victoria partner with the City of Greater Geelong
Hockey Club Melbourne (HCM) and Hockey Victoria (HV) are proud to announce an exciting new partnership with the City of Greater Geelong. It will see Geelong established as the regional home of HC Melbourne and marks an exciting new chapter for the sport in the region.
The multi-year agreement will see HCM host one men’s and one women’s home match in Geelong each year from 2027 to 2029, to be played at the redeveloped Stead Park. The partnership brings elite hockey to one of Victoria’s fastest-growing regions while building meaningful connections with local players, fans, and the broader community.
“Bringing top level hockey to one of our key regional markets on an annual basis provides hockey with a product to leverage participation growth, awareness and commercial support for hockey” said Hockey Victoria CEO, Andrew Skillern.
Geelong Named Regional Home of HC Melbourne
A central pillar of the partnership is the designation of Geelong as HC Melbourne’s regional home. Following its redevelopment, Stead Park will provide a premier venue for high-performance hockey in the region. Each season from 2027–2029, Geelong will host one HCM home fixture for both the men’s and women’s teams, delivering a marquee annual event that showcases the sport at the highest level.
These matches will offer local fans the opportunity to experience elite competition firsthand while positioning Geelong as a key destination for major sporting events in Victoria.
Year-Round Engagement and Events
The partnership also introduces a suite of annual events to held in Geelong each year:
- The Hockey Victoria Senior Country Championships will return to Geelong from 2027, with the tournament to be played annually across the June long weekend - bringing significant participation, visitation, and economic impact to the region.
- HC Melbourne Futures Challenge – providing emerging talent with development and high-performance opportunities in the lead up to the Hockey One matches in the region.
- HC Melbourne Business Event – connecting partners, stakeholders, and the local business community through sport.
In addition, there will be a range of other community and participation initiatives delivered such as HCM game day clinics and school visits.
Community and Stakeholder Collaboration
The partnership places strong emphasis on collaboration with local stakeholders, particularly Hockey Geelong, to ensure lasting benefits for the sport at all levels.
President of Hockey Geelong, Graeme Dent said “Hockey Geelong with its 900 players and over 3,000 community members are thrilled with the announcement of the partnership with HCM, HV and the City of Greater Geelong.
This agreement on the back of our facility redevelopment will promote our sport to a level that has never been possible before today. The future events that are Geelong bound will have fantastic sporting and economic benefits.”
The City of Greater Geelong also highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership in activating the redeveloped Stead Park and attracting high-quality sporting content.
Quote attributed to Deputy Mayor of Greater Geelong Cr Eddy Kontelj.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Hockey Club Melbourne and Hockey Victoria to bring elite hockey to our region and activate the redeveloped Stead Park in such a significant way.
This partnership strengthens Geelong’s position as a leading destination for major sporting events while creating new pathways for local players, clubs, and the broader community.
It will also deliver real economic and participation benefits for our region.
We look forward to working closely with Hockey Club Melbourne and Hockey Victoria to make sure this partnership leaves a lasting legacy for the sport in Greater Geelong.”
Spanning from 2027 to 2029, the partnership provides a consistent platform to build momentum and deliver long-term impact. With annual elite fixtures, major events, and community engagement initiatives, the agreement is designed to embed hockey within the Geelong sporting landscape.
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