Mission Whitten Oval

It is the home ground of the Club's women's and reserves teams which compete in the AFL Women's (AFLW), Victorian Football League (VFL), and VFL Women's (VFLW). Whitten Oval is situated on the site of a former stone quarry used by the railways. In 1866, the quarry was turned into a park that included botanical gardens and was known as the Western Reserve. In 1886, after moving from ground to ground, the local council granted the Footscray Football club permission to use the Reserve as its home ground. Originally known as the Western Oval, the ground was renamed in honour of legendary Bulldogs player, captain and coach Ted Whitten Sr. A statue of Whitten is at the entrance to the oval. Footscray Football Club used Whitten Oval as its home ground almost continuously until 1997. An $78 million state-of-the art redevelopment was completed in 2024 and the Oval's iconic E.J. Whitten Stand now houses the club museum, a new merchandise shop, cafe (open to the public) and some of the best club facilities in the competition. Non-game day visiting hours are generally Monday - Friday 8am-4pm. You can call the Club on (03) 9680 6100 to find out when the various teams are training. Mission Whitten Oval is serviced by West Footscray Train Station and local bus lines. There is also free on-site parking.