Key facts
Club: Newcastle Jets | Opening: 1970 | Capacity: 33,000 seats
History and description
McDonald Jones Stadium was built to serve as the city’s principal playing venue for rectangular-pitch sports. The stadium has been the home of rugby club Newcastle Knights since 1988, and of the Newcastle Jets since 2000.
McDonald Jones Stadium underwent a first redevelopment in 2003 when a new two-tiered east stand got built. Building works took several years, and once finished they continued on the west stand, which got rebuilt in similar shape.
The stadium has gone by several sponsor names over the years: it was first called Marathon Stadium, then EnergyAustralia Stadium, Ausgrid Stadium, and Hunter Stadium, and finally from 2016 McDonald Jones Stadium.
How to get to McDonald Jones Stadium
McDonald Jones Stadium is located in the east of the city of Newcastle at about 5 kilometres from the central business district and a little more from Newcastle Station.
Newcastle can be reached from Sydney Central Station with Citylink trains on the Central Coast Line. The journey takes between 2.5 and 3 hours. Trains typically depart about once every hour.
There are also less frequent, but slightly quicker (and more expensive) Countrylink trains that connect Sydney Central Station with Broadmeadow station, which is a 15 to 20-minute walk away from Hunter Stadium.
The Citylink trains also stop at Broadmeadow station before proceeding to Newcastle Station in the Central Business District (CBD).
From the CBD, the stadium can be reached with several buses that either stop at Young Road, Lambton Road, or Turton Road.
The best option is bus 231. Take it from Newcastle Station and get off at Turton Road. The journey takes about 15 minutes.
Bus 222, 230, 317, 322, and 363 are alternatives, but stop on Lambton Road, which means a longer walk.
Bus 111 stops closer to the stadium, but goes in quite a roundabout way. The journey takes almost 45 minutes.
Address: 294 Turton Road, Broadmeadow, NSW 2292
Newcastle Jets Tickets
Tickets for Newcastle Jets games can be bought online through Ticketmaster.
Expect to pay AUD 22.00 for general admission behind the goal and most of the reserved seating at the east stand, or AUD 35.00 for reserved seating at the west stand.
Useful Internet links
Newcastlejets.com.au – Official website of the Newcastle Jets.
Visitnewcastle.com.au – Newcastle tourist information.
Newcastlebuses.info – Newcastle public transport information.
Photo credits: Jack Tenner