After decades of failed proposals, the Manly Sea Eagles have revealed their latest plan to give Brookvale Oval the overhaul the club says it urgently needs.
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The club has released a new vision for Brookvale Oval, outlining a $160 million plan to transform the 70-year-old ground into a modern 22,000-to-23,000-seat boutique stadium. Central to the proposal is a self-funded financing model the club hopes will finally get the project across the line.
A Self-Funded Model With Community at Its Core
The club is pitching a largely self-funded model that leans on mixed-use community infrastructure to make the numbers work. That includes two eight or nine-storey residential towers on the eastern side of the ground, with a significant affordable housing component that could include an allocation for local first responders. The club is also exploring whether nearby St Augustine’s College and Brookvale Public School could locate classrooms underneath the new western stand.
The club has acknowledged that full public funding for stadium projects is no longer a realistic expectation. The club would still seek between $40 million and $50 million in public contributions from state and federal authorities, a significantly smaller ask than previous proposals. Sea Eagles chairman and co-owner Scott Penn said the club has costed plans ready and is focused on stakeholder engagement to progress the proposal.
The existing Bob Fulton Stand, which houses the club’s high-performance centre of excellence completed in 2022, would be retained. The ageing Jane Try, Ken Arthurson, and Lyons-Menzies grandstands would all be demolished, replaced by new undercover seating wrapping around the northern stand in a horseshoe configuration, pushing total capacity from 17,000 to around 23,000 seats.
A Club Running Out of Room
For a side that has sold out 18 of its past 24 matches, the need to grow is not a theoretical one. It is playing out most weekends at a ground the club’s own concept document describes as being at immediate risk of non-compliance with NRL match-day standards. The document also flags a growing maintenance burden, inadequate female-friendly facilities, and occupational health and safety concerns.
Penn pointed to the facilities gap between Manly and several rival clubs. The Roosters play at the redeveloped Allianz Stadium, Penrith will have a $300 million ground of their own, and Parramatta already operates out of a 30,000-seat venue.
Penn has flagged a target of beginning construction after the 2027 season, with the project expected to take more than a year to complete. During that window, Manly would likely play the bulk of their home games at Allianz Stadium, with the possibility of taking the club on the road, including potentially hosting a match or two in New Zealand, the home country of coach Foran.
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Brookvale Oval, known commercially as 4 Pines Park, is owned by Northern Beaches, with Manly holding a long-term lease. Penn said the next step involves stakeholder engagement with the council and relevant funding bodies to determine how the proposal can meet broader community needs. Penn said the club’s goal is to create and activate a precinct that works for the Sea Eagles and the wider community, with the club committed to keeping its spiritual home on the Northern Beaches.
Published 12-June-2026
