Overview
If you love your AFL and you're a mad-keen Marvel Comics fan, today is a pretty good day. That's because, in a partnership with the Walt Disney Company Australia that few saw coming, Melbourne's Etihad Stadium has just been relaunched as Marvel Stadium.
An eight-year agreement between Disney and Melbourne Stadiums Limited will see the iconic Docklands sporting ground switch to its new moniker from today, with its first official event as Marvel Stadium being the the Melbourne Victoria vs Melbourne City soccer match on Saturday, October 20.
On top of the name change, the rebranding has seen the installation of a huge neon Marvel sign on the side of the stadium, a large-scale Marvel character wall near Gate 3 and flags along the concourse toting the universe's famed superheroes and villains.
A "premium" Marvel retail store — dubbed Marvel Vault — has also popped up on-site, and punters can prepare to see a number of brand activations when visiting the ground. Personally, we're looking forward to the return of the AFL season, when we hope to see teams' mascots clash with likes of Black Widow, the Hulk and Iron Man.