Carrara Stadium’s new name revealed after Metricon branding removed

The new name of Carrara Stadium can be revealed, in the biggest shake-up to the Gold Coast’s AFL stadium in more than a decade. SEE THE NEW NAME AND THE STORY BEHIND IT.

A Gold Coast sporting landmark will enter a new era with one of the state’s oldest banks winning the race to become Carrara Stadium’s new naming rights sponsor.

The complex formerly known as Metricon Stadium will be known from today as Heritage Bank Stadium after the AFL side signed a five-year deal with the company.

The finishing touches affixing the new branding to the stadium’s scoreboard was completed late on Tuesday ahead of the official reveal.

Gold Coast Suns CEO Mark Evans said it was the dawn of a new era for the stadium and the team, which is hoping to top its 12th-place finish in the 2022 season, its equal best result since joining the AFL in 2011.

Carrara Stadium will now be known as Heritage Bank Stadium

“This is for an initial five-year commitment and it is the only second time the name of the stadium has been up for partnership, so this doesn’t come along very often,” he said.

“We are delighted we can pair a community asset with a community-minded partner and stadiums are such an important asset and source of great joy, whether it is hosting sport like the AFL, AFLW, international cricket or major events.

“(We) think we are well-placed (for the 2023) season given last year was our best season to date and most of our players are young and with plenty of their careers ahead, so if things go well for us, we will have our first AFL finals game right here at Heritage Bank Stadium later this year.”

Gold Coast Suns CEO Mark Evans. Picture: Gold Coast Suns.

The first event to be held at the stadium under its new name will be next week’s Harry Styles concert, with fellow musical artist Pink also set to rock out there in February 2024.

It comes just four months after Metricon Homes announced it would not renew its multimillion-dollar deal with the club, bringing the curtain down on a relationship which began in 2011.

Signage was removed from the stadium earlier this month ahead of the rebrand.

The Melbourne-based Metricon became the stadium’s sponsor in 2011 and has injected more than $11m in to the club.

The decision was made after the building company endure a tough 2022, including the death of founder and CEO Mario Biasin in May and a downturn forcing it to axe nearly 10 per cent of its staff.

The stadium will host its first event under its new name next week when Harry Styles plays the Gold Coast.

A statement from Metricon in October 2022 revealed why they decided not to renew their contract with the Suns.

“We are very proud to have partnered with the Suns for more than 12 years, however it’s now time for Metricon to look at new opportunities which best suit the profile and future of the business,” the statement said.

State Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said he was delighted by the move.

“This is a union that kicks goals for sport and tourism on the Gold Coast,” he said.

“When visitors travel to the Gold Coast for world-class stadium sport and entertainment experiences, they support good local jobs and a vibrant visitor economy.”

The Metricon branding was removed from Carrara's Metricon stadium earlier this month. Picture by Richard Gosling

CEO Peter Lock said the partnership came weeks before its merger with People’s Choice Credit Union on March 1, making it one of Australia’s largest banking organisations.

“Naming this complex the Heritage Bank Stadium name will provide us with incredible national exposure, as well as providing a platform to engage with and support the community of the wider Gold Coast region,” Mr Lock said.

“This facility is much more than a sporting stadium. It’s an important community facility that plays an integral role in the region’s social fabric. We’ll be looking to maximise those community benefits throughout our partnership.”

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Originally published as Carrara Stadium’s new name revealed after Metricon branding removed