Suncorp Stadium Grounds Manager Matthew Oliver has taken out the Excellence in Sportsfields & Grounds Management Award overnight in Melbourne.
Presented by the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association, the award enhances the long-standing and proud tradition of recognising the leading Sports Turf Managers in Australia.
Navigating large scale events and concerts like 4 shows of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and 3 Ed Sheeran shows within a week of kicking off the Super Rugby Pacific season are some of the remarkable achievements overseen by Mr Oliver this year alone.
With 36 event days already for 2026 including 6 A-League games, 7 Super Rugby games, and 21 NRL games, the team has had their work cut out for them.
In addition to the workload, the changeovers have been remarkable and included a multi-code quadruple header event – a particularly notable as it involved all four primary home tenant clubs across three different sporting codes- an extremely unique global occurrence. The surface was presented to a high standard for each event, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from all stakeholders, showcasing precision planning, operational excellence and turf resilience.
We are incredibly proud of the work Matt and his team does and congratulate him on receiving this extremely well-deserved recognition for his ongoing commitment and dedication!