Princes Park was the spiritual home of Carlton Football Club for over a century, serving as the Blues' primary home ground from 1897 to 2005. The ground hosted countless memorable Carlton victories and Grand Final preparations, and its iconic status in the club's identity remains powerful to this day.
The oval's last AFL match came in 2005 as Carlton prepared for their eventual move to the Docklands. After the AFL era, the ground was renamed Ikon Park and transformed into a training and administrative base for the Blues. The transition marked the end of an era for Melbourne football, as one of the VFL's original strongholds became a training facility rather than a match venue.
Today, Ikon Park remains an active training base and historical landmark in Carlton's football heritage. The ground still hosts lower-level football matches and community events, keeping the Carlton connection alive though in a different form than its illustrious AFL past.
Carlton's move away from Princes Park in 2005 symbolised the shift toward purpose-built, larger AFL stadiums. While Marvel Stadium now hosts the Blues' AFL matches, Ikon Park has become an important heritage site, preserving the memory of Carlton's long association with the ground. The training facility continues to develop talent for the club, maintaining a thread of continuity with the venue's important history.