38th Melbourne Hat and The Melbourne Tournament 2025
The Melbourne Hat is one of the longest continuously running Ultimate tournaments in the world, and is on for 2025 at it’s now traditional home of Albert Park. Running alongside it is The Melbourne Tournament, the first hit-out for club teams in the summer season.
Read on to learn more about the event and how you can register.
The Melbourne Hat is on in December for the 38th year in a row. Running as a one-day event, players register as individuals and are placed in a team for the day. It’s a terrific chance to play with new people and make new friends!
Running parallel is the Melbourne Tournament, a two-day event for open and women’s teams getting ready for the club season, along with any other teams that want to give it a go. With many Victorian clubs already committed to attend this promises to be a great event!
MELBOURNE HAT
Date: Saturday December 13th
Time: 9:30am to 4:30pm
Registration: Sign up and pay individually. Includes lunch and snacks, prizes and other games.
“Hat” tournaments are one of the oldest traditions in Ultimate Frisbee. Players register as individuals, and then teams are drawn “out of a hat” on the morning. Those teams then spend the day playing together against other teams until a champion team for the day is crowned!
Teams are balanced for experience, so all teams will have a mix of veterans running around for fun, right down to brand new first timers. You may meet people who are playing in their 10th, 20th or even 30th Melbourne Hat!
Hat tournaments are great to meet other players without having to organise a full team yourself.
The event takes place at the beautiful Albert Park, where in between games you can chill in the shade, grab some food from the Tucker Deli food truck and have a cold drink.
We can’t guarantee you will be on a team with your friends, but we’ll try and pair newer players together if it doesn’t upset the team balance too much. Even if you’re not on the same team, you can hang out in between games, and you might get to go head-to-head with them on the field!
The Melbourne Hat is the oldest continuously running annual Ultimate tournament in Australia, and hundreds of players got their start playing this great sport in this fun event.
Come and celebrate the end of the school and uni year by playing some Ultimate!
WHAT WILL BE PROVIDED
- Snacks during the day, and pizza after the final
- Plenty of ultimate
- Random fun games at the fields
WHAT TO BRING
- your Melbourne Hat Reversible singlet (if you don’t have one, you can buy one on the day, EFTPOS available). Otherwise you can wear whatever you are comfortable playing sport in – make sure you bring a White (not light blue or yellow, WHITE) top, and a “colourful” top to designate teams each game.
- plus cleats
- a drink bottle
VENUE
The Melbourne Hat is held at Albert Park in the inner suburbs of Melbourne.
Albert Park is easily accessible by car. The official street address is Pit Building 5, Aughtie Drive, Albert Park.
Parking is NOT free. Parking tickets cost about $6.00 for the day on the weekend and must be displayed on the dash board of your car. Parking is only permitted in designated parking bays.
From the City
Take Kings Way out of the CBD under the freeway overpass and turn Right at Albert Road. Turn Left off Albert Road onto Aughtie Drive and follow it past MSAC and the Albert Park Driving Range until you see the Pit Buildings on your Left.
or
Follow Spencer Street out of Town and don’t get off it. Spencer Street will become Aughtie Drive.
From the East
Come in on the Eastern Freeway, take Punt Road to the intersection with St Kilda Road. Take Fitzroy Street to the Right at this intersection and then turn Right into Lakeside Drive. Take the first Left onto Aughtie Drive and follow it until you find the Pit Buildings on your Right.
From the South
via St Kilda Road:
Come up St Kilda Road to Fitzroy Street on the Left then turn Right into Lakeside Drive. Take the first Left onto Aughtie Drive and follow it until you find the Pit Buildings on your Right.
via Monash Freeway, M1, South Eastern Freeway:
Go through the tunnel and take the Kings way exit, turn Left onto Kings way. Turn Right at Albert Road. Turn Left off Albert Road onto Aughtie Drive and follow it past MSAC and the Albert Park Driving Range until you see the Pit Buildings on your Left.
From the West
Come in on the West Gate Freeway and take the Kings Way exit, turn Left onto Kings way. Turn Right at Albert Road. Turn Left off Albert Road onto Aughtie Drive and follow it past MSAC and the Albert Park Driving Range until you see the Pit Buildings on your Left.
By Tram (number 96)
There are 2 tram stops within easy walking distance of the fields, both of them are on tram number 96, the first is stop is Middle Park (stop 130) and the second is Fraser St (stop 131).
From Stop 130 head into Albert Park and Travel Right until you see the pit buildings and other players (about 7min).
From Stop 131 head into Albert Park and Travel Left until you see the pit buildings and other players (about 5 min).
For more info visit the Yarra Trams website.
By Train
Southern Cross Station is the best train station to get to then transfer onto the number 96 tram and follow the directions above.
MELBOURNE TOURNAMENT
Dates: Saturday December 13th and Sunday December 14th
Time: Sat 10am to 5:00pm & Sun 10:00am to 3:30pm
Registration: All teams and players must be pre-registered. No on-the-day payment is available. Non-playing roles (eg: coaches) are free. Under 18s can play on teams with a nominated teammate appointed as being responsible for their supervision.