[5] The demise of the Essendon District Football Club in 1897 left the ground vacant for other sports during the next three winters, including running[6] and lacrosse.

Richards, a former Collingwood captain but by then a football columnist for The Sun News-Pictorial wrote his reviews in an expansive and humorous writing style and coined the term because of the ground's windy reputation.

Essendon signed a 37-year lease at Melbourne Airport,[19] and moved its primary training and administrative base to the facility, known as The Hangar, in October 2013.

Community and professional sports facilities would be added, which would be utilised by the Essendon District Football League which plays many matches at the ground.

[20][21] This proposal was shelved by the club in favour of a more moderate upgrade of crowd amenities, benches and team change-rooms, which was announced in October 2024 and is due for completion in 2026.

Another famous incident is when Hawthorn player Leigh Matthews broke the behind post after running into it during play in a 1982 game.

The Windy Hill Fitness Centre is a multipurpose aquatic facility and health club in Essendon, Victoria.

The health club was originally built inside the old Showers Grand Stand which formed part of the Windy Hill Football Ground.