SANFL could be set for a return to Football Park
The SANFL has flagged a return to its former home at West Lakes as it looks for alternatives to its current base at Thebarton Oval.
As the Adelaide Crows continue their push to relocate from its former home ground to Thebarton, negotiations have fallen through to share the site with the current tenants, meaning they and the SANFL could swap venues.
Formerly known as AAMI Stadium, the venue at West Lakes was built by the SANFL in 1973, opening the following year and later serving as the home ground of South Australia’s two AFL clubs until they relocated to the redeveloped Adelaide Oval in 2014.
The stadium had a capacity of more than 50,000 before its closure and had a record crowd of almost 67,000 for the 1976 SANFL Grand Final. While its grandstands were demolished in 2018-19, the oval was retained and has continued to serve as the training base of the Crows.
The SANFL is seeking a 21-year non-exclusive license with an option to extend for a further 21 years to use Football Park as its new home if Adelaide is successful in its move to Thebarton Oval.
The venue is owned by the SANFL and leased to the Crows until 2048, however this is set to be null and void in 2026 when the oval vests in the council as open space upon completion of the West Lakes housing development.
The AFL club is hopeful of completing its $100 million move there by 2026 and the SANFL, which has a lease at Thebarton until 2031, is open to relocating before the end of its lease if a new home can be found.
As part of the proposed move to Football Park, the SANFL would build a new $22.6 million administration and high-performance facility in privately-owned land adjoining the Mosaic Hotel which is also owns, adjacent to the oval.
Also proposed is a $3.3m investment into developing a carpark and $1m into a new perimeter fence, scoreboard, 200 lux lighting and the relocation of goalposts.
The league says it would use the ground from 4pm to 8pm on Monday to Friday and for 25 match days per year. It would be used for its state under-16s and under-18s as well as its First Nations and multicultural talent programs. SANFL clubs would also have access to the facility.
The community will have access to the oval around 80 per cent of the time between 7am and 7pm over a year, according to the City of Charles Sturt. While the proposed venue would include community-use change rooms available for public access.
If successful, the SANFL hopes to lodge planning applications by December 2023 and commence construction in July 2024, with an expected completion by December 2025.
