Curtain falls on AFL at South Australia's Football Park

45,127 fans poured into Adelaide's AAMI Stadium/Football Park on Saturday afternoon for the last AFL match at the venue, with the twilight game seeing home team Port Adelaide wearing the club's traditional 'prison bar' jumper.

With future AFL matches in Adelaide to be staged at the redeveloped Adelaide Oval from the 2014 season, Football Park will be redeveloped as a community football field surrounded by a mix of parkland and residential and retail buildings.

Major grandstands at the West Lakes venue, the home of football in Adelaide for 40 years, are set to be retained with the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) looking to maintain the stadium as an alternative venue.

Meanwhile, South Australian Government ministers have enthusiastically welcomed Adelaide's newest landmark, the riverbank bridge to Adelaide Oval, reaching its halfway mark.

Inspecting the bridge at the weekend, Premier Jay Weatherill explained that "the bridge is going to look stunning and for the first time you can get a great sense of how this elegant piece of infrastructure will serve and showcase Adelaide.

"As the focal point of our great park, this bridge will change the way we access the riverbank and its wonderful attractions, including the redeveloped Adelaide Oval, Convention Centre and the Festival Centre.

"It will open up the CBD itself with its proximity to the Adelaide Railway Station, tram stops on North Terrace and re-emerging laneways like Leigh and Peel Streets."

A steel scaffold now spans the River Torrens with the 225-metre bridge's unique curve and vshaped frame now visible from within the support structure.

While the riverbank bridge will be temporarily opened to crowds for the December Ashes Test, the scaffold will remain while the glazed lining, fixtures and landscaping are progressively put in place over the next six months.

South Australian Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis added that the finished bridge would be an exciting element of the first game of AFL football in March next year.

Minister Koutsantonis stated "the football fans enjoying (the) last game at Footy Park can look forward to a pilgrimage across this fantastic bridge to Adelaide Oval for their first home game of 2014."

AAMI Stadium will continue to host SANFL Elimination and Qualifying Finals through September.

For more information, go to www.aamistadium.com.au/

1st September 2010 - SA SPORTS COMMIT TO ADELAIDE OVAL REDEVELOPMENT

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24th February 2010 - AAMI STADIUM HOLDS BACK SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CLUBS

3rd December 2009 - AFL TO MOVE TO REDEVELOPED 50,000-SEAT ADELAIDE OVAL

30th October 2009 - AFL CHIEF BACKS ADELAIDE CBD STADIUM

12th August 2009 - $350 MILLION UPGRADE PLANNED FOR ADELAIDE OVAL

3rd February 2009 - AUSTRALIA ENTERS RACE FOR FIFA WORLD CUP

22nd December 2008 - AAMI STADIUM UPGRADE TO PRESS ON DESPITE FUNDING CUT

20th February 2008 - NEW STADIUM FOR ADELAIDE?

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