Demolition commences at Adelaide’s Football Park

The demolition of Adelaide’s Football Park, the major venue for AFL and SANFL fixtures in South Australian for over 40 years, is set to commence.

Replaced as the city’s major sporting venue by the refurbished Adelaide Oval since the 2014 AFL season, the demolition will see the removal of the 60,000 metre² venue’s stands and light towers, to be replaced, as of next year, by a library, retail area and a five-storey, 120-bed aged care facility.

Already, much of the adjacent Max Basheer Reserve, where supporters would arrive early to games has been redeveloped as housing.

However, while the spectator infrastructure of Football Park (long known as AAMI Stadium) will soon disappear, the oval will remain as the Adelaide Crows training ground until 2048, although it will be accessible to the public outside training times.

Explaining this dual use, SANFL Chief Executive Jake Parkinson this told the ABC that the oval would be surrounded by a picket fence closed for Crows training but freely open to the public at other times.

He advised "the land will ultimately get vested to the (City of Charles Sturt) Council, and I'm sure that all the right responsibility will be put in place to ensure Adelaide Football Club will continue to train on what is still one of the best surfaces in football in South Australia.”

In addition, the Crows' offices, training facilities and merchandise shop will remain onsite after the demolition, along with Checkside Tavern.

Football Park was built in 1973 at a cost of $6.6 million, with the first game held the following year between SANFL sides Central District and North Adelaide.

It was made the Adelaide Crows' home ground after the club started playing in 1991, adding Port Adelaide Power as a client after one of the country's oldest football clubs launched an AFL team in 1997.

Before the Crows and Power, it also staged State of Origin matches, hosting memorable clashes between South Australia and Victoria.

Image: Football Park as a function sporting venue.

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