Booney wrote:The Port Adelaide Football Club has announced recent State Government funding will enable the club to continue transforming the historic Alberton Oval into a state-of-the-art high performance and community precinct.
The $17 million grant over four years will contribute to delivering the club’s stage 4 plans, which includes world-class facilities for the club’s AFLW team, and new grandstands to increase the oval’s capacity to AFL match day standard.
The funding will allow the club to commence planning, approval, and community consultation early this year for the development of new AFLW changerooms and coaching facilities, and new terraced grandstands on the eastern boundary.
An additional heritage inspired grandstand, new facilities for the Port Adelaide Bowling Club, flexible event space, and a future-focused STEM learning and education facility also form part of the funding, with planning set to commence in 2026.
Underpinning this next stage of the $35 million transformation is both the club's strategic vision and growth objectives, and importantly the needs of the broader community.
The plans for the next stage of the redevelopment at Alberton Oval include:
AFLW player changeroom and coaching administration facilities consolidated into the MG High Performance Centre to fully integrate the club's AFL and AFLW football programs into one building.
Terraced seating installed around the eastern boundary fence providing more than 1,000 additional seats, to support the growth of AFLW matches at Alberton Oval.
A third heritage inspired grandstand, increasing the seated capacity at Alberton Oval to more than 6,000 and overall capacity to over 10,000 to cater for the growth of AFLW and SANFL home games, and AFL pre-season games.
A STEM learning centre, and education and conferences spaces for our Power Community Limited programs and the Port Adelaide Academy of Sport.
A new Port Adelaide Bowling Club facility with synthetic green and clubrooms.
A flexible learning and event space for club and community access.
The redevelopment not only features world-class AFL and AFLW playing and training facilities for the Port Adelaide Football Club, but it also incorporates multi-use community sport and recreation facilities that can continue to be utilised by the people of the western suburbs.
Port Adelaide Football Club Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Richardson thanked the Malinauskas Labour government for their support.
“The Port Adelaide Football Club is grateful for the support from the South Australian Government toward this next stage of the development at Alberton Oval,” Mr. Richardson said.
“Providing world-class facilities for our AFL and AFLW players and staff plays an important role in ensuring our club is highly competitive on-field. Retaining and attracting the best talent is a key part of that.
“AFL football plays an important role in inspiring young people to play sport and live healthy lifestyles, but it is also a major economic generator in South Australia.
“This funding support from the South Australian Government will see elite AFLW player facilities incorporated into the MG High Performance Centre, ensuring the important integration of our AFL and AFLW football programs.
“It will also provide further improvement to spectator amenities at Alberton Oval, including new terraced seating around the eastern boundary to enhance the game day experience for our fans.
“This is particularly important for the club’s popular AFLW home games where Alberton Oval had the second highest attendances in the competition in 2024”.
Will be interested to see who manages the community recreational side of the facility. My understanding is Port Adelaide will contract that part out to a third-party management organization.
