Australian rules football participation rises 17.6 per cent, putting pressure on space and facilities

The SANFL will need more than 170 new football grounds in metropolitan Adelaide by 2026 as a record 204,892 footy players, including girls, continues to boom and put a squeeze on oval space.

Unley Jets players Annabelle, Emma and James. Participation numbers in SA footy are booming and the SANFL says 170 more ovals across metro Adelaide are needed by 2026. Picture: AAP/Brenton Edwards

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The SANFL will need more than 170 new football grounds in metropolitan Adelaide by 2026 as the booming growth of the game puts a squeeze on oval space.

Figures released last month revealed a 17.6 per cent rise in Australian rules participation in SA to a record-high 204,892 players.

The SANFL estimated it would cost more than $220 million to address the ground shortage, with more than 250 users on average per oval across Adelaide.

With open space at a premium, alternative solutions such as accessing school grounds, synthetic fields to enable more use and lighting to extend hours ovals are available were being considered.

Debutant Nikki Gore is showered in Gatorade after the Crows’ win over GWS in their match at Unley Oval on Sunday. The popularity of AFLW has inspired a new generation of girls to take up Aussie rules. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson said access to grounds was at a “critical point”, particularly in the metropolitan area.

“The AFL guideline is for seven teams per ground and some places we have 22 teams per ground,” Parkinson said. “That’s a lot of people and a lot of footy boots going through a ground.

“We’re practical – we understand it’s not going to be solved overnight.

“You’re talking about a significant amount of investment to bring facilities up to a level that we would like and there are many sports in that position. So we need to come up with some smart solutions.”

Female Australian rules participation rose 30 per cent in 2018, up to more than 61,000 girls playing the game.

Registrations, those signed up to a club and playing week in, week out, reached an all-time high of 52,000.

SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson. Picture: Matt Loxton

The SANFL hoped to partner with the education department to secure tenure on school ovals.

Parkinson said upgrading lighting at grounds to competition standard, enabling later training and match times, would also relieve pressure on space.

Another aim was building the state’s first synthetic Aussie rules ground, a surface capable of hosting three times more participants than natural turf ovals without the wear and tear.

Synthetic soccer pitches have been successfully introduced at several clubs across Adelaide to deal with the same problem.

Unley Football Club has grown significantly and hoped to field 18 junior boys, five junior girls and three men’s teams this season.

The Jets are also looking to expand to women’s sides in 2020 and are searching for funding for a planned upgrade to its building to have female-friendly changerooms.

Unley’s Kingswood Oval base is used by neighbouring Mitcham Girls School and nearby Highgate and St Joseph’s primary schools – none of which have ovals.

Unley’s clubrooms at Kingswood Oval were built in 1976 and will need to be upgraded to be female friendly. Picture: AAP/Brenton Edwards

Mercedes College – affiliated with the Jets’ senior sides – also uses the ground for its first XVIII training and matches.

Unley president David Heaslip said upgrading the ageing clubrooms and oval would benefit the local community, not just the football club.

“It is imperative that our facilities are able to meet the needs of all of our members, and continue to act as a recreation hub for the local community,” Heaslip said.

“Our community shares a great love of sport, active lifestyles and recreation and our club rooms play an important role in enabling this.”

The Jets share Kingswood Oval with the Unley Cricket Club.

The State Government has partnered with football, netball and cricket for a grassroots facility program, which will contribute $24 million towards infrastructure.

Recreation and sport minister Corey Wingard said the government was acutely aware of the booming popularity of sport in SA.

“We have listened to all sports across the state and there is a common theme that facilities have been rundown over the past decade which is why we have announced a State Sports Infrastructure Plan,” Wingard said.

Applications for round one of the grant program closed last month.

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