Port Adelaide Football Club releases new video showcasing $30 million planned upgrade

Port Adelaide has released a fly-through video of its $30m upgrade at Alberton, hoping to allay the fears of people living nearby. See inside the plans here.

The Port Adelaide Football Club has released a video fly-through of the proposed $30 million upgrade of its Alberton headquarters, in the hope it will give nearby residents and statewide supporters a greater understanding of the controversial development.

The redevelopment would upgrade the football club’s ageing AFL indoor training facilities, while also constructing two indoor basketball courts and an outdoor soccer pitch, both of which could be used by local junior sporting clubs.

Amid concerns from neighbours that the development would lessen green space, remove dozens of established trees and increase traffic, Port hopes the fly-through will allay those fears, with the video showing that the redevelopment will be offering more functional green space, significant replanting of trees and a more than doubling of off-street carparking.

Port Adelaide chief executive officer Matthew Richardson said the 36 trees set for removal, would be replaced by 72 new ones, off-street carparking spaces would increase from 84 to 162 and the soccer pitch would be fenced for dog owners’ use after hours.

An artist impression of Port Adelaide's redeveloped Alberton headquarters. Picture: Supplied, Port Adelaide Football Club.

But Richardson said the upgrade of Port’s training facilities was a priority.

“From a high performance and elite facility perspective … our facilities now would probably be in the bottom two across the AFL competition,” he said.

“Our club’s mission is that we exist to win premierships. We need to provide our footballers, both male and importantly our new AFLW team, with elite playing, training and rehab facilities.

“We need to make sure that we’re providing our players with the best possible opportunity to win.

“This is a project that is not only important for the Port Adelaide Football Club, but we think it’s important to create Alberton Oval as a precinct that has much broader community and recreational use and something that the whole community can be really proud of.”

The last upgrade of Alberton Oval was in 2008/09 when the club spent around $5 million extending its indoor training facilities.

“Alberton Oval has been the home of the Port Adelaide Football Club since 1880, so it culturally and spiritually is really important part of who we are as a football club … we understand our responsibility to create an environment for the community that is open and accessible and optimises green space.”

Nearby residents are worried and have adorned their fences with protest signs. Picture: Sarah Reed

Port is releasing the fly-through as part of the Port Adelaide Enfield Council’s community consultation, which closes on August 27. A letterbox drop of information flyers to local residents is also underway.

The club has already begun work on a $5 million renovation of its current social club, which will include an interactive museum, expanded retail and then an expanded bistro and bar overlooking the oval. And the historic Williams Stand is also about to undergo an upgrade to provide new changeroom facilities for women’s footballers.

Port Adelaide player Aliir Aliir at the team’s Alberton headquarters. Picture: Tom Huntley