Rod Hook, the man at centre of Adelaide Oval redevelopment, says stadium authority set up ‘fundamentally wrong’

THE Crows and Power should each have a spot on Adelaide Oval’s Stadium Management Authority, says the man at the centre of the venue’s $535 million upgrade.

THE Crows and Power should each have a voice on the Stadium Management Authority at Adelaide Oval, says the man at the centre of the venue’s $535 million redevelopment.

And the authority should have had an independent chairman, adds Rod Hook, the former head of the government’s Department of Infrastructure.

Hook today told The Advertiser the eight-person SMA board — that has four seats appointed by the SA Cricket Association and four by the SA National Football League — was structurally flawed.

And as the stadium review between the SANFL, Crows and Port Adelaide football clubs reached its 127th day today, Hook said it was “fundamentally wrong” that the AFL clubs were not the major financial winners at the Oval in its opening season.

The Advertiser understands the SANFL scored a bigger “financial uplift” than either the Crows (almost $3 million) or Power (almost $4 million) in the move from Football Park. The league’s gain was almost $4.5 million.

“That is fundamentally wrong,” Hook told The Advertiser in an exclusive interview today.

“The SANFL’s benefit was to be in the development of their (Football Park) asset at West Lakes. The AFL clubs playing at Adelaide Oval should be benefiting at Adelaide Oval.”

As the Premier Jay Weatherill today entered the long-running review — by meeting SMA chairman and SANFL president John Olsen — Hook revealed his longstanding concerns with the Oval’s management model.

“I would have always set up the SMA board with four from cricket, two from the SANFL, one from each of the AFL clubs and one independent,” Hook said.

“I always thought there should be an independent chair — and one with commercial nous — on the SMA. But I could not get anyone to agree.

“The two sports (cricket represented by the SACA and football with the SANFL) wanted this structure, where the sports manage the venue.”

Hook noted having a Crows and Power representative on the SMA would have created “more transparency” for the AFL clubs at the Oval.

“A representative from each club on the SMA would have been the smart thing,” Hook said.

“But the SANFL — that was (then) the holder of the Crows and Power licences — would not have it.

“With representation from the Crows and Power, the AFL clubs would have been able to get the right deal (at the Oval). They would not have to deal separately with the SANFL.”

The SMA is listed as a private company.

The State Government could change the SMA structure by legislation but would need support in the Liberal-controlled Upper House to alter the authority’s governance.

This would also put the State Government at risk of facing compensation payments to the SANFL and SACA.

It seems only the AFL will break the impasse in the saga-like review at the Oval by negotiating to shift the financial benefits at the Oval from the SANFL to the two AFL clubs.

Originally published as Rod Hook, the man at centre of Adelaide Oval redevelopment, says stadium authority set up ‘fundamentally wrong’