Adelaide has no plans to move AFL Women’s games to Adelaide Oval or Football Park

ADELAIDE’S women’s team will stay in the suburbs rather than make a move to the bigger, 50,000-capacity AFL arenas at Adelaide Oval or Football Park.

ADELAIDE’S newest sporting sensation - the Crows’ women’s team - will stay in the suburbs rather than make a move to the bigger, 50,000-capacity AFL arenas at Adelaide Oval or Football Park.

The Crows AFLW team has two minor-round games to play in Adelaide - at Thebarton Oval against Carlton on Sunday week and at Norwood Oval against Brisbane on Saturday, March 4.

After reviewing the success of the opening game at the 16,000-capacity Thebarton Oval on Saturday – when 9250 took up the free entry for the Crows’ inaugural AFLW game – Adelaide Football Club chief executive Andrew Fagan is not seeking a change to the fixture, as is being considered in the Melbourne market.

“If significant numbers were being excluded from the game, we would reassess,” Fagan said.

“Thebarton and Norwood ovals are appropriate venues for our first season. They provide great atmosphere for the game and the fans.

“We could go to bigger venues – like Football Park – and lose that atmosphere. In this first season, it is more important to ensure the games have that great atmosphere we noted at Thebarton Oval (on Saturday afternoon).”

More than 9200 fans went to Thebarton Oval for Adelaide’s AFLW clash against GWS on Saturday. Picture: Sam Wundke

Adelaide Oval is out of reach to the AFL and the Adelaide Football Club until the venue falls from cricket to football control in late March.

This keeps Adelaide Oval in the frame for the grand final should the Crows qualify as a top-two team after the seven-round qualifying series.

Fagan told The Advertiser the Crows are “limited for options” to change the fixture.

“And we don’t want to lose that atmosphere that is generated at Thebarton and Norwood,” he said.

“So we will stick to the current fixture.”

The AFLW’s success – with a lockout crowd at Princes Park for the Carlton-Collingwood opener and strong television ratings – has forced the AFL to reconsider moving games in Melbourne to AFL venues, Etihad Stadium and the MCG, to meet public interest.

Originally published as Adelaide has no plans to move AFL Women’s games to Adelaide Oval or Football Park