Late last year the AFL, SANFL and South Australian Cricket Association signed an in-principle agreement which will see AFL played at the iconic city venue within four or five years.
From the outset, Crows chief executive Steven Trigg said his club would need a financial benefit in the vicinity of $7 million a season to justify a move from AAMI Stadium, where they have recently built a new $21 million training and entertainment facility.
Officials from both SA-based AFL clubs met with the SANFL Commission and the 10 league directors at AAMI Stadium on Tuesday and after the six-hour workshop Whicker said he was satisfied the project would meet the clubs’ demands.
“What we’ve seen today would meet the expectations that football have put out there for the last six months and that we would be better off moving to Adelaide Oval compared with our current situation here at AAMI Stadium,” he said.
“Our two AFL clubs are very buoyed by the figures they’ve seen this morning and our SANFL clubs, who proudly sit on an asset here that belongs to football, see their future being underpinned by this asset in time, which we hope to generate revenue from to support all levels of football in this state.”
Whicker said a large portion of the $8 million a year benefit would come as a result of an improved stadium deal at Adelaide Oval.
Under the existing agreement at AAMI Stadium, the Crows and Power are ranked 15th and 16th in the AFL when it comes to stadium yield, but Whicker said that would change under the proposed move to the city.
“The Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club are both, as you well know, way behind the stadium yield average of every other AFL club,” he said.
“The extensive work that has been done has indicated that with new memberships, new facilities and new corporate facilities that the gross uplift of football is in the vicinity of $8 million and this uplift will go primarily to the two AFL clubs.”
Earlier this year, the South Australian government increased its financial backing for the project from $450 million to $535 million and granted the Stadium Management Authority - the body entrusted with coming up with the plans for the Adelaide Oval redevelopment - an extension to the original July 1 deadline.
The SANFL and SACA now have until August 31 to reach a legally-binding agreement for the Adelaide Oval site and Whicker said there was little doubt the SANFL would be signing off on the proposed deal.
“So far as the 31st of August is concerned, the government is certainly looking for our strong commitment to continue on,” he said.
“From football’s point of view we can tell you now that we are committed to continuing out work. There are several unresolved conditions to be worked through and some of those the matters that need to be resolved will be outside of our jurisdiction.”
Two of the unresolved issues relate to car parking on-site and the design of the city precinct itself.
There has been ongoing speculation over the costing of the current project, with concerns the SMA would have to compromise on its preferred design to keep within the $535 million budget.
On Tuesday, Whicker admitted the SMA would need to find an additional $45million to build a 1200-capacity car park near Adelaide Oval, but said he was confident the SMA could come up with the additional funds without football or cricket having to dip into their own pockets.
“We’re very confident that we’re well on track to build the project without compromising at all on football, and cricket are satisfied with the project as it stands as well,” he said.
“It may well be something that the SMA might have to consider if there was money to be financed on a commercial part of the business - and that may be part of the car park.”
Whicker was also confident that the project, which already includes a FIFA-compliant surface and lights, would receive federal government funding if Australia was successful in its bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
He also ruled out the possibility of selling the naming rights to Adelaide Oval and revealed there would be a stadium membership available to patrons wanting to attend both football and cricket games at the venue.
