Football Park (AAMI Stadium) — Adelaide’s Lost Concrete Bowl

Football Park (AAMI Stadium) was West Lakes’ concrete contribution to South Australian footy, and it’s now a memory and a housing estate. Built in 1974 in Adelaide’s western suburbs, Football Park hosted the SANFL Grand Final, became home to the Adelaide Crows in 1991 and Port Adelaide in 1997, and served as Adelaide’s primary AFL venue until Adelaide Oval reopened in 2014. The corporate hospitality was dated; the location (out at West Lakes) was inconvenient; and the venue was demolished in 2019. SA fans are split — half mourn it, half celebrate the move to Adelaide Oval.

The History: SANFL’s Modern Headquarters

Football Park was developed in 1974 by the SANFL as a centralised state football headquarters. The site was on reclaimed land at West Lakes, about 12km north-west of Adelaide CBD. Capacity at opening: ~50,000. The venue immediately became the SANFL’s premier ground, hosting Grand Finals from 1974 onwards.

The naming-rights changes:

• Football Park (1974–2002, original SANFL name)
• AAMI Stadium (2002–2017, naming rights deal)

The AFL era began in 1991 with the Adelaide Crows; Port Adelaide joined in 1997. Both clubs played their AFL home games at Football Park until Adelaide Oval reopened in 2014.

The Footy: Crows + Power’s Twin Home

Football Park hosted both Crows and Power for over two decades. Showdowns (Adelaide vs Port Adelaide) were the venue’s signature fixtures, with crowds regularly hitting 50,000+. The atmosphere was famously parochial — South Australian footy fans are some of the loudest in the country, and the open concrete bowl design amplified noise effectively.

The pitch was 162m × 132m, AFL-standard. Surface: rye-dominant, well-drained for Adelaide’s mild climate. The wind off the Gulf of St Vincent was a known factor in afternoon games.

The Crows’ Premiership Era

Adelaide’s two premierships (1997 and 1998) were largely built on Football Park home form. The Crows won 80%+ of their home games during the late 1990s. Port Adelaide’s 2004 flag was similarly built on Football Park dominance — the Power were essentially unbeatable at home in the early 2000s.

The Closure and Demolition

The Adelaide Oval redevelopment changed everything. From 2014, both Crows and Power moved their AFL home games to Adelaide Oval. Football Park hosted its final SANFL Grand Final in 2017. Demolition began in 2019; the site is now a residential development called Lakes Edge.

Famous Moments

• 1974 — first SANFL Grand Final at Football Park.
• Round 1, 1991 — Adelaide Crows’ inaugural AFL home fixture.
• 1997 preliminary final — Crows defeating West Coast en route to their first flag.
• 1998 Grand Final qualifier — Crows en route to their second consecutive premiership.
• Round 1, 1997 — Port Adelaide’s inaugural AFL fixture.
• 2004 preliminary final — Port Adelaide en route to their first AFL flag.
• 2017 SANFL Grand Final — final major fixture at Football Park.

Trivia for the Pub

• Football Park’s peak attendance was 65,000+ (a one-off in the 1980s for an SANFL Grand Final).
• The venue’s open concrete bowl design was modelled on similar 1970s Australian stadiums.
• Adelaide Crows won two premierships (1997, 1998) during the Football Park era.
• Port Adelaide won one AFL premiership (2004) during the same era.
• The site is now a residential development called Lakes Edge.
• The light towers were demolished in 2019.
• The venue’s scoreboard was preserved as a heritage feature in the new development.

The Rumours (Posthumous)

The persistent rumour: SANFL Grand Final returning to a regenerated Football Park. Floated occasionally; the site is too residential now.

The other rumour: a heritage memorial at the site. Lakes Edge has incorporated some heritage elements; no major memorial exists.

The Verdict

Football Park was Adelaide’s working-class footy stadium. The corporate facilities were never premium; the location was always awkward; but the soul of the place — the parochial Crows and Power crowds, the SANFL Grand Final tradition, the concrete-bowl roar of a Showdown — was genuine. Adelaide Oval is undeniably superior in modern terms, but Football Park had character that no heritage cricket ground can replicate. The Lakes Edge residents probably don’t know what they’re walking on. Pour a stubby for AAMI Stadium.