AFL will move to
Adelaide Oval following an 80% vote in favour of the major redevelopment at a
members meeting Monday evening.
It’s expected the
$535m redevelopment will be complete in time for the 2014 AFL season, signalling
the end of an era for South Australian football with both the Adelaide Crows and
Port Adelaide moving their home games from AAMI Stadium (Football Park) to the
inner-city venue.
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More than 12,000
SACA members voted at the special general meeting with 80.37% voting in favour
of changing the constitution to allow control of the ground to be split between
cricket and AFL.
The redeveloped
will see the ground’s capacity increase from 36,000 to 50,000, while the
agreement will also see the cricket body’s $85m debt
wiped.
Monday night at
Wayville Showgrounds was the location of the SACA meeting and vote, with over
2000 members attending on the night.
SACA President Ian
McLachlan addressed the meeting before presentations from Oval architect
Jonathon Gardiner and John Harden, SACA Chief Executive.
A 90 minute
question and answer session then followed before the official voting took place.
At approximately
9:45pm, Ian McLachlan gave the vote result, an announcement that was greeted
with huge applause.
Along with a
redeveloped Oval, the whole riverside precinct will be revitalised and a
footbridge from the railway station across the Torrens to the Adelaide Oval will
be built.