Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL serves as the sport's governing body, is responsible for controlling the laws of the game; the league was founded as the Victorian Football League as a breakaway from the previous Victorian Football Association, with its inaugural season commencing in 1897. Comprising only teams based in the Australian state of Victoria, the competition's name was changed to the Australian Football League for the 1990 season, after expanding to other states throughout the 1980s; the league consists of 18 teams spread over five of Australia's six states. Matches have been played in all states and mainland territories of Australia, as well as in New Zealand and China to promote the sport abroad; the AFL season consists of a pre-season competition, followed by a 23-round regular season, which runs during the Australian winter. The team with the best record after the home-and-away series is awarded the "minor premiership."
The top eight teams play off in a four-round finals series, culminating in the AFL Grand Final, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground each year. The grand final winner is termed the "premiers", is awarded the premiership cup; the current premiers are the West Coast Eagles. The Victorian Football Association was established in 1877 and went on to become Victoria's major Australian rules football competition. During the 1890s, an off-field power struggle occurred between the VFA's stronger and weaker clubs, the former seeking greater administrative control commensurate with their relative financial contribution to the game; this came to a head in 1896 when it was proposed that gate profits, which were always lower in matches involving the weaker clubs, be shared amongst all teams in the VFA. After it was intimated that the proposal would be put to a vote, six of the strongest clubs—Collingwood, Fitzroy, Geelong and South Melbourne—seceded from the VFA, invited Carlton and St Kilda to join them in founding a new competition, the Victorian Football League.
The remaining VFA clubs—Footscray, North Melbourne, Port Melbourne and Williamstown—were given the opportunity to compete as a junior sides at a level beneath the VFL, but rejected the offer and remained for the 1897 VFA season. The VFL's inaugural season occurred in 1897, it made several innovations early on to entice the public's interest, including an annual finals tournament, rather than awarding the premiership to the team with the best record through the season. Although the VFL and the VFA continued to compete for spectator interest for many years, the VFL established itself as the premier competition in Victoria. In 1908, the league expanded to ten teams, with Richmond crossing from the VFA and University Football Club from the Metropolitan Football Association. University, after three promising seasons, finished last each year from 1911 until 1914, including losing 51 matches in a row; as a result, the club withdrew from the VFL at the end of 1914. Beginning sporadically during the late 1890s and from 1907 until World War I, the VFL premier and the premier of the South Australian Football League met in a playoff match for the Championship of Australia.
South Australia's Port Adelaide was the most successful club of the competition winning three titles during the period along with an earlier victory. In 1925, the VFL expanded from nine teams to twelve, with Footscray and North Melbourne each crossing from the VFA. North Melbourne and Hawthorn remained weak in the VFL for a long period. Although North Melbourne would become the first of the 1925 expansion sides to reach a Grand Final in 1950 it was Footscray that adapted to the VFL with the most ease of the three clubs, by 1928 were well off the bottom of the ladder. Between the years of 1927 and 1930, Collingwood became the first, only VFL team, to win four successive Premierships. In 1952, the VFL hosted ` National Day'. Matches were played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Brisbane Exhibition Ground, North Hobart Oval, Albury Sports Ground and Victorian country towns Yallourn and Euroa. Footscray became the first of the 1925 expansion teams to win the premiership in 1954. Melbourne became a powerhouse during the 1950s and early 1960s under coach Norm Smith and star player Ron Barassi.
The club contested seven consecutive grand finals from 1954 to 1960, winning five premierships, including three in a row from 1955 to 1957. Television coverage began with direct telecasts of the final quarter permitted. At first, several channels competed through broadcasting different games. However, when the VFL found that television was reducing crowds, it decided that no coverage was to be allowed for 1960. In 1961, replays were introduced although direct telecasts were permitted in Melbourne. In 1959, the VFL planned the first purpose built mega-stadium, VFL Park, to give it some independence from the Melbourne Crick
Gold Coast Suns
The Gold Coast Suns known as Gold Coast or the Suns, is a professional Australian rules football club based on the Gold Coast, Queensland which play in the Australian Football League. The club has been playing in the AFL since the 2011 season, having been founded as the league's 17th active club by a consortium known as "GC17" and being granted a license to join the AFL on 1 April 2009; the team is based in the Gold Coast suburb of Carrara and play matches at Carrara Stadium and train at the adjacent Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre. The club is one of two AFL clubs based in Queensland, the other being its main rival, the Brisbane Lions. In January 2008, it was reported that the AFL registered the name Gold Coast Football Club Ltd with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission; the registration was effective from 24 December 2007. In March 2008, the AFL won the support of the league's 16 club presidents to establish a side on the Gold Coast and an 18th side in Western Sydney. AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou announced in early 2008 that the club could debut in the Queensland State League in 2009 as it recruits players and prepares for its debut season in the AFL.
Amongst the first players targeted by the Gold Coast were former St Kilda captain and Gold Coast junior Nick Riewoldt, Hawthorn forward and 2008 Coleman Medallist Lance Franklin and Adelaide forward Kurt Tippett. They did not end up with any of them. In June 2008 it was announced that the new team would play in the TAC Cup in 2009 and in the VFL in 2010. Guy McKenna was appointed coach in August 2008. In early 2009, the Host Plus superannuation fund was named as the club's major sponsor. On 15 May 2009, it was announced that respected Essendon administrator Travis Auld would be the CEO of "GC17". Former Brisbane Lions Shaun Hart and Gold Coaster Marcus Ashcroft were appointed to the coaching panel. On 1 October 2009, the club announced it had signed Guy McKenna as head coach until 2012. In early 2009, the Queensland Government announced that it would contribute sufficient funds allowing the redevelopment of Gold Coast Stadium; the redevelopment of Carrara Stadium cost $144.2 million to complete and housed 25,000 spectators with the capability to host an additional 15,000 temporary seats.
Their first game at the new stadium was against Geelong in round 10, 2011 after hosting their first few home matches, including their first match against Carlton, at the Gabba. The club's junior squad competed in the 2009 TAC Cup under 18 competition winning a number of games finishing in 5th place, they defeated the Northern Knights in the elimination final but lost their semi final to the Geelong Falcons. Below is the inaugural TAC Cup team to play for the Gold Coast Football Club, as well as a table of results and fixture for the 2009 and 2010 seasons: In November 2009 the team signed twelve 17-year-olds around the country to compete in the Victorian Football League year through the under age access rules; these players included Luke Russell, Maverick Weller, Taylor Hine, Josh Toy, Matt Shaw, Piers Flanagan, Hayden Jolly, Alex Keath, Jack Hutchins, Tom Nicholls, Brandon Matera, Trent McKenzie. The Gold Coast was given permission to play David Swallow in 2010, despite not being the correct age.
The deal, struck with the AFL stated that Swallow would still need to go through the 2010 AFL Draft to join the team, while the other under age recruits contracts would run through 2011. These are the results and fixture for the 2010 season, in which the club competed in the Victorian Football League. Guy McKenna would continue to coach the team throughout the 2011 season and beyond, after guiding the club through its journey in the TAC Cup and VFL in 2009 and 2010; the Suns would play their first four "home" games of the 2011 AFL season at the Gabba in Brisbane, whilst their home stadium underwent final redevelopment works. Gold Coast had a bye in Round 1, played its first AFL game debuted in Round 2 on 2 April 2011 against Carlton at the Gabba in front of a crowd of 27,914; the first five goals were scored by Carlton, before Charlie Dixon scored the first-ever goal for the Gold Coast Suns. Carlton went on to win by 119 points. Gold Coast won its first game in Round 5 on 23 April 2011. Gold Coast trailed by 40 points late in the third quarter, before coming back to win by three points, after Port Adelaide's Justin Westhoff missed a set shot after the siren.
Michael Rischitelli was the best on ground. Gold Coast won two more matches for the season, winning the inaugural QClash against Brisbane Lions in Round 7 by eight points, defeating Richmond by 15 points in Round 17 in the first AFL match played at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns. However, the Suns suffered several more heavy defeats during the year, including a 139-point loss to Essendon in Round 6 – in which Essendon scored a record 15.4 in the first quarter – and a 150-point loss against Geelong in Round 20. The Suns went on to win the wooden spoon. Gold Coast endured a poor pre-season in 2012 which included a 13-point loss to fellow AFL newcomers Greater Western Sydney, their solitary win in that time was a narrow win over Melbourne in the triangular round of the 2012 NAB Cup. The home-and-away season did not begin well for the Suns either, losing their first fourteen matches in succession to be the only winless team after Round 15 of the 2012 AFL season. Among the losses included losses by more than ninety points to Collingwood and St Kilda, seven-point losses t
Australian rules football
Australian rules football known as Australian football, or called Aussie rules, football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of eighteen players on an oval-shaped field a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by kicking the oval-shaped ball between behind posts. During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field and use any part of their bodies to move the ball; the primary methods are kicking and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled: for example, players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground. Throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball. A distinctive feature of the game is the mark, where players anywhere on the field who catch the ball from a kick are awarded possession. Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when mark is paid. Players can use their whole body to obstruct opponents. Dangerous physical contact, interference when marking and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, distance penalties or suspension for a certain number of matches, depending on the seriousness of the infringement.
The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking, fast movement of both players and the ball and high scoring. The sport's origins can be traced to football matches played in Melbourne, Victoria in 1858, inspired by English public school football games. Seeking to develop a game more suited to adults and Australian conditions, the Melbourne Football Club published the first laws of Australian football in May 1859, making it the oldest of the world's major football codes. Australian football has the highest spectator attendance and television viewership of all sports in Australia, while the Australian Football League, the sport's only professional competition, is the nation's wealthiest sporting body; the AFL Grand Final, held annually at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, is the highest attended club championship event in the world. The sport is played at amateur level in many countries and in several variations, its rules are governed by the AFL Commission with the advice of the AFL's Laws of the Game Committee.
Australian rules football is known by several nicknames, including Aussie rules and footy. In some regions, it is marketed as AFL after the Australian Football League. There is evidence of football being played sporadically in the Australian colonies in the first half of the 19th century. Compared to cricket and horse racing, football was viewed as a minor "amusement" at the time, while little is known about these early one-off games, it is clear they share no causal link with Australian football. In 1858, in a move that would help to shape Australian football in its formative years, "public" schools in Melbourne, Victoria began organising football games inspired by precedents at English public schools; the earliest such match, held in St Kilda on 15 June, was between Melbourne Grammar and St Kilda Grammar. On 10 July 1858, the Melbourne-based Bell's Life in Victoria and Sporting Chronicle published a letter by Tom Wills, captain of the Victoria cricket team, calling for the formation of a "foot-ball club" with a "code of laws" to keep cricketers fit during winter.
Born in Australia, Wills played a nascent form of rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School in England, returned to his homeland a star athlete and cricketer. His letter is regarded by many historians as giving impetus for the development of a new code of football today known as Australian football. Two weeks Wills' friend, cricketer Jerry Bryant, posted an advertisement for a scratch match at the Richmond Paddock adjoining the Melbourne Cricket Ground; this was the first of several "kickabouts" held that year involving members of the Melbourne Cricket Club, including Wills, Bryant, W. J. Hammersley and J. B. Thompson. Trees were used as goalposts and play lasted an entire afternoon. Without an agreed upon code of laws, some players were guided by rules they had learned in the British Isles, "others by no rules at all". Another significant milestone in 1858 was a match played under experimental rules between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College, held at the Richmond Paddock; this 40-a-side contest, umpired by Wills and Scotch College teacher John Macadam, began on 7 August and continued over two subsequent Saturdays, ending in a draw with each side kicking one goal.
It is commemorated with a statue outside the MCG, the two schools have competed annually since in the Cordner-Eggleston Cup, the world's oldest continuous football competition. Since the early 20th century, it has been suggested that Australian football was derived from the Irish sport of Gaelic football, not codified until 1885. There is no archival evidence in favour of a Gaelic influence, the style of play shared between the two modern codes was evident in Australia long before the Irish game evolved in a similar direction. Another theory, first proposed in 1983, posits that Wills, having grown up amongst Aborigines in Victoria, may have seen or played the Aboriginal game of Marn Grook, incorporated some of its features into early Australian football; the evidence for this is only circumstantial, according to biographer Greg de Moore's research, Wills was "almost influenced by his experience at Rugby School". A loosely organised Melbourne side, captained by Wills, played against other football enthusiasts in the winter and spring of 1858.
The following year, on 14 May, the Melbourne Football Club came into being, making it one of the
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, are a professional Australian rules football club based in the city of Geelong, Australia. The club competes in the Australian Football League, the highest level of Australian rules football in Australia; the Cats have been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with three in the AFL era. The Cats have won nine McClelland Trophies, a record shared with Essendon; the club was formed in 1859, making it the second oldest club in the AFL after Melbourne and one of the oldest football clubs in the world. Geelong participated in the first football competition in Australia and was a foundation club of both the Victorian Football Association in 1877 and the Victorian Football League in 1897; the club first established itself in the VFA by winning seven premierships, making it the most successful VFA club leading up to the formation of the VFL in 1897. The club won a further six premierships by 1963, before enduring a 44-year waiting period until it won its next premiership—an AFL-record 119-point victory in the 2007 AFL Grand Final.
Geelong have since won a further two premierships in 2009 and 2011. The Cats play their home games at Kardinia Park, while sporadically playing home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Docklands Stadium. Geelong's traditional guernsey colours are navy white hoops; the club's nickname, "The Cats", was first used in 1923 after a run of losses prompted a local cartoonist to suggest that the club needed a black cat to bring it good luck. The club's official team song and anthem is "We Are Geelong". Geelong's traditional navy blue and white hooped guernsey has been worn since the club's inception in the mid-1800s; the design is said to represent the white seagulls and blue water of Corio Bay. The team have worn various away guernseys since 1998, all featuring the club's logo and traditional colours. "We Are Geelong" is the song sung after a game won by the Geelong Football Club. It is sung to the tune of "Toreador" from Carmen; the lyrics were written by former premiership player John Watts. Only the first verse is used by the team after a victory.
The song used by the club was recorded by the Fable Singers in April 1972. We are the greatest team of all We are Geelong. Stand up and fight, remember our tradition Stand up and fight, it's always our ambition Throughout the game to fight with all our might Because we’re the mighty blue and white And when the ball is bounced, to the final bell Stand up and fight like hell Geelong's administrative headquarters is its home stadium, Kardinia Park; the club trains here during the season, however it trains at its alternate training venue, Deakin University's Elite Sport Precinct. The latter features an MCG-sized oval and is used by the club in the pre-season, when Kardinia Park is being used for other events; the rivalry between Hawthorn and Geelong is defined by two Grand Finals: those of 1989 and 2008. In the 1989 Grand Final, Geelong played the man, resulting in major injuries for several Hawks players, Mark Yeates knocking out Dermott Brereton at the opening bounce. In 2008 Grand Final, Geelong was the backed favourite and had lost only one match for the season, but Hawthorn upset Geelong by 26 points.
It was revealed that after the 2008 grand final, Paul Chapman initiated a pact between other Geelong players to never lose to Hawthorn again. The curse was broken in a preliminary final in 2013, after Paul Chapman played his final match for Geelong the previous week. Hawthorn went on to win the next three premierships. In 2016 Geelong again defeated Hawthorn in the qualifying final. In 20 matches between the two sides between 2008 and 2017, 12 were decided by less than 10 points, with Geelong victorious in 11 of those 12 close games. In 1925, Geelong won their first flag over Collingwood. In 1930, Collingwood defeated Geelong in the grand final making it four flags in-a-row for the Pies. Geelong would deny Collingwood three successive premierships in 1937, winning a famous grand final by 32 points; the two sides played against each other in 6 finals between 1951 and 1955, including the 1952 Grand Final when Geelong beat Collingwood by 46 points. In 1953, Collingwood ended Geelong's record 23-game winning streak in the home and away season, defeated them by 12 points in the grand final, denying the Cats a third successive premiership.
Since 2007, the clubs have again both been at the top of the ladder and have met in finals. Geelong won a memorable preliminary final by five points on their way to their first flag in 44 years. In 2008, Collingwood inflicted Geelong's only home-and-away loss, by a massive 86 points, but the teams did not meet in the finals, they would meet in preliminary finals in 2010, each winning one en route to a premiership. They met in a Grand Final in 2011, which Geelong won by 38 points. President: Colin Carter Vice President: Bob Gartland Chief Executive Officer: Brian Cook General Manager – Football: Steven Hocking PremiershipsVFL/AFL: 9 Victorian Football
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1864 in Carlton, an inner suburb of Melbourne, the club competes in the Australian Football League, was one of the competition's eight founding member clubs in 1897; the club's headquarters and training facilities are located in Carlton at Princes Park, its traditional home ground, it plays its home matches at either Docklands Stadium or the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Carlton has been one of the AFL's most successful clubs, having won sixteen senior VFL/AFL premierships, equal with Essendon as the most of any club; the club has fielded a team in the AFL Women's league since its establishment in 2017. Carlton has had a long and successful history, winning the most premierships of any club in the VFL era. Together with fierce rivals Collingwood and Essendon, Carlton was considered to be one of the league's "Big Four" clubs, enjoys a healthy rivalry with all three others.
Since winning its last premiership in 1995, Carlton is experiencing its longest premiership drought, has finished bottom of the ladder the most of any club since the competition became known as the AFL. The Carlton Football Club was formed in July 1864. In the early days, Carlton became strong and having grown a large supporter base, it became a fierce rival to the Melbourne Football Club in early competition, including the South Yarra Challenge Cup, which it won in 1871. Carlton won four premierships during the pre-VFA era in the 1870s. In 1877, Carlton became one of the foundation clubs of the Victorian Football Association, was a comfortable winner of the premiership in the competition's inaugural season. Carlton was one of the first clubs to have a player worthy of the superstar tag: champion player George Coulthard, who played for Carlton between 1876 and 1882, was noted by The Australasian as'The grandest player of the day', he died of tuberculosis in 1883, aged 27. The club won one more VFA premiership, in 1887, but after that during the 1890s, the club went from one of the strongest clubs in the Association to one of the weaker, both on-field and off-field.
In spite of this, the club was invited to join the breakaway Victorian Football League competition in 1897. The club continued to struggle in early seasons of the new competition, finished seventh out of eight teams in each of its first five seasons. Carlton's fortunes improved in 1902; the Board elected the respected former Fitzroy footballer and Australian test cricketer Jack Worrall the secretary of the Carlton Cricket Club, to the same position at the football club. As secretary, Worrall took over the managing of the players, in what is now recognised as the first official coaching role in the VFL. Under Worrall's guidance in the latter part of the 1902 season, Carlton's on-field performances improved, in 1903 he led Carlton to the finals for the first time. Carlton built a strong reputation and financial position, was able to convince many great players to shift to the club from other clubs, or out of retirement. Worrall led the club to its first three VFL premierships, won consecutively, in 1906, 1907 and 1908.
Carlton became the first club in the VFL to win three premierships in a row, its win-loss record of 19–1 in the 1908 season was a record which stood for more than ninety years. N 1Following these premierships, Carlton went through a tumultuous period off-field; some players had become frustrated by low payments and hard training standards, responded by refusing to train or play matches. The club removed Worrall from the coaching role, after significant changes at board level after the 1909 season, Worrall left the club altogether. Many players who had supported Worrall left the club at the end of the season. In 1910, several players were suspected of having taken bribes to fix matches, with two players both found guilty and suspended for 99 matches. Despite this backdrop, Carlton continued its strong on-field form, reaching the 1909 and 1910 Grand Finals, but losing both. Carlton fell out of the finals in 1913, but returned in 1914 under coach Norm Clark, with many inexperienced players, to win back-to-back premierships in 1914 and 1915 VFL seasons.
Most football around the country was suspended during the height of World War I, but Carlton continued to compete in a VFL which featured, at its fewest, only four clubs. Altogether, between Jack Worrall's first Grand Final in 1904 and the peak of World War I in 1916, Carlton won five premierships and contested nine Grand Finals for one of the most successful times in the club's history; the only success which eluded the club was the Championship of Australia. Through the 1920s and the Great Depression of the 1930s, Carlton maintained a strong on-field presence; the club was a frequent finalist. However, premiership success did not follow, the club contested only three Grand Finals for just one premiership during this period, endured the second longest premiership drought in the club's history; the drought was broken with the club's sixth VFL premiership in 1938, when former Subiaco and South Melbourne champion Brighton Diggins was recruited
Football Park
Football Park known commercially as AAMI Stadium, was an Australian rules football stadium located in West Lakes, a western suburb of Adelaide, the state capital of South Australia, Australia. It was built in 1973 by the South Australian National Football League and opened in 1974; until the end of the 2013 AFL season, it served as the home ground of the Adelaide Football Club and the Port Adelaide Football Club. It hosted all SANFL finals from 1974 to 2013. Prior to its demolition completed in March 2019, it had a seating capacity of 51,240. Ground was broken for Football Park in 1971, giving the SANFL its own venue after years of playing out of the Adelaide Oval, controlled by the South Australian Cricket Association. Due to ongoing conflicts with the SACA, the SANFL had wanted to leave Adelaide Oval and into their own home stadium for a number of years settling on the undeveloped swampland at West Lakes in 1970; the stadium hosted its first football game on 4 May 1974, an SANFL match between Central District and North Adelaide.
The first goal was kicked by North Adelaide's Barry Hearl, but Central District won the game defeating North Adelaide by 30 points. Intended to have a capacity of around 80,000, Football Park was standing room only in the outer with bench seating in the main grandstand and ended up with a capacity of 62,000. Bench seating was added to the stadium's bowl section, the concourse roof was finished in 1982, by which time the grounds capacity had settled to around 55,000; the new roof gave the outer of the ground a limited number of under cover seats, as well as opening up more space for advertising boards. Television screens showing the games in progress at the ground are in place under the concourse roof, as well as in the members area. After long-term negotiations with the State Government and the local council, as well as local residents, the SANFL started building the ground's four light towers in late 1983; these were finished by early 1984, with all night games in Adelaide moving from the suburban grounds to league headquarters for the next 16 years.
Following the Adelaide Crows joining the AFL in 1991, being joined by Port Adelaide in 1997, new corporate "superboxes" were built on top of the southern concourse, stretching from the scoreboard around to the members grandstand. The following year the stadium got its first video superscreen, although the old scoreboard located above the tunnel in the south-east corner remained in place as the main scoreboard. After years of speculation, Football Park's members grandstand was extended in 2001 with the opening of the new Northern Stand, opening up 7,000 new seats; the new grandstand was fitted with individual plastic seats, the rest of the stadium was brought into line with this in 2004, seeing an end to the unpopular aluminum bench seating, dropping capacity to 51,240. In addition to football, Football Park has hosted cricket matches, including the Kerry Packer-run World Series Cricket competition of the late 1970s when the upstart competition was shut out of major grounds such as the Adelaide Oval.
The stadium has hosted International rules football games between Australia and Ireland, as well as being used for rock concerts. Football Park hosted a National Soccer League game during the early-mid 1990s; the record football crowd at Football Park was 66,897 when Sturt defeated Port Adelaide in the 1976 SANFL Grand Final, though police believe the attendance figure was closer to 80,000. To avoid a crush, spectators were allowed on the field between the boundary line and the fence, thousands were turned away by the police as the house full signs went up. Adelaide and Port Adelaide played their last home games at Football Park in 2013, with both clubs moving to the Adelaide Oval in 2014; the record Showdown attendance at Football Park was recorded at Showdown XIX on 10 September 2005 when 50,521 saw the Crows defeat the Power by 83 points in the 2005 First Semi Final. A pre-season match was played at the ground between the two sides in March 2015, in what was the last official event to be held at the ground.
Adelaide still use the playing surface as its primary training round, have their administrative facilities based next to the oval. Major artists held concerts at Football Park, including ABBA, Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Dire Straits, Electric Light Orchestra, U2, The Rolling Stones, Elton John with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on 21 November 1986 and Robbie Williams. Bon Jovi performed at Football Park in December 2013. One Direction performed at Football Park in February 2015. After it was built, Football Park underwent several additions including: In 1982 the outer concourse was completed during the SANFL season giving a limited number of permanent undercover seats for the general public; the stadium was converted to an all-seater stadium with the installation of aluminium bench seating on the outer's lower deck, concrete terraces. This reduced capacity at the time from 62,000 to around 55,000. In 1984 the Light Towers were installed; the first game played under lights at the stadium was an Escort Cup match which saw South Adelaide defeat Glenelg 10.9 to 7.8.
The game was Glenelg champion Peter Carey's 300th game of SANFL league football. To appease the local residents, night games at Football Park had a 10:30pm curfew. In 1985 alcohol was banned from the seats. Alcohol could only be consumed in the bar areas. In 2009, this ban was removed. In 1997 the stadium opened new corporate
Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, Port Adelaide, South Australia. The club's senior team plays in the Australian Football League, whilst its reserves team competes in the South Australian National Football League. Port Adelaide is the oldest professional sporting club in South Australia and the fifth-oldest club in the AFL. Since the club's first game on 24 May 1870, the club has won 36 South Australian league premierships, including six in a row; the club won the Champions of Australia competition on a record four occasions. After winning an AFL licence in 1994 the club began competing in the Australian Football League in 1997 as the only pre-existing non-Victorian club—and has subsequently added the 2004 AFL premiership to its achievements. By the late 1860s Port Adelaide's river traffic was growing rapidly; the increasing economic activity around the waterways resulted in a meeting being organised by Port Adelaide locals John Rann, Mr. Leicester and Mr. Ireland with the intention to form a sporting club to benefit the growing number of workers associated with the wharfes and surrounding industries.
As a result of their meeting the Port Adelaide Football Club was established on 12 May 1870 as part of a joint Australian football and cricket club. The first training session of the newly formed club took place two days later; the Port Adelaide Football Club played its first match against a team from North Adelaide known as the'Young Australians' on 24 May 1870 at the family property of inaugural club president John Hart Jr in Glanville. John Hart Sr would become premier of South Australia the week following the first match. During these early years, football in South Australia was yet to be formally organised by a single body and as a result there were two main sets of rules in use across the state. Port Adelaide's main opponents during the years prior to the foundation of a governing body for the code in South Australia were the now defunct Kensington and Old Adelaide club; the rules of the Old Adelaide club, which more resembled the rules used in Melbourne at the time, were adopted across Adelaide in 1876.
In 1877, Port Adelaide joined seven other clubs to form the South Australian Football Association, the first governing body of Australian rules football. For the first few seasons in the SAFA the club competed in white shorts. In 1878, Port Adelaide hosted its first game against the established Norwood Football Club with the visitors winning 1-0. A rivalry between these clubs would soon develop into one of the fiercest in Australian sport. In 1879, the club played reigning Victorian Football Association premiers Geelong at Adelaide Oval in what was Port Adelaide's first game against an interstate club. In 1880, Port Adelaide moved to Alberton Oval which remains to this day the club's training and administrative headquarters. In 1881, Port Adelaide played its first game against Carlton at Adelaide Oval; that year the club travelled to Victoria and played its first game outside South Australia against the Sale Football Club. During the 1882 season Port Adelaide overcame Norwood for the first time after nine previous attempts winning by 1 goal at Adelaide Oval.
On 2 July 1883 Port Adelaide played its first game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Melbourne. In 1884 Port Adelaide won its first SAFA premiership. On 25 May 1885, Port Adelaide played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against South Melbourne, drawing with the eventual VFA premiers in front of 10,000 spectators. In 1887 immense interest led into the round 8 meeting against Norwood as the previous two matches between the clubs resulted in draws. Norwood won in front of a then-record 11,000 spectators at Adelaide Oval. Attending the match were Chinese Commissioners to the Jubilee Exhibition General Wong Yang Ho and Console-General Yu Chiung who were provided the South Australian premiers private box at Adelaide Oval. During 1889 the club played against the Richmond Football Club at Punt Road, with Port prevailing by a goal; the 1889 SAFA season ended with Port Adelaide and Norwood equal top, leading to the staging of Australia's first grand final. Norwood went on to defeat Port Adelaide by two goals.
In 1890 Port Adelaide won its second SAFA premiership and would go on to be crowned "Champions of Australia" for the first time after defeating VFA premiers South Melbourne. In 1891 the club defeated Fitzroy at Adelaide Oval with Indigenous Australian Harry Hewitt playing for Port Adelaide; as the 1890s continued Australia would be affected by a severe depression with many players were being forced to move interstate to find work. This exodus translated into poor on field results for the club. By 1896, the club was in crisis and finished last causing the clubs committee to meet with the aim of revitalising the club. Historian John Devaney suggested that there was a "conscious and deliberate cultivation by both the committee and the team's on field leaders of a revitalised club spirit, whereby playing for Port Adelaide became a genuine source of pride", it had immediate results and in 1897 Port Adelaide won a third premiership finishing the season with a record of 14-2-1 with a scoring record two and a half times its conceded total.
This is one of only four occurrences since 1877 that the team that finished last won a premiership the following year. Stan Malin won Port Adelaide's first Magarey Medal in 1899. During the 19th century the club had nicknames including the Cockledivers, the Seaside Men, the Seasiders and the Magentas. In 1900, Port finished bottom in the six-team competition, which it has not done in any senior league since. In 1902, Port Adelaide took the field i
2019 JLT Community Series
