[COM] Adelaide Oval Redevelopment

[Vee]

Another option for footy fans, heading to/from Adelaide Oval, in the rejuvenated Riverbank precinct.

Adelaide Festival Centre is inviting footy fans to check out their new outdoor bar/deck overlooking the Torrens and the Footbridge.
Just in time for the big match (Port Adelaide v Fremantle) on Saturday.

Eat. Meet. Go!
We've got 2 of SA’s Greats on offer - Vilis Pie Floater Café – it’s back and is that the best pre-Footy Feast or another SA much loved icon – check out the Coopers Beer and Burgers at the start of the bridge - you can’t go past the Adelaide Festival Centre on game day before heading into the Footy.

http://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.a ... eatmeetgo/

More on the new 'River Deck'
In-business
http://www.in-business.com.au/news/story/2014-5-9/18426

[SuperEgz]

What will the impact of this be?

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... l-comments

High costs eating in AFL clubs’ new earnings at Adelaide Oval

MICHELANGELO RUCCI CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
The Advertiser
May 09, 2014 4:03PM

ADELAIDE Oval’s new deal for its AFL tenants is already under fire for not delivering the “pots of gold” the SANFL claims are on offer to the Crows and Power.

New AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan will chair a review of the AFL clubs’ deal with the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority in July. The meeting was originally set for June 1.

But already the Crows and Power feel they are being short-changed in the $12 million uplift

projected by the SANFL because of significant cost increases in hosting AFL games at the Oval when compared to Football Park.

Port Adelaide Football Club president David Koch yesterday was forthright in calling for the stadium deal at the Oval to be changed.

“It needs to be looked at because it is not the gold mine that we are being told it is,” Koch said at the Oval. “Some of the costs are way more than AAMI Stadium and way more than we expected — and it’s not just us. It’s the Crows as well.”

These cost increases are in booking stadium rooms, security, cleaning and in managing the traffic around the Oval.

Adelaide Football Club chairman Rob Chapman said his first glance at the receipts from the Oval show “we are incurring increases in our expenses”.

“But I have no axe to grind just yet and I want to see more figures, say from 12 weeks of attendances, revenues and costs to test the stadium model,” Chapman told The Advertiser yesterday.

“And I want to make sure the uplift that comes from Adelaide Oval does indeed go to where it was originally intended — the two AFL clubs.”

SANFL president John Olsen, the new SMA chairman, last month raised the ire of the AFL clubs by saying they would together claim a $12 million increase stadium return by the move to the redeveloped Adelaide Oval when compared to takings at AAMI Stadium.

But the two AFL clubs say that Olsen has ignored the extra costs they are incurring in putting on games at the Oval. Port expects its net benefit to be at $3.9m. Adelaide is expecting a $3m net benefit. The combined $6.9m is far short of Olsen’s $12m prediction.

Koch yesterday acknowledged Port’s net benefit could exceed the $3.9m projection because the Power’s attendances at the Oval are greater than expected.

“We were thinking we would get an average of 32,000-35,000 at Adelaide Oval and we are tracking at well mover 40,000 (44,545) at the moment,” Koch said.

“But forget about the numbers of people turning up. It is what we earn out of the stadium that will determine what we make (as a profit or loss this season).

“Yes, (Adelaide Oval) is a significant benefit to us — there is no doubt about that) — but there have been some surprises (in the costs). The stadium deal is better, but it is not as good as some of the numbers that have been bandied about.”

[Waewick]

Wow didn't take long to start complaining

[Vee]

The media have reported that the Crows and Port are unhappy with the returns they are getting from Adelaide Oval. The high costs associated with running Adelaide Oval have been highlighted.

Increased costs include the cost of road closures eg Memorial Drive.

One of the additional costs encountered by the clubs is having to pay for road closures, a fee understood to be around $15,000 they never encountered at Football Park.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/adelai ... 6913047587

I do think the current design (and height above the river) of the footbridge was the best option with pedestrian traffic flows on/off the expansive AO plaza. It has necessitated the temporary closure of Memorial Drive on match/event days.

Any more detail, thoughts on costs of road closures? Is this $60,000 per month?
How could this be reduced?

[monotonehell]

How could these "bills" be a shock? They would have worked out these costs during planning.

[rhino]

How could these "bills" be a shock? They would have worked out these costs during planning.

Isn't that what "Due Diligence" is?

[ml69]

I'm an avid Aussie Rules supporter but I'm going to be blunt here ... its very rich for the 2 AFL clubs to be complaining about inadequate financial returns when half a billion dollars of taxpayers money has been spent building them a new stadium!

They should be thanking their lucky stars!! Who the heck do they think they are???

[Laidback-Luke]

Crows finally painting their race today, it's looking quite good even tho it's not fully finished.

[SRW]

I'm an avid Aussie Rules supporter but I'm going to be blunt here ... its very rich for the 2 AFL clubs to be complaining about inadequate financial returns when half a billion dollars of taxpayers money has been spent building them a new stadium!

They should be thanking their lucky stars!! Who the heck do they think they are???

+100

[spiller]

sounds like another media bash-up to me. If either club expected the costs of hosting at this ground to be the same as at Football Park, their heads are in the clouds.

[Phantom]

I'm an avid Aussie Rules supporter but I'm going to be blunt here ... its very rich for the 2 AFL clubs to be complaining about inadequate financial returns when half a billion dollars of taxpayers money has been spent building them a new stadium!

They should be thanking their lucky stars!! Who the heck do they think they are???

+100

The key to them both turning a profit this season is that they need to be making a high number of sales of merchandise and season passes and that it won't be affected by crowd numbers?

I call bullshit.

[rev]

I'm an avid Aussie Rules supporter but I'm going to be blunt here ... its very rich for the 2 AFL clubs to be complaining about inadequate financial returns when half a billion dollars of taxpayers money has been spent building them a new stadium!

They should be thanking their lucky stars!! Who the heck do they think they are???

+100

The key to them both turning a profit this season is that they need to be making a high number of sales of merchandise and season passes and that it won't be affected by crowd numbers?

I call bullshit.

The key to both turning a profit is to cut the sanfl out of the picture entirely.
The Crows will now feel the pinch, they will feel the financial pain Port has felt since 1996. Crows had/have a rent free agreement at AAMI. Port was bled dry by the sanfl.
The one mistake the government made was including the sanfl. An independent body should have been created, call it the SMA if you want, and the likes of SACA and the AFL enter into agreements to use the venue with the SMA. The SMA should not be comprised of SACA or SANFL board members, much less the incompetent, corrupt pigs like Whicker, Olsen and Basheer.

The AFL too will come to regret this. Although I'm sure one of the old boys club members little Gil will do his utmost to bury any injustices and gloss over it all while he is head of the AFL.

[Waewick]

I think you'll notice that the Crows have only mentioned not making as much....

I don't think they are feeling the pinch, it is business as usual I would suggest.

[ghs]

Crows v Collingwood sold out already.

Port v Hawthorn the week after will be a sell out for sure.

With the way Port Adelaide are playing we should see at least two
finals matches in September here.

Rolling stones are here in October and then the Australia vs India
test match in December.

The traders in North Adelaide must be happy.

I think what we really need now is for the casino expansion to go ahead.
We need a decent entertainment venue where people can go after the game.

[Phantom]

I think you'll notice that the Crows have only mentioned not making as much....

I don't think they are feeling the pinch, it is business as usual I would suggest.

I really didn't think running a football club that doesn't have to pay for a home ground and only travels out of Adelaide once a year was as financially crippling as they make it seem.
(Unrelated - Where does Adelaide's SANFL team train at?)

GHS, you forgot to mention the Cricket World Cup in early 2015, too. I'd be severely disappointed if the India-Pakistan match scheduled here doesn't sell out.

For the record:
Sunday - February 15 - India vs Pakistan
Monday - March 9 - England vs Bangladesh (Day/Night)
Sunday - March 15 - Pakistan vs Ireland (Day/Night)