Works underway for South Australia’s new home of football

Liam Watson

Construction of a new world-class State Centre at Gepps Cross has officially commenced, to provide opportunities for grassroots through to elite participation.

The $24 million project represents an exciting new chapter for South Australian football. Football SA President Sam Ciccarello and Football SA CEO Michael Carter were joined by the Hon. Corey Wingard MP at the sites location.

As the new facility will cater for all levels of the sport, it will offer a game-changer for anyone looking to get involved.

“The State Centre of Football will play a key role in this bid as a world-class training facility and going forward it will also have the capacity to facilitate FFA Cup matches and other national and international training and events,” Minister Sport Recreation and Racing Corey Wingard said.

“I’m excited about the huge potential this project has to engage more people of all ages to play football which is part of our Game On strategy to get South Australians moving.

“The State Centre will form part of the State Sports Park which will become an integrated, multi-use community and elite sports hub that is greener, more accessible and more welcoming.”

The facility will be located in the north-east corner of the State Sports Park, adjacent to Briens Road. Its feature include the following:

  • One natural turf show pitch with 1,000 seat grandstand and 5,000 spectator capacity
  • Two full-size synthetic pitches
  • Six change rooms, referee change facilities and gymnasium
  • Ten 5-a-side pitches
  • Football South Australia Administration Headquarters
  • Football Museum
  • Kiosk, café and bar facilities

“This is a hallmark event for football in South Australia,” Football SA President Sam Ciccarello said.

“From its conceptualisation, to designing a venue for social, grassroots and tournament football, as well as providing for an impressive, modern administration building, the State Centre for Football will be an important realisation of Football SA establishing a home of football, while also enabling quality facilities that will be of benefit to our community.

“The Centre could only happen with significant investment from the state government and we express our gratitude and appreciation to the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing, the Hon Corey Wingard, and Premier Steven Marshall for their support.”

The project is managed and coordinated by Built Environs, where it’s expected that the works are completed in 52 weeks.

“This is a really exciting day for the game in the state. Infrastructure has been a key strategic driver for the organisation over the past 7 years,” Football SA CEO Michael Carter said.

“The State Centre for Football will be a great facility that will connect grassroots to the elite and importantly provide a home for social participants via the state’s first 5 A-Side venue. I look forward to seeing the development progress.”

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Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

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Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

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Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

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