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Noarlunga | |
 The Jim Deane Grandstand | |
 | |
| Former names | Hickinbotham Oval, Noarlunga Oval, Flinders University Stadium |
|---|---|
| Address | Adelaide Australia |
| Location | 1 Lovelock Drive, Noarlunga Downs,South Australia |
| Coordinates | 35°8′43″S138°29′36″E / 35.14528°S 138.49333°E /-35.14528; 138.49333 |
| Owner | South Adelaide Football Club |
| Operator | South Adelaide Football Club |
| Capacity | 12,000[1] |
| Record attendance | 10,123 – South Adelaide vsGlenelg, 6 May 1995 |
| Field size | 170m x 135m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1994 |
| Opened | 1995 |
| Tenants | |
| South Adelaide Football Club (SANFL) (1995–present) | |
Magain Stadium (previously known asFlinders University Stadium, Hickinbotham Oval, and originallyNoarlunga Oval) is anAustralian rules footballstadium inNoarlunga Downs, an outer-southern suburb ofAdelaide. It has been the home ofSouth Australian National Football League (SANFL) clubSouth Adelaide Football Club (also known as "The Panthers") since 1995.[2] In 2024 the ground was re-named Magain Stadium as part of a ten-year sponsorship deal withMagain Real Estate.[3]
South Adelaide decided to move to the southern suburb ofNoarlunga in the early 1990s, after 111 years (1882-1903 and 1904-1994) of playing home games at theAdelaide Oval, located on the northern side of theAdelaide city centre and theTorrens River.
The club played two games at theBice Oval inChristies Beach (approximately 1.5 km from Hickinbotham) in 1992 and 1993 to gauge support in the area for the club. Approximately 8,000 fans occupied the Oval in 1993 to see the Panthers' match against theGlenelg Tigers. The level of community support was a determining factor in South Adelaide's decision to permanently move to Noarlunga, becoming a community based club for the first time in its then 119-year history.
The Panthers' clubrooms and administration offices, previously located onSouth Road atSt Marys (opposite the thenMitsubishi Motors factory atTonsley Park), were also relocated to the Noarlunga Oval.
The stadium has a capacity of 12,000 people, with seating for up to 1,000 in theJim Deane Grandstand, named in honor of South Adelaide's 1953 and 1957Magarey Medallist. The record crowd for Noarlunga is 10,123 attending the SANFL match between South Adelaide andGlenelg on 6 May 1995 – the first SANFL match played at the venue.[citation needed]
The stadium is located at the top of a hill, and is known for its cold southerly wind and wet weather coming straight from the nearbyGulf St Vincent, something which is generally unpopular with spectators as only thegrandstand and a roofed standing-room-only area in front of the change rooms offer any protection from the weather.[citation needed]
Magain Stadium's dimensions are 170×135 m, giving it the widest playing surface in the SANFL.[4] To entertain fans, the South Adelaide Football Club has introduced a gas powered fireball that shoots up at the start of all four-quarters of Panthers night games. The fireball, located in the south east corner of the ground near the scoreboard, also ignites every time the Panthers league team kicks a goal.
The venue was renamed from Noarlunga Oval to Hickinbotham Oval in 2005 to honour former Panther captain-coach and successful property developerAlan Hickinbotham.[5] In 2018 the strong partnership between South Adelaide and Flinders University reached the next level, with the club announcing that the ground would be re-namedFlinders University Stadium, as part of a five-year deal withFlinders University.[3]
Along with theNorwood andRichmond Ovals, Flinders University Stadium is one of only three SANFL grounds not used forcricket during the summer months. This generally means that the centre squares of these grounds (where the cricket pitches would be located) are not as susceptible to becoming a mud patch after rain during the football season, and these ovals are generally regarded as having the better surfaces in the SANFL.[citation needed]
In late 2010 the South Adelaide Football Club obtained permission from theCity of Onkaparinga to install four light towers at the oval, with the intent to host night SANFL games at the venue. Two mobile phone towers at the ground also carry lights, giving a total of 6 light towers. The oval is not located in the midst of suburban homes and streets (like most other suburban SANFL grounds), and is surrounded by plenty of free car parking (available across Goldsmith Drive, behind the northern goals, in theCentro Colonnades car park, and the members' car park is located behind the grandstand). This made gaining permission to install the lights easier as the impact on local residents from the lights and parking was minimal.[citation needed]
The oval is the only SANFL venue where spectators can park their cars around the ground itself on the northern and eastern sides of the ground, giving it a country feel with people often watching games from inside their car or on top of the bonnet – large nets are in place behind the northern goals to protect cars from footballs kicked there.[citation needed] Other than the Jim Deane Grandstand, the main spectator areas are the north western grassed bank, while the grassed area behind the southern goals is a non-smoking and alcohol-free family area.
The first official SANFL night game was played at the oval on 21 April 2011, with the Panthers defeatingPort Adelaide in front of the ground's night attendance record crowd of 2,700.[6] However, the lights failed at the start of a Souths v Adelaide Crows game in 2015 and the organisers had to reorganise the match schedule for the 2015 season.[7]
As Magain Stadium has the largest spectator capacity, and has the most modern facilities, of any outdoor sports venue in the southern suburbs[citation needed], it has been used as the Grand Final venue for theSouthern Football League since 2005.
Opened in 1995, Flinders University Stadium is the newest suburban ground used by the SANFL by some 30 years. The oval has also been extensively redeveloped in recent years[when?] with the Panthers opening including entertainment and dining establishments such asJimmy Deane's.
Magain Stadium is easily accessed by both road and public transport. The oval is located approximately 600 metres south ofNoarlunga Centre railway station which is serviced by bothbus andrail, with the rail line having been upgraded in 2013, and an extension beyond Noarlunga Centre toSeaford which opened in February 2014.
Unfortunately, attendances at the oval for SANFL games still suffer because of its location:[citation needed] Magain Stadium is located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi)[8] km south of Adelaide, with most clubs located closer to the city, and the nearest club is Glenelg (15 km). As such, non-Panthers supporters have shown a reluctance for travelling the distance to the venue by road or public transport, especially as football is played in the winter and Noarlunga’s reputation for being cold.[citation needed]
Another issue is the club's small fan base, which is further exacerbated by the Panthers' poor results in recent history.[citation needed] South Adelaide has not won the SANFL premiership since 1964 - the longest current premiership drought in the league and elite Australian Rules football - and has not played in the Grand Final since 1979.
TheCentral District Bulldogs home ground,Elizabeth Oval, is located as far north of Adelaide as the Panthers are south.
