From the President: SAFC Master Plan

21 February 2025

Dear Members and Supporters,

This year marks a significant milestone as we celebrate 30 years at our Noarlunga home, following the Club’s move from St Mary’s in 1995. Many of you will remember that first game against Glenelg, which drew over 10,000 spectators eager to experience our new facilities. However, in the years since, little has changed in terms of football and spectator amenities.

That is finally starting to change. After seven years of planning and persistence, work has commenced on a dedicated changeroom for our female footballers—a long-overdue development and the first step in a broader vision for our Club’s future.

Last year, in partnership with Place Project Management and architects Walter Brooke, we developed the SAFC Masterplan—a comprehensive strategy to enhance our facilities and create a community-focused, state-of-the-art sporting precinct. This plan aligns with regional developments at Cardijn College and Renewal SA’s housing project and aims to deliver AFL-standard, state-level facilities to support male and female athletes and our growing community programs.

The Vision

New Player Facilities ($16.25M):

Gender-equal changerooms
Modern player amenities
Upgraded interchange benches and coaches’ boxes
Enhanced medical facilities
Expanded gym to accommodate our increasing player base

Currently, up to 500 footballers access our changerooms for training each week over an 11-month season. Our current facilities are outdated and inadequate for the demands of our senior men’s and women’s teams, elite U18 and U16 squads, and expanding U14 program. The decision to construct a standalone female changeroom under the grandstand was a necessary first step, given that our existing 30-year-old changerooms will ultimately be replaced.

To truly establish ourselves as the premier sporting club in the South, we must provide elite facilities that enable our athletes to reach their full potential. Additionally, our vision includes positioning the Club to host a Gather Round AFL match, showcasing the southern region’s world-class wine and coastal attractions to a national audience.

Further Masterplan Features:

Bistro & Function Room Upgrade ($7.72M) - Enhancing our hospitality facilities for members and the wider community.
Broadcast-Quality Lighting & Community Track ($8M) - Improving oval lighting for night matches and creating a public walking/running track.

The Path Forward

This is an ambitious plan, but we believe it is achievable with a coordinated approach involving Federal, State, and Local Government, along with AFL/SANFL support. Another critical element of the masterplan is securing ownership of our land. Under our current peppercorn lease (expiring in 2104), commercial opportunities are limited. Ownership would give the Club the ability to explore ventures that generate long-term revenue and financial sustainability.

We are actively engaging with the State Government on this front and will continue to update you as discussions progress.

Thank you for your unwavering support. We are privileged to call this region home, and with your backing, we are committed to setting SAFC up for the next 30 years and beyond.

For those who haven’t yet signed up as a member, there’s still time before Round 1. Our Senior Men’s team is poised to take another step forward in their development, while our Senior Women’s side is aiming for back-to-back success in 2025. There is plenty to be excited about in the season ahead!

Go Panthers!