Starclub Field Officer Alberto Salatino, Mayor Clare McLaughlin and Whyalla Football League Treasurer Keith Sichler
Whyalla to Host SANFL Round 15 Game!
Whyalla City Council and the SANFL are pleased to announce that the 2022 Think! Road Safety SA Country Football Championships will be headlined by the Round 15 game between North Adelaide and Adelaide on Saturday, July 16.
The two-day carnival, to be hosted by Whyalla for the first time, will be held at the award-winning, AFL-standard Bennett Oval, as well as nearby Memorial Oval.
“The Country Championships is a significant annual event for football in South Australia, with the aim of showcasing country football at its best, and we’re thrilled to be able to feature a Hostplus SANFL League game as part of this,” SANFL General Manager football Matt Duldig said.
“This will also be a great opportunity for the City of Whyalla to capitalise on its outstanding Bennett Oval facility, which was recognised as winner of the 2021 South Australian AFL Community Facility Project of the Year.
“It’s been a challenging two years for regional communities and footy clubs, so programming three regional games across the State this year will help provide a really important connection between communities, leagues and our State League.”
City of Whyalla Mayor Clare McLaughlin said adding an SANFL match to the event was fantastic news for Whyalla, with the championships anticipated to bring in thousands of visitors to the city and inject over $1 million into the local economy.
“We are ecstatic to have the championships here in the city, and with the SANFL game as the headliner, we expect even more people to visit Whyalla and enjoy what our city has to offer,” Mayor McLaughlin said.
“It’s fantastic that locals will get to once again witness elite athletes in their own city - all made possible by our upgraded sporting facilities, which are the best outside of metropolitan Adelaide.
“We’ve already proven our capability to host major sporting events with the recent AFL preseason match, so we’re confident we can cater for the large influx of male and female players, their families and other visitors and ensure benefits across the local economy.”
Mayor McLaughlin thanked Whyalla City Council staff and the Whyalla Football League for their tremendous efforts in securing the championships and the SANFL game.