SANFL football is set to hit the Barossa Valley, with a clash between Central District and Adelaide to be held in the region during the 2023 season.
Pencilled in for a 2:10pmfirst bounce on Saturday July 8, the round 12 fixture will be held in conjunction with the THINK! Road Safety SA Country Championships which will also be held in the Barossa that weekend.
While no ground has been confirmed, The Bunyip understands that the match will be played at Nuriootpa’s Centennial Park Oval or Angaston Recreation Park which are the sites of the SA Country Championships.
The match will also coincide with the second week of the SANFL’s First Nations Round.
Speaking with The Bunyip, Central District CEO Greg Edwards said the Barossa Valley match was a significant occasion for the club and the competition.
“I think playing in our country zone is something we are all pretty keen on and we are pretty keen to give back a little bit to the local community,” he said.
“Centrals has such a large body of players who come out of the Barossa Valley and we have so many players who will really embrace playing back there, especially on a country championships weekend.”
The match will be the fourth time Adelaide has played the host zone in conjunction with the SA Country Championships, with the Crows recently taking on South Adelaide in Victor Harbour in 2021 and North Adelaide in Whyalla in 2022.
Last year’s match saw a number of AFL-listed Adelaide players take part including 2017 All-Australian Matt Crouch and young guns Josh Worrell and Lachlan Sholl.
In 2023, there will be a Barossa Valley connection in the Adelaide side with local product and ex-Collingwood defender Jack Madgen set to play for the Crows.
Edwards said that the match would provide a fantastic footballing showcase with two high quality teams going head-to-head in the region.
“I think it gives our key country zone an opportunity to have Central District on their doorstep and we can showcase ourselves to all the young players in the area,” he said.
“I am sure there are a lot of younger boys and girls playing in the Barossa who haven’t had the experience to get to Elizabeth Oval and see Centrals live, so it is important we put ourselves on display in the best way possible for those junior players and the local community.”
The match will also give a chance for Central District to continue to strengthen its footprint in the Barossa Valley and continue to build relationships with clubs in the Barossa, Light & Gawler Football Association.
“Supporting those clubs in the regions and building on our existing great relationships is really important,” Edwards said.
“If they need us to do anything extra on the day, that won’t be a problem and ideally for us it would be a great opportunity to give a little back.”
SANFL Executive General Manager Football Matt Duldig said that match was becoming a showcase on the SANFL calendar and was looking forward to seeing the Barossa Valley put on the event.
“The Country Championships has become a major event for football in regional South Australia, with the aim of showcasing country football at its best,” he said.
“We’re therefore thrilled to continue to feature a Hostplus SANFL League game as part of this footy extravaganza in the Barossa.”
The Barossa Valley is one of four regional venues set to host games during the 2023 season which includes Norwood playing West Adelaide in their annual clash in Port Lincoln.
West Adelaide will also take on Adelaide In Murray Bridge in the “Neil Kerley Memorial Match”, while the Russell Ebert Tribute Match between West and Port Adelaide will return to the Riverland.