Thebarton Oval is the former home of the football team West Torrens Eagles. They merged with the…read moreWoodville team and now play at Woodville Oval. The ground is pretty rundown with two grandstands that have some historical value on the main wing and concrete terraces that are modern and quite ugly. There is a little activity these days by way of Saint John Ambulance car crash demonstrations on a regular basis, quite amusing to watch unless of course you are involved in the training then it is deadly serious. The oval facility is beside the Kings Reserve which has everything you would need for a game of soccer or cricket anyway. The City Council of West Torrens own the facility and seem to have let it go to waste on the whole, it is regularly watered and the grass is kept mowed, the SA Amateur Football League Inc are housed in the facility and tend to use the space for their own functions and activities. At least is is not going completely to waste.

Not that I am biased or anything (I'm a soccer fanatic), but this is without a doubt one of the…read morebest purpose built soccer stadiums in Australia. The grass is immaculate, the seating is adequate for the crowd size, the facilities are up there and the atmosphere on game day is electric. Hindmarsh is the home of Adelaide United (my faithful team) and their devoted fans fill the stadium on home matches. Most seating is allocated by ticket number, with the red army cheersquad sitting behind the northern end goals. The food and bar facilities are fair good and reasonably priced, with a range of gourmet options available behind the east stand. I have played here a couple of times in cup finals with my team, and it is such an honor and feels so special. Definitely recommend anyone who wants to catch some soccer, visit hindmarsh on a Friday night home game during summer.

No matter how many injuries this sport has caused me, I still love my soccer and these days I am…read moremore than happy to sit down and watch a game rather than play it (a broken arm was the last straw). As most people already know, Hindmarsh Stadium is an Olympic standard venue that remains home to Adelaide United. It's also an enjoyable locus for spectators to utilise whilst sitting alongside patriotic members. The regulars do their best to create a Football scene more commonly found overseas, however there is only so much they can/are allowed to do. Having said this, the occasional flare will be successfully unleashed. Go you Reds! I'm not actually that vocal when it comes to games, nor am I overly patriotic, however I do appreciate the enthusiasm evident in a vocal crowd. Hindmarsh Stadium also has big screens, a decent grand stand, suave member areas, merchandise tents, and an efficient canteen. I have good memories here stemming all the way back from High School. Back then I was usually found roaming the stadium with friends during half time, thus probably more concerned about boys than the game itself (girls will be girls). In my later years however, I definitely found greater appreciation for the games themselves rather than the boys. Lastly it does often get cold here, and so I would suggest rugging up for a chilly evening. Also make sure you don't mind a long walk back to the car and get your tickets early. You don't want to miss out!

I have very fond memories with my Dad watching crows games here as well as some SANFL…read more It was kind of our tradition, Dad taking me to the footy, forgetting my jumper or the sunscreen, buying me fatty greasy food and parking too far away. But the stadium itself is very nice, in Adelaide we are very blessed to have 3 (AAMI, Hindmarsh and Adelaide Oval) stadiums very suited to our city. There are 2 big screens, a score/ad board, grandstand and food facilities serving the usual chips, pasties etc. But if you to watch an AFL game at AAMI (or Footy Park as it is known to most) the experience and atmosphere is very suitable for the game and Adelaide itself.

As a devout Adelaide Football Club Fan (that is the Crows variety of course, not the Port), I can…read moreoften be found in AAMI Stadium on a cold and rainy winter's afternoon cheering on my team, whose better days are somewhat behind them. The stadium is the biggest of its kind for football in Adelaide and currently hosts all of the home games for the Adelaide Crows and the Port Adelaide Power (of whom we do not speak). Parking at the Stadium is a nightmare, there are several grassed areas that are opened for parking but all charge a toll and whilst getting in might be ok, when everyone is trying to leave at the same time at the end of the game, taking the free buses is your best option. There are lots of different routes that cover the metropolitan area and further out to the Hills and Mt Barker. The food and beverage prices are also very pricey, especially alcohol and be warned that no where takes card so take out money before you leave home or you will get stuck waiting in the huge queue of people lining up for the very few number of ATM's. Having said this, the atmosphere at the ground is amazing, and when almost at its capacity of around 50,000 the roar of the crowd is enough to make you forget you bought an expensive seat down the front and are now getting soaked with the winter storms. Prices for football tickets are also quite reasonable if attending by yourself or in a couple, but can get quite expensive if taking a large family. Season tickets are available.

This is the cricket stadium, there was a Guns N' Roses concert here last night. Although they are…read morecleaning up, we went inside and visited the museum and saw the model of the overall stadium & small museum. There were many bars, a cafe & small gift shop. It's a few steps from the railway station & downtown district.

Holy crap this place is big…read more This is the first stadium I've been to in Australia and I am unaccustomed to the level of civility demonstrated here. First of all, either my memory is crap or I completely missed the weapons check area. I did see a pair of gentlemen get pat downs but the security pat-downers completely skipped me. Did I have to opt-in for that? Also, I had trouble scanning my ticket and no one yelled at me. They just politely sent me to another nearby ticket checker. There was no frustrated sighing or wild gesticulations. Just actual helpfulness from a people who didn't seem bothered by my existence. We had tickets to really amazing seats down at field level but again, I'm not from here and have lots of trauma from missing entire eons of game play from standing in beer lines, so my most beloved went for beer. He left and came back with still plenty of game left so I can only imagine there an efficient beer vending system the likes of which I've never seen. At one point, someone gestured to me to notice the absolute pyschos seated in the uppermost part of the stadium. I don't know who is more daring: the people who chose to watch the game from there or the people who designed that area. Lovely venue, great field, lovely security, and very well maintained. So orderly and pretty it could very well be mistaken for a figment of my imagination.

Unley Oval has long been the official home of SANFL football team, Sturt known to their supporters…read moreas the Double Blues. Back in the 80s before the advent of the AFL national competition, it was one of those places where football heroes like the Jumbo Prince and Peter Motley took speccy marks, kicked sensational goals and entertained their fans. These days they still play SANFL footy there (in fact Sturt play 7 of their 14 home games at Unley), and they play South Australian Grade Cricket, but its not like it used to be back in the 80's despite the two grandstands and the oval's capacity to hold 15,000 people. Local residents have benefited from this once hallowed turf becoming more of a public space set aside for their use. Plenty of people use the oval for leisure and sporting activities of all kinds and you'll always find someone in private training doing laps around the ground. Dogs are allowed there as well nowadays with on leash and off times being strictly enforced. Refer to the Unley Council's website for specific times.

Since reading the other reviews, I've realised there's even more to the Unley Oval Playground than…read moreI originally thought, and saw. My review is for the junior playground. It's small, but it's new, engaging, colourful and fun. While the children can set about discovering it, the adults can admire the shade sails, or the rubber flooring, or the sheltered table/chair areas which have BBQs beside them. Perhaps I need to stop reviewing playgrounds or perhaps I can say "YAY UNLEY OVAL! You may not have a big playground, but it's a beauty!" :-) *Dogs allowed (see photos)* *Taps* *BBQ* *Shaded playground* *Sheltered table/chair areas*

Is there anything better than having a couple of beers down at the beach? Hell yes there is! Why…read morenot add some bowls to the mix at Henley Bowling Bowling Club (just 3 streets off the foreshore). Henley has had some of the best greens in the state for a very long time, and although they don't have a team in the top division any more they are never far off the pack. They have had a very solid Night Owls competition for many years and have a great bar/lounge area for medium sized functions. The other great part about the clubs location, in terms of having a function, is the proximity to Henley Square. It is just a hop skip and a stumble from the Rammy....did someone say "time to kick on"?

Henley Bowling feels like Australia…read more I've only even been in the summer, and it's always really hot and really dry. But that's our country for you. I certainly can't blame the bowling club for the weather... can't I? I dunno. Wherever the justice is, I've never really enjoyed my time at Henley Bowling. I much prefer the bowling club near the airport (whose name, if not its location, I always forget). And maybe that's because it was my first. The indoor area's great, though. I love hanging out in there with a beverage. But I don't come to a bowling club to hang, I come to bowl, and I prefer doing it elsewhere (despite this location's convenience in comparison to the other one).

Nice venue called The Venue, and a well decked out club with pokies, bar, general crowd pretty easy…read moregoing family orientated groups and obviously steeped in the traditions and tensions of West Adelaide Football Club otherwise known as 'The Bloods' so you get the picture yeah! It's actually a really nice venue, no mucking about - nothing too over the top and I personally like all the showcased stuff. Check the pictures I took and you'll get my drift. You may find Scott behind the bar - which is usually open to midnight (the bar not Scott) and the gaming section usually goes later until about 2am or thereabouts.. So as cool as it may be, they are very much about responsible behaviours and all so when I say no mucking about, that's precisely what they mean.

West Adelaide Football Club is very welcoming. My son is a new player and has been made to fit in…read morevery easily. The club rooms are modern, with a bar cafe and pokies. Great service and pricing

Home of the Mighty Seagulls, and yet another on the laundry list of my old clubs. The Somerton…read moreBowling Club has been a consistent member of the top division in the state for many years now and was in fact the last all male club in the state! A lot has changed down at Gull land over the past 10 years, with not only the advent of lady members (wow), but also radical changes to the club room. Somerton BC is now more of a function centre than a Bowling Club. The central hall is very large, with a very servicable full bar at one end and catering facilities at the other. It is argued by many in the game, that the club has lost its 'club' feeling. I do tend to agree with this, but I have always maintained that a club is its members, and not just the bricks and mortar. Somerton is gifted with some of the nicest bloke in the bowls world. They also have a HUGELY successful night owls program, arguably the best in the state. They run both Tuesday and Thursday nights, and are near to full capacity for each. If you do pop in to the club don't forget to check the 2000-2001 premiership photo in the hallway.....you may see a slightly younger (and thinner) yelper floating around!

So, as my friends and I (being new to bowls) visit all the different bowling clubs to find our…read morefavourites, we hear the name Somerton Bowling Club spoken in whispers. No, not really. I'm being dramatic. But the name's certainly cropped up once or twice. We'd heard good things, learned the club had undergone lots of changes. We were keen to see what all the fuss was about. And to the club's credit, I can say it's great. The lawns are in good condition, the indoor's in even BETTER condition. As usual, you'll meet the friendliest people in the world here. But it's too busy. The Night Owl tournaments are more packed here by half than any of the other clubs I've been to. This might not be such a problem for some, but I tend to hate crowds. And I'm a self-conscious bowler. All those eyes on me inspire the nerves like nothing else.