Adelaide's Winter of Sport: Crows, United, and the Road to September

Adelaide faces a decisive winter of sport. With the AFL finals seven weeks away and the A-League grand final locked in for August 31 at Hindmarsh Stadium, the city's two flagship clubs are entering the most consequential stretch of their respective seasons.

Crows in the hunt, but danger lurks

The Adelaide Cocks sit fifth on the AFL ladder with a 10-7 record after Saturday’s 23-point win over Essendon at Adelaide Oval. That result, before a crowd of 42,183, kept them within striking distance of a top-four finish, and the double chance that comes with it. But the fixture list from here is unforgiving. Four of the next six opponents are currently inside the top eight, starting with a trip to the Gabba to face Brisbane on July 19.

West Lakes headquarters has been quiet on contract talks for out-of-contract midfielder Jake Soligo, but sources at the club have confirmed discussions are ongoing. Soligo, 22, has averaged 24 disposals and 5.3 clearances this season, numbers that will command a significant pay rise. The Crows, carrying a total player salary cap of $13.9 million according to the AFL's latest collective bargaining agreement, have room to move, but only if they shed some dead wood.

Membership numbers tell a story of their own. The club announced on July 1 that it had passed 62,000 members for the first time since 2019, driven largely by a 15 per cent spike in 11-game passes purchased through the new digital platform launched in March. That revenue, combined with increased gate takings from five home games exceeding 40,000 this year, has given the football department a war chest estimated at $2.5 million for the next trade period.

United eye silverware at Coopers Stadium

Across town, Adelaide United is gearing up for an A-League finals campaign that could deliver the club’s first championship since 2016. Carl Veart’s side finished third on the ladder with 42 points after Sunday’s 3-1 win over Melbourne City at Coopers Stadium, where 11,247 fans braved a 12-degree July evening. The Reds will host a sudden-death elimination final on July 26 against sixth-placed Western Sydney Wanderers, a team they beat 2-0 in February in Parramatta.

The club’s financial picture has improved markedly since the $4.7 million loss reported for 2023-24. A revised broadcast deal with Fox Sports and Network Ten, worth $40 million annually to the league, has stabilised revenues. United’s average home attendance this season sits at 9,312, up 18 per cent on last year and the highest since the 2016-17 campaign. The front office at 177 Pirie Street has already sold more than 8,000 tickets for the finals match, with general admission priced at $25 for adults and $10 for concession.

Key forward Nestory Irankunda, 19, has been the revelation of the season. The Burundi-born winger has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 24 appearances, attracting interest from English Championship side Middlesbrough, according to transfer records filed with Football Australia. United holds his contract through June 2027, with a transfer fee rumoured to start at $1.5 million.

What happens next is tangible. For the Crows, the next four weeks will determine whether they play finals from a top-four position or face an elimination final on the road. For United, it’s all about July 26 at Coopers Stadium, where kick-off is set for 7:45 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30. Fans can buy tickets via Ticketek or at the venue box office on the corner of Dew Street and St Bernard’s Road. Either way, Adelaide’s winter sport narrative is still being written, and the next chapter comes fast.