Photo Credit: South Australian Cricket Association
The announcement of a proposed merger to Life Members, playing, social members and supporters is the culmination of months of discussions between the Adelaide Cricket Club Board and Southern District Cricket Club.
The announcement of a proposed merger to Life Members, playing, social members and supporters is the culmination of months of discussions between the Adelaide Cricket Club Board and Southern District Cricket Club.
The Premier Cricket competition landscape is changing, and sporting clubs are facing challenges which affect the capacity of clubs to remain viable. This is influencing SDCC and ACC’s proactive and independent approach to a merger, as an option to ensure viability and financial sustainability.
SDCC and ACC’s proactive approach is aligned to SACA’s desire to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier Cricket competition through voluntary club mergers, which is supported by recommendations included in the Hussey Report prepared for SACA in 2020.
The merger provides an unprecedented opportunity for members to drive the destiny of a merged club, create financial sustainability and maximise financial support from SACA, as they become the first movers in Premier Cricket club mergers.
A merger, which is being presented to its Members by the Adelaide Cricket Club Board and Southern District Cricket Club Management Committee, provides an unprecedented opportunity for members to drive the destiny of a merged club, create financial sustainability and maximise financial support from SACA, as they become the first movers in Premier Cricket club mergers.
Both clubs see the merger as an opportunity to become the strongest Premier Cricket club in South Australia and a club of choice for male and female cricketers in southern Adelaide and the Fleurieu region.
The merged club will be called the Adelaide Cricket Club with elements of SDCC incorporated in new branding.
SACA will provide financial support in respect of administration, marketing, and cricket development costs over a three year period to assist with the merger of SDCC and ACC. This will include the appointment of a Club Manager and a Cricket Development Officer.
A Cricket Academy will develop and grow cricket in the Fleurieu region, including establishing the first female cricket academy in the outer southern suburbs and Fleurieu region, to meet the increasing need to develop skills and enhance local community competitions.
This will strengthen the capability of the club to win premierships and produce more first-class cricketers.
There is a commitment by the merged club to provide every player with the opportunity to participate, support development of players and provide pathways to play Premier Cricket and at State and National levels.
The merged club will field senior teams in the Premier Cricket competition and the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association to maximise senior player participation.
A strong Junior Competition is a key factor for the club’s future success and under the proposed merger arrangements, there will be no change to the number of junior teams currently fielded by SDCC and ACC.
A shared facilities model will be adopted, utilising Glandore Oval and Bice Oval in the first instance. Development of facilities will be prioritised by the merged club and SACA has committed to work with the merged club to secure funding to redevelop Bice Oval centre turf square and playing surface and develop a Strategic Plan which identifies potential sites for merged club facilities between Christies Beach and Glandore.
The ACC Board and the SDCC Management Committee will present a voluntary merger proposal to club members at Special General Meetings to be held on 15 February 2021.
