Adelaide will host the 2022 AFL Masters National Carnival, the 39th staging of the annual event, and the first time the city has held the event since 2014.
The announcement was in Perth on the weekend at the conclusion of the 2021 AFL Masters National Carnival in Perth.
Almost 50 teams across seven age brackets will descend on Adelaide for the event, where they will vie to become National Champions.
AFL Masters is open to both male and female players aged 35 and over, with women's Masters the largest growth area of the sport.
AFL Masters President Steve Eurell was excited about the carnival returning to Adelaide, saying "South Australia is an Aussie Rules state - people support the game and understand its culture and traditions. Adelaide also has a long history of supporting this event, dating back to the 6th ever carnival in 1988."
South Australian Premier, the Hon Steven Marshall, said the AFL Masters National Carnival is another demonstration of the city's ability to attract large-scale national events that have significant cultural and economic benefit, and encouraged visitors to make the most of what the state has to offer.
"Aside from taking in the sights and sounds of the 3rd most liveable city in the world, I encourage people to venture out to the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills, and the Fleurieu Peninsula. You'll be amazed what's within 90 minutes' drive of the CBD. The National Carnival will also create a buzz among the local football public, and we should see plenty of support for the SA teams."
AFL Masters SA President Brenton Wortley echoed this sentiment, saying he anticipates a strong showing from the SA-teams on their home turf next year.
"SA Masters footy is in a great position. Our teams performed well in Perth, and we are celebrating 40 years of Masters football in SA this year. Teams from the home state are also typically buoyed with strong player numbers, so I expect us to be in the running for a number of championships in 2022."
Meanwhile, AFL Masters general manager Dr Adrian Raftery pointed to the social benefits of the carnival, saying, "After a few interrupted years, Adelaide will be an opportunity for us to put all the uncertainty of COVID-19 well and truly behind us, and we can look forward to the 2022 National Carnival being even bigger than what we had planned for Perth."
The AFL Masters National Carnival is the largest mass participation football event in Australia. It will be help from Sunday, 25 September - Saturday, 1 October, 2022, and include around 800 players and 1200 participants from all eight Australian states and territories - with an estimated economic impact of more than $3million.
The event is proudly supported by the South Australian Tourism Commission.
