West Adelaide Football Club - Home Grounds

Home Grounds

• Kensington Oval
• Jubilee Oval
• Wayville Showgrounds (1927–1939)
• Adelaide Oval (1940–1957)
• Richmond Oval (City Mazda Stadium) (1958–present)

The West Adelaide Football Club had no home ground to call their own until the planning and building of Richmond Oval in the early 1950s. The ground was used for training and junior games until it was ready for league use in 1958. The Bloods christened their first game at Richmond by defeating neighbouring club West Torrens by 10 points 12.11 (83) to 10.13 (73) in front of just over 15,000 fans. Such was the success of Richmond Oval that the SANFL moved its traditional ANZAC Day match from the Adelaide Oval to Richmond in 1958 with West Adelaide defeated their long-time Grand Final tormentor Port Adelaide in the highest profile match to be played at the ground.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of people like club captain Brian Faeshe (who ironically never got to play on the ground having retired in 1956), Cliff Semmler, Roy Charles, Cliff Todd and City of West Torrens Mayor Steve Hamra, The Bloods finally had a home ground to call their own. In the 2000s the grandstand at the oval was named the B. K. Faeshe in honor of the former champion player, coach and administrator of the club.

Prior to the opening of Richmond Oval West Adelaide had used both the Kensington Oval and Jubilee Oval for its 'home' games before gaining use of the main arena at the Wayville Showgrounds in 1927, the year of their 5th SANFL Premiership. The club used the showgrounds until the end of 1939 when it was taken over by the Australian Army following the outbreak of World War II. West then used the Adelaide Oval for its home games from 1940 until 1957, sharing the ground with South Adelaide which created problems as during the football season South, being the main tenant, had first use of the oval and the Adelaide Oval #2 for training purposes with Westies often having to train elsewhere until Richmond was available for training from 1955.

Prior to the 2010 SANFL season West Adelaide installed lights at Richmond Oval for night games. The lights have seen an increase of attendances at the ground with the first game under lights attracting the grounds current record night crowd of 6,133 for the opening game of the season with West defeating North Adelaide 14.19 (103) to 4.7 (31).