THE 2019 South Australian Country Football Championship will be held at the Memorial Oval Sports Precinct in Port Pirie on July 13 and 14.
The newly developed complex will host a number of firsts for the Country Championships event with the SANFL Showdown between the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Magpies SANFL teams taking place from 2.30pm.
It will be telecast live on Channel 7.
Sandwiching the SANFL Showdown will be the Championships minor round matches with four men’s games played prior to the SANFL match and two men’s matches following in the twilight. The twilight fixture will see the first championships matches played under lights in its 25 year history further adding to the spectacle and showcasing the high class facility.
Further to the men’s event, the women’s country championships will continue into its second year following the success of the 2018 event.
The women’s format will change slightly to reflect the same format as the men’s competition with all matches and finals taking place on the Pirie West Oval at the precinct across the weekend.
Meanwhile, Port Pirie will also be hosting a pre-season AFL game at Memorial Oval in 2019.
As part of the pre-season competition, a match will be played at Memorial Oval between Port Power and Adelaide Crows on March 2 at 3.40pm.
This match will also be televised nationally by Fox Sports.
Port Pirie Regional Council chief executive Peter Ackland said the Memorial Oval Sports Precinct had undergone a $24m redevelopment, which includes a double-storey function centre, surface upgrade and a new aquatics centre.
It will be the first time since 2004, in Kadina, that the state’s two AFL clubs have clashed in a regional pre-season match, with the other contest being at Encounter Bay in 2000.
The 2018 men’s and women’s Country Football Championships were held at Renmark in July.
