| Football South Australia | |
| Abbreviation: | FSA |
| Formation: | 2006 |
| Predecessor: | South Australian Soccer Federation |
| Type: | State Sporting Association |
| Status: | Active |
| Headquarters: | State Centre for Football, Gepps Cross |
| Location: | South Australia |
| Region Served: | South Australia, Australia |
| Parent Organisation: | Football Australia |
| Leader Title: | President |
| Leader Name: | Estelle Bowman (2023–)[1] |
| Leader Title2: | CEO |
| Leader Name2: | Michael Carter (2008–) |
| Funding: | Football Australia Government of South Australia |
| Website: | footballsa.com.au |
Football South Australia (FSA) is the governing body of soccer in the state of South Australia. It was established in 2006 under the name Football Federation South Australia (FFSA), which succeeded the former organisation, the South Australian Soccer Federation (SASF).
FSA oversees the highest levels of soccer in South Australia, as well as collaborating with regional competitions and amateur leagues, and organise the Football SA Federation Cup.
The first South Australian soccer organisation was the South Australian British Football Association (SABFA), which was founded in 1902. The inaugural official South Australian soccer competition took place in 1903, featuring three teams: North Adelaide, South Adelaide, and Woodville. In 1924, the association's name was changed to the South Australian Soccer Football Association (SASFA).[2]
In 1961, the association split into SASFA and the South Australian Soccer League (SASL), but the following year, merged to form the South Australian Soccer Federation (SASF), which continued to operate until 2006.
In 2006 the Football Federation South Australia (FFSA) was established. In 2020, following the renaming of Football Federation Australia to Football Australia, South Australia's federation adopted the name Football South Australia.[3]
Football South Australia is affiliated with Football Australia, the national governing body.[3]
FSA oversees the highest levels of football in South Australia, including the National Premier Leagues South Australia, State League 1 South Australia, and State League 2 South Australia. They also work in conjunction with South Australia's regional competitions and amateur leagues. Many teams from these various leagues participate in the Federation Cup, which determines the South Australian representatives for the Australia Cup.
Football South Australia also manages the Junior Premier League (JPL) and Junior State League (JSL), providing opportunities for teams in age groups ranging from under 6s to under 17s to compete on Sundays.
FSA holds the annual African Nations Cup of South Australia in partnership with the African Communities Council of South Australia, which is held at the ServiceFM Stadium.[4]
Football SA National Training Centre (NTC) programs "aim is to provide talented boys and girls with the opportunity to develop their skills and ability through a game-related approach to training".[5] The FSA NTC teams have a high turnover owing to their nature as a training team for players, but the women's team reached their first ever grand final in 2023, after beating the Adelaide Comets.[6]
The Women's National Premier Leagues South Australia (WNPL)[6] represents the second tier of the sport, below A-League Women.
Port Adelaide Pirates are the oldest team still in existence in South Australia, being founded in 1903, and competing in the 1904 season.
In 1933, Birkalla Rovers were founded, which would later amalgamate with a West Torrens team to form West Torrens Birkalla. Alongside Adelaide University, these are the only South Australian clubs with history dating back to before World War II.
Following World War II, Australia was a particular hotspot for immigration by those who had been displaced by the war. These immigrants would found multiple clubs that have survived to the current day: Juventus in 1946, Beograd in 1949, Polonia in 1950, Croatia in 1952, Napoli in 1958 and Hellas in 1962. Other notable clubs founded during this period, now defunct, are: Burnside Budapest, which later merged with Campbelltown City to become Campbelltown Budapest; and Ukrainian SC Lion, which later merged with Port Adelaide to become Port Adelaide Lion, and now continue to participate in the South Australian Amateur Soccer League.
Adelaide City are the most successful club in history, having won 3 National Soccer League championships, 19 first division championships and 18 Federation Cups. Clubs can apply to enter the State League 2 competitions when a space is available, with the team being in one of the regional leagues or the amateur league.
The most recent teams to have joined being Pontian Eagles in 2020, Modbury Vista in 2017, Fulham United and Vipers FC both in 2016, the latter two having won promotion to State League 1.
| National Premier Leagues South Australia[7] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Suburb | Home Ground | Founded | Joined | Chmp | Prem | Cup | Head coach | |
| Adelaide City | 1946 | 1946 | Paul Pezos | ||||||
| Adelaide Croatia Raiders | Croatian Sports Centre | 1952 | 1953 | Vlado Blazeka | |||||
| Adelaide Comets | 1994 | 2006 | 0 | George Tsonis | |||||
| Adelaide Olympic | 1978 | 1981 | 0 | 0 | Andrew Calderbank | ||||
| Adelaide United Youth | 2008 | 2015 | 0 | N/A | Airton Andrioli | ||||
| Campbelltown City | Steve Woodcock Sports Centre | 1963 | 1964 | Michael Matricciani | |||||
| Croydon FC | Regency Oval | 1950 | 1952 | Travis Dodd | |||||
| FK Beograd | Frank Mitchell Park | 1949 | 1950 | Joshua Smith | |||||
| Modbury Jets | Smith Partners Stadium | 1965 | 1966 | 0 | 0 | Maurice Natale | |||
| North Eastern MetroStars | 1994 | 1999 | Danny Graystone | ||||||
| Para Hills Knights | The Paddocks | 1964 | 1966 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Theo Tsiounis | ||
| South Adelaide Panthers | O'Sullivan Beach Sports Complex | 1997 | 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Anthony Rideout | ||
| State League One South Australia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Suburb | Home Ground | Founded | Joined | Chmp | Prem | Cup | Head coach | |
| Adelaide Blue Eagles | 1958 | 1959 | Andrej Rastovac | ||||||
| Adelaide Cobras | Pro Paint and Panel Oval | 1972 | 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Robbie Ditroia | ||
| Adelaide Victory | Rushworth Reserve | 2006 | 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Rick Cerracchio | ||
| Cumberland United | A.A. Bailey Reserve | 1943 | 1943 | 0 | Terry Westwood | ||||
| Fulham United | 1970 | 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tony Galanopoulos | |||
| Playford City Patriots | Ramsay Park | 1956 | 1958 | 0 | 0 | Ben Moore | |||
| Salisbury United | Steve Jarvis Park | 1954 | 1955 | 0 | 0 | Matt Gaston | |||
| Sturt Lions | Karinya Reserve | 2003 | 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Lino Fusco | ||
| Vipers FC | 2006 | 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Maged Ibrahim | |||
| West Adelaide | 1962 | 1963 | Jim Tsekinis | ||||||
| Western Strikers | Carnegie South Reserve | 1980 | 2006 | 0 | 0 | Daniel Blanco | |||
| West Torrens Birkalla | Jack Smith Park | 1933 | 1933 | Daniel Paterson | |||||
| State League Two South Australia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Suburb | Home Ground | Founded | Joined | Chmp | Prem | Cup | Head coach | |
| Adelaide Hills Hawks | Hawks Nest | 1991 | 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Greg Videon | ||
| Adelaide University | 1935 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | Phil Stubbins | |||
| Eastern United | Athelstone Recreation Reserve | 2013 | 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Gabriel Markaj | ||
| Gawler Eagles | Karbeethan Reserve | 1978 | 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Andrew Burgess | ||
| Modbury Vista | Newspot Stadium | 1969 | 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jonathan Negus | ||
| Mount Barker United | 1982 | 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nathan Fleetwood | |||
| Noarlunga United | Wilfred Taylor Reserve | 1963 | 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Steve Reed | ||
| Northern Demons | Byrne Park | 1951 | 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Michael Roros | ||
| Pontian Eagles | Yalumba Drive Reserve | 1992 | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jim Karatzis | ||
| Port Adelaide Pirates | Ngarrpadla Josie Agius Reserve | 1903 | 1904 | Steve Hughes | |||||
| Seaford Rangers | Karingal Reserve | 1974 | 1978 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Andrew Shore | ||
| The Cove | Southern Sports Facility | 1983 | 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Carlos Cravo | ||
Junior Premier League and Junior State League clubs participate in junior soccer, with teams ranging from U6 to U17. The seniors participate in the Amateur League or Regional Leagues.
| Junior Premier/State Leagues[8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Suburb | Home Ground | |
| Adelaide Atletico | Charles Campbell College | ||
| Adelaide Khukuri | Park 19 | ||
| Adelaide Thunder | Park 21 | ||
| Barossa United | Hoffman Oval | ||
| Elizabeth Grove | Dauntsey Road Reserve | ||
| Football SA NTC | ServiceFM Stadium | ||
| Ghan Kilburn City | Blair Athol Reserve | ||
| Northern Wolves | Eyre Sports Park | ||
| Parafield Gardens | Bradman Oval | ||
| Plympton Bulldogs | |||
| Salisbury Inter | Underdown Park | ||
| Southern Breakers | Port Elliot Oval | ||
| Tea Tree Gully | Tilley Reserve | ||
| UniSA | Magill Sports Centre | ||
| West Beach | Lockleys Oval | ||
| Women's National Premier Leagues South Australia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Suburb | Home Ground | Founded | Joined | Cup | Head coach | |||
| Adelaide City | Tiarn Powell | ||||||||
| Adelaide Comets | 0 | Tom Monsigneur | |||||||
| Adelaide University | 0 | Tony Sacca | |||||||
| Flinders United | Women's Memorial Playing Field | 0 | 0 | 0 | Joel Porter | ||||
| Football SA NTC | 0 | 0 | 0 | Michele Lastella | |||||
| Fulham United | West Beach Parks Football Centre | 0 | |||||||
| Metro United | Paul Morris | ||||||||
| Salisbury Inter | Underdown Park | Tony Scalzi | |||||||
| West Adelaide | West Beach Parks Football Centre | Tracey Jenkins | |||||||
| West Torrens Birkalla | Jack Smith Park | 0 | 0 | Chris Goddard | |||||
| Women's State League South Australia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Suburb | Home Ground | Founded | Joined | Cup | Head coach | |||
| Adelaide Hills Hawks | Hawks Nest | 0 | 0 | 0 | Luke Hancock | ||||
| Adelaide Jaguars | West Beach Parks Football Centre | 0 | 0 | 0 | Matthew Wardhaugh | ||||
| Campbelltown City | Steve Woodcock Sports Centre | 0 | 0 | 0 | Vince Pagnozzi | ||||
| Croydon FC | Regency Oval | 0 | 0 | 0 | Mario Catalano | ||||
| Elizabeth Grove | Dauntsey Reserve | 0 | 0 | 0 | Robert Dawber | ||||
| Modbury Jets | Smith Partners Stadium | 0 | Luigi Pavia | ||||||
| Modbury Vista | Newspot Stadium | 0 | 0 | Duncan Soang | |||||
| South Adelaide Panthers | O'Sullivan Beach Sports Complex | 0 | 0 | 0 | Daniel Milovanovic | ||||
| Sturt Lions | Karinya Reserve | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nic Whiteside | ||||
| The Cove | Club Marion | 0 | 0 | 0 | Carlos Carvo | ||||
The soccer pyramid in South Australia comprises 4 levels below the A-League Men, with promotion and relegation between the top 3 levels. It also includes the South Australian Amateur Soccer League, which is not officially a part of the league system. In total, there are 259 men's clubs/teams across 28 divisions in South Australia, and 90 women's clubs/teams across 9 divisions.
| Level | Leagues | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=5% | National | width=5% | State | ||||||||
| 2 | 1 | National Premier Leagues South Australia 12 clubs no promotion, ↓ relegate 2 | |||||||||
| 3 | 2 | State League 1 South Australia 12 clubs ↑ promote 2, ↓ relegate 2 | |||||||||
| 4 | 3 | State League 2 South Australia 12 clubs ↑ promote 2, no relegation | |||||||||
| 5 | 4 | South Australian Regional Leagues 100 teams from 12 divisions no promotion | |||||||||
| width=12.86% | Collegiate Division 1 10 teams | width=12.86% | Limestone Coast 6 teams | width=12.86% | Port Lincoln 8 teams | width=12.86% | Riverland 4 teams | width=12.86% | Whyalla 5 teams | width=12.86% | Yorke Peninsula 4 teams |
| Collegiate Division 2 10 teams | |||||||||||
| Collegiate Division 3 10 teams | |||||||||||
| Collegiate Division 4 10 teams | |||||||||||
| Collegiate Division 5 11 teams | |||||||||||
| Collegiate Division 6 11 teams | |||||||||||
| Collegiate Division 7 11 teams | |||||||||||
| — | — | South Australian Amateur Soccer League 123 teams from 13 divisions no promotion | |||||||||
| Saturday Premier Division 10 teams | Sunday Premier Division 10 teams | ||||||||||
| Saturday Division 2 10 teams | Sunday Division 2 10 teams | ||||||||||
| Saturday Division 3 9 teams | Sunday Division 3 10 teams | ||||||||||
| Saturday Division 4 10 teams | Sunday Division 4 9 teams | ||||||||||
| Saturday Division 5 10 teams | Sunday Division 5 9 teams | ||||||||||
| Saturday Division 6 9 teams | Sunday Division 6 8 teams | ||||||||||
| Sunday Division 7 9 teams | |||||||||||
| Level | Leagues | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| width=5% | National | width=5% | State |
| 2 | 1 | Women's National Premier Leagues South Australia 10 clubs no promotion, ↓ relegate 1.5 | |
| 3 | 2 | Women's State League South Australia 10 clubs ↑ promote 1.5, no relegation | |
| — | — | Women's Community Leagues South Australia 70 teams from 7 divisions no promotion | |
| Community Division 1 10 teams | |||
| Community Division 2 11 teams | |||
| Community Division 3 10 teams | |||
| Community Division 4 North 9 teams | Community Division 4 South 10 teams | ||
| Community Division 5 North 11 teams | Community Division 5 South 9 teams | ||
| Year | Men's Champions[9] [10] | Men's Premiers | Women's Champions[11] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury Inter | ||||
| West Adelaide | ||||
| Salisbury Inter | ||||
| Metro United | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Metro United | ||||
| Metro United | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Metro United | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Sturt Marion | ||||
| – | Fulham United | |||
| – | Fulham United | |||
| Prior to Football Federation South Australia | ||||
| Fulham United | ||||
| Fulham United | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| North Eastern MetroStars | ||||
| N.A.B. | ||||
| Adelaide City | ||||
| Modbury Northern All Blacks | ||||
| Sturt Marion | ||||
| Sturt Marion | ||||
| Sturt Marion | ||||
| Sturt Marion | ||||
| Modbury Vista | ||||
| Modbury Jets | ||||
| – | Brahma Lodge | |||
| – | Adelaide College | |||
| – | – | |||
| – | Adelaide College | |||
| – | Adelaide University Dinamo | |||
| – | Adelaide University Dinamo | |||
| – | Adelaide University Dinamo | |||
| – | Adelaide University Dinamo | |||
| – | Adelaide Croatia | |||
| – | Adelaide Croatia | |||
| 1981 | – | Adelaide College | ||
| 1980 | – | Salisbury United | ||
| 1979 | – | Adelaide College | ||
| 1978 | – | Salisbury United | ||
| 1977 | – | |||
| 1976 | – | |||
| 1975 | – | |||
| 1974 | – | |||
| 1973 | – | |||
| 1972 | – | |||
| 1971 | – | |||
| 1970 | – | |||
| 1969 | – | |||
| 1968 | – | |||
| 1967 | – | |||
| 1966 | – | |||
| 1965 | USC Lion | – | ||
| 1964 | – | |||
| 1963 | – | |||
| 1962 | Burnside Budapest | – | ||
| 1961 | Burnside Budapest | – | ||
| 1960 | Burnside Budapest | – | ||
| 1959 | – | |||
| 1958 | – | |||
| 1957 | – | |||
| 1956 | – | |||
| 1955 | – | |||
| 1954 | – | |||
| 1953 | – | |||
| 1952 | – | |||
| 1951 | – | |||
| 1950 | – | |||
| 1949 | Sturt | – | ||
| 1948 | – | |||
| 1947 | – | |||
| 1946 | Kingswood | – | ||
| 1945 | – | |||
| 1944 | – | |||
| 1943 | Northumberland & Durham | – | ||
| 1942 | Not held due to World War II | |||
| 1941 | West Torrens | – | ||
| 1940 | Sturt | – | ||
| 1939 | West Torrens | – | ||
| 1938 | Northumberland & Durham | – | ||
| 1937 | Port Thistle | – | ||
| 1936 | West Torrens | – | ||
| 1935 | Port Thistle | – | ||
| 1934 | Port Thistle | – | ||
| 1933 | Kingswood | – | ||
| 1932 | West Torrens | – | ||
| 1931 | – | |||
| 1930 | West Adelaide | – | ||
| 1929 | West Torrens | – | ||
| 1928 | West Torrens | – | ||
| 1927 | – | |||
| 1926 | – | |||
| 1925 | West Torrens | – | ||
| 1924 | Hindmarsh | – | ||
| 1923 | Cheltenham | – | ||
| 1922 | North Adelaide | – | ||
| 1921 | Cheltenham | – | ||
| 1920 | Cheltenham | – | ||
| 1919 | North Adelaide | – | ||
| 1918 | Not held due to World War I | |||
| 1917 | ||||
| 1916 | ||||
| 1915 | Cheltenham | – | ||
| 1914 | North Adelaide | – | ||
| 1913 | Hindmarsh | – | ||
| 1912 | – | |||
| 1911 | – | |||
| 1910 | Cambridge | – | ||
| 1909 | Hindmarsh | – | ||
| 1908 | Hindmarsh | – | ||
| 1907 | Hindmarsh | – | ||
| 1906 | North Adelaide | – | ||
| 1905 | Hindmarsh | – | ||
| 1904 | Woodville | – | ||
| 1903 | North Adelaide | – | ||
Over the history of South Australian soccer, 26 different clubs have won the title. The most successful club is Adelaide City, with 19 titles to its credit, 7 of those coming since their return from the National Soccer League in 2004.
Clubs in bold currently play in the top division, and clubs in italics no longer compete in semi-professional competitions or are defunct.
| Club | Other names | Champions | Runners-up | Championship seasons | Runners-up seasons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide City | Adelaide Juventus | 19 | 16 | 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1974, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2021, 2022 | 1950, 1952, 1955, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 | |
| West Adelaide Hellas | 11 | 4 | 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2015 | 1967, 1972, 1974, 1988 | ||
| Eastern Districts Azzurri | 10 | 6 | 1981, 1982, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2011 | 1978, 1985, 2002, 2010, 2013, 2015 | ||
| Port Adelaide Port Thistle | 8 | 9 | 1911, 1912, 1926, 1927, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1937 | 1908, 1910, 1925, 1929, 1932, 1936, 1949, 1953, 1999 | ||
| Birkalla Rovers Adelaide Galaxy | 7 | 11 | 1944, 1945, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1998 | 1984, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2006 | ||
| West Torrens | 7 | 6 | 1925, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1936, 1939, 1941 | 1927, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1945 | ||
| Birkalla Rovers | 6 | 6 | 1944, 1945, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1952 | 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1948, 1961 | ||
| Hindmarsh | 6 | 2 | 1905, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1913, 1924 | 1914, 1915 | ||
| Campbelltown City | Campbelltown Budapest | 6 | 1 | 1986, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 | 1994 | |
| Adelaide Croatia Raiders | Adelaide Croatia Adelaide Raiders | 5 | 9 | 1980, 1984, 1988, 1997, 2002 | 1965, 1969, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2005, 2007 | |
| Croydon FC | Polonia Adelaide | 5 | 7 | 1955, 1975, 1977, 2014, 2017 | 1957, 1958, 1968, 1970, 1981, 1982, 1998 | |
| North Adelaide | 5 | 4 | 1903, 1906, 1914, 1919, 1922 | 1905, 1920, 1921, 1924 | ||
| Cheltenham | 4 | 2 | 1915, 1920, 1921, 1923 | 1913, 1922 | ||
| Sturt | 3 | 6 | 1940, 1948, 1949 | 1919, 1926, 1928, 1937, 1941, 1947 | ||
| Burnside Budapest | Budapest | 3 | 4 | 1960, 1961, 1962 | 1954, 1959, 1963, 1964 | |
| North Eastern MetroStars | 3 | 3 | 2004, 2009, 2012 | 2003, 2008, 2014 | ||
| FK Beograd | Beograd Begrad Woodville White City Woodville | 3 | 2 | 1979, 1983, 1993 | 1977, 1996 | |
| Northumberland & Durham | 2 | 1 | 1938, 1943 | 1944 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 1978, 1999 | 1979 | |||
| Kingswood | 2 | — | 1933, 1946 | |||
| Cambridge | 1 | 3 | 1910 | 1906, 1907, 1909 | ||
| U.S.C. Lion | Lion-Grange | 1 | 2 | 1965 | 1956, 1960 | |
| 1 | 2 | 1985 | 1987, 1991 | |||
| Woodville | 1 | — | 1904 | |||
| West Adelaide | 1 | — | 1930 | |||
| Victoria | 1 | — | 1961 | |||
| Adelaide United Youth | 1 | — | 2023 | |||
| Adelaide Comets | — | 4 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 | |||
| South Adelaide | — | 3 | 1903, 1904, 1923 | |||
| Modbury Jets | — | 3 | 2000, 2001, 2023 | |||
| Railways | — | 2 | 1930, 1943 | |||
| Adelaide | — | 1 | 1912 | |||
| Windsor Athletic | Woodside United | — | 1 | 1951 | ||
| Para Hills Knights | — | 1 | 1980 | |||
| Adelaide Olympic | Olympians | — | 1 | 2004 |