Adelaide Football Club: History, Members, Rivals & 2025

The Adelaide Crows have turned a tragic night and a bitter city rivalry into one of the AFL’s most resilient membership machines. Over 60,000 members packed Adelaide Oval in 2025, but the real story sits in the gap between on-field rebuilds and off-record records.

Founded: 1990 ·
AFL Premierships: 2 (1997, 1998) ·
Home Ground: Adelaide Oval ·
2025 Members: Over 60,000 ·
Senior Coach: Matthew Nicks ·
Captain: Jordan Dawson

Eight data points, one pattern: the Crows have turned trauma into a membership machine while staying competitive on the park.

The membership and rivalry numbers show a club punching above its state’s population weight.

How many members does the Adelaide Football Club have?

What is the current membership milestone?

In 2025, the Adelaide Crows smashed their own record, reaching an all-time high of 81,067 members, according to the official AFL club membership tally (AFL Official). The club became the first VFL/AFL club to exceed 50,000 members back in 2006 (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia), and membership has grown steadily since the rebuilding phase under Matthew Nicks.

How does Adelaide Crows membership compare to other AFL clubs?

Adelaide’s 81,067 members placed them 8th in the 2025 AFL membership rankings. Collingwood led the league at 112,491, with West Coast (106,557) and Richmond (104,431) rounding out the top three (AFL Official). For a club that didn’t exist before 1990, sitting in the top half of the league is a statement of cultural reach.

The pattern: South Australia’s population is about 1.8 million, yet the Crows pull membership numbers that rival clubs from cities three times their size.

Who has more members, Adelaide Crows or Port Adelaide?

What are the latest membership totals for both clubs?

In 2025, the Adelaide Crows reported 81,067 members, while Port Adelaide posted 72,656 (AFL Official). That’s a gap of roughly 8,400—not a landslide, but enough to claim bragging rights for the 2025 season.

Which clubs lead in AFL membership?

Collingwood sits atop the 2025 table with 112,491 members, followed by West Coast at 106,557 (AFL Official). Adelaide’s 8th position reflects a competitive middle tier, but the gap to the top shows how much headroom still exists in the South Australian market.

Why this matters: For a two-team town, every membership counts double—each Crows member is also a statement against the Power.

Who are Port Adelaide’s biggest rivals?

Is the Showdown the biggest rivalry?

Malcolm Blight put it bluntly in 2009: the Showdown is “the greatest rivalry in football” (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia). The Port Adelaide Football Club’s official site echoes that sentiment, tracing the animosity back to Port’s 1990 attempt to join the AFL independently (Port Adelaide FC Official). The first six Showdowns alternated wins, setting a pattern of unpredictability that fans feed on.

How does the Port Adelaide rivalry define Adelaide football?

The rivalry splits South Australia in a way few other states experience. Adelaide leads the SANFL Showdown series 12-10 (Rivalries in the AFL – Wikipedia) and has won all three AFLW Showdowns against Port (Rivalries in the AFL – Wikipedia). The AFL men’s ledger is tighter, with each game carrying the weight of the 1990 license battle.

The implication: every Showdown is a referendum on which club owns South Australia’s football soul.

Which AFL club is the richest?

What is the financial standing of Adelaide Crows?

Adelaide Crows are consistently among the AFL’s financially strongest clubs. According to Brandirectory, the club’s brand value positions it within the league’s upper-middle tier, supported by strong membership revenue and Adelaide Oval deal terms. The club’s 2025 membership milestone of 81,067 directly correlates with increased gate receipts and merchandise sales.

The trade-off: Adelaide’s revenue comes disproportionately from membership rather than corporate sponsorship, making the club vulnerable if membership growth plateaus.

How is club revenue measured?

Club wealth is typically measured by total revenue, brand value, and operating profit. While Collingwood leads in raw revenue, smaller-market clubs like Adelaide punch above their weight on a per-member basis. The AFL Official membership figures provide a proxy for financial health: more members mean more ticketing, more gear, and more leverage with broadcast partners.

Who has the largest fan base in the AFL?

Where do Adelaide Crows rank in fan base size?

Fan base is slippery to define, but two metrics give a solid picture: membership numbers and match attendance. Adelaide’s 81,067 members in 2025 placed them 8th out of 18 clubs (AFL Official). When measured against South Australia’s population, the Crows have one of the highest per-capita fan densities in the league. Collingwood, West Coast, and Richmond top the raw numbers.

What metrics define fan base?

Beyond membership, social media following and television ratings for Showdown games suggest the Crows hold a strong national presence. In a state where the Crows and Power split the market, 81,067 members means roughly 4.5% of South Australia’s entire population holds an official membership—a penetration rate few clubs anywhere can match.

The implication: Adelaide may not have the biggest fan base in absolute terms, but it has the most concentrated one.

What happened to Phil Walsh’s son?

What is the background of the Phil Walsh tragedy?

In July 2015, Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh was killed at his Somerton Park home. His son, Cy Walsh, was charged with his murder (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia). The event sent shockwaves through the AFL community and forced the club into an unprecedented period of mourning and rebuilding.

How has the Walsh family been involved with the club?

Cy Walsh was later found mentally unfit to stand trial and remains in psychiatric care. The Walsh family has largely stayed out of the public eye since, though the club has maintained a quiet relationship, honoring Phil’s legacy through the Phil Walsh Foundation and leadership programs. Specific details about Cy’s current life remain private (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia).

Who did Phil Walsh play for?

What was Phil Walsh’s playing career?

Phil Walsh played 123 VFL/AFL games across three clubs: Collingwood (42 games, 1983-1987), Brisbane Bears (19 games, 1987), and Richmond (6 games, 1989) (Wikipedia – Phil Walsh). He also played for SANFL club Glenelg, where he won a premiership in 1988.

Which clubs did he coach?

After his playing days, Walsh became a highly regarded assistant coach at Port Adelaide (where he served under Mark Williams during the 2004 premiership), West Coast, Geelong, and finally Adelaide, where he was appointed senior coach in November 2014 (Wikipedia – Phil Walsh). He coached just 11 games before his death, winning 6 of them.

The pattern: Walsh’s coaching journey—from assistant at rival Port Adelaide to head of the Crows—mirrors the complicated cross-town relationship that defines Adelaide football.

“The Showdown is the greatest rivalry in football.”

Malcolm Blight, former Adelaide Crows coach (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)

“The rivalry traces directly to Port Adelaide’s 1990 attempt to join the AFL independently. That decision created the Showdown.”

Port Adelaide FC Official History (Port Adelaide FC Official)

“Adelaide became the first VFL/AFL club to exceed 50,000 members in 2006 with 50,138.”

Adelaide Football Club Historical Records (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)

“First six Showdowns alternated wins between Port Adelaide and Adelaide.”

Port Adelaide FC Official History (Port Adelaide FC Official)

Timeline: Adelaide Football Club

• 1990: Adelaide Football Club founded; enters AFL in 1991 (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)
• 1997: First AFL premiership (defeated St Kilda) (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)
• 1998: Second consecutive premiership (defeated North Melbourne) (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)
• 2006: First AFL club to exceed 50,000 members (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)
• 2015: Coach Phil Walsh killed; club enters mourning period (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)
• 2017: Adelaide Crows reach Grand Final (lost to Richmond)
• 2020-2022: Rebuilding under Matthew Nicks
• 2025: Adelaide Crows hit all-time membership record of 81,067 (AFL Official)

Clarity: what’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

• Adelaide FC founded in 1990 (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)
• Two premierships in 1997 and 1998 (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)
• Phil Walsh played for Collingwood, Brisbane Bears, and Richmond (Wikipedia – Phil Walsh)
• Phil Walsh’s son was involved in his death in 2015 (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)
• Adelaide Crows membership exceeded 60,000 in 2025 (official club announcement)
• Adelaide recorded 81,067 members in 2025 (AFL Official)
• Port Adelaide recorded 72,656 members in 2025 (AFL Official)
• Adelaide leads SANFL Showdowns 12-10 (Rivalries in the AFL – Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

• Exact current membership number fluctuates daily
• Future membership comparisons with Port Adelaide beyond 2025 not yet published
• Specific details about Phil Walsh’s son’s current life are private (Adelaide Football Club – Wikipedia)

Summary: what the numbers tell us about the club

The Adelaide Football Club sits in a peculiar space: it has two premierships, a fan base that punches above Adelaide’s population weight, and a rivalry that splits the state like no other. But the gap between the Crows and the AFL’s top-tier clubs—in membership, wealth, and on-field results—remains substantial. The Crows board and CEO Tim Silvers face a clear choice: continue to convert South Australian pride into record membership numbers, or watch the Power close the gap and the top-four clubs pull further ahead.

For fans looking to manage their game-day access, the Adelaide Crows membership portal offers a seamless way to handle tickets and digital passes.

Frequently asked questions