West Adelaide

Greek immigrants in Adelaide had a club called Hellenic from 1936, and a second, Olympic, from 1945. Hellenic reorganised in 1961, and a year later merged with West Adelaide Soccer Club, itself dating from 1910, to produce West Adelaide Hellas — in blue and white.

When the National Soccer League launched in 1977, West Adelaide were among the founding members. John Kosmina scored the competition's first goal that season, and in 1978 the club took the title. Relegation to the state league followed in 1986, a return in 1991, then a decade that unpicked most of what came before.

The rebranding to Adelaide Sharks in 1995 was meant to draw support beyond the Greek community. It did not. On 9 June 1998 fire destroyed the dressing rooms and offices at Thebarton Oval, with damage put at around $150,000; in September a businessman, Con Makris, bought 51% of the club. In 1999 the senior side went into liquidation and withdrew from the NSL. The junior section survived under a different name.

Revival came through the South Australian state leagues from 2007, then second, then back to the top flight in 2013, with the West Adelaide name formally restored in 2014. Under Paul Peos the club won the state championship in 2015.

Since July 2024 the ground has been the Kilburn Sportsplex, a $15 million build holding 5,000, of which 1,300 are seated. Before that came Hindmarsh Stadium and, in the leaner years, temporary pitches.

The fixture that still carries most is the Adelaide Derby against Adelaide City, played more than 130 times: Greek support on one side, Italian on the other.