The Cove Football Club, commonly known as The Cove FC, is a soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club competes in Football South Australia’s (FSA) State League 1. Established in 1983, The Cove FC is based at the Southern Soccer Facility on the corner of Majors and Adams Road in Trott Park.
History The Cove Football Club was originally established as the Hallett Cove Soccer Club in 1982, initially based at Sheidow Park Primary School. In 1983, the club was renamed The Cove FC and relocated to the Hallett Cove Recreation Ground (Now the Cove Sport and Community Club). For the next 25 years, the club competed in the South Australian Amateur Soccer League (SAASL), winning 18 trophies across various divisions.
The Cove FC secured three consecutive championships from Sunday Division 7 to Division 5 between 1983 and 1985, including an unbeaten season in 1985. The club claimed the Sunday Division 1 title in 1991, and remained a fixture in the top Sunday divisions throughout the 1990s. In 2001, the club transitioned to the Saturday competition, winning the Saturday Division 2 title in their first season. They remained competitive in Saturday Division 1 until relegation in 2007.
In 2008, the club expanded by introducing junior teams, and in 2009 it transitioned away from the amateur league in order to join the Football South Australia competitions.
After several seasons in the State League 1, The Cove FC reached a high point with a third-place finish in 2012. Despite relegation to State League 2 in 2018, the club entered a rebuilding phase and ultimately triumphed in 2024, winning the grand final and securing promotion back to State League 1.
For the 2025 season, the club had its best run to date in the Australian Cup after being knocked out in the 5th round of the SA Preliminary Rounds. After a sluggish start to the league, Cove would consolidate and claim 7th spot, falling agonisingly short of a finals berth on the last day by goal difference.
Juniors The Cove FC established its junior development program in 2009 for youth footballers in southern Adelaide. The club fields teams in the MiniRoos (Under 6 to Under 11), Junior Premier League (JPL), Junior State League (JSL), and FSA Girls .
Adelaide United hosts its southern based Junior Development Program at the club on Monday nights from May through to July.
Seniors The Cove FC competes in the FSA State League 1, with Senior Men's teams in the Under 18, Reserves, and First Team divisions. The club also fields teams in both the Senior and Reserve divisions of the Women's State League (WSL).
Senior Men Squad
Senior Women Squad
Amateurs After the club transitioned to Football South Australia (FSA) competitions in 2009, a C-grade senior team continued to represent The Cove FC in the South Australian Amateur Soccer League (SAASL). This team competed in the amateur league until it was disbanded in 2015. In recent years , the club has re-established an amateur presence, currently fielding a team in the SAASL Sunday Division 4, with home matches played at Capella Reserve in Hallett Cove. As of 2026, the amateur teams play at the Southern Soccer Facility.
Facilities
The Southern Soccer Facility is a purpose-built venue that officially opened in April 2022 by SA State Premier Peter Malinauskas. The $6 million project was jointly funded by the State Government ($2.5 million) and the City of Marion ($4.75 million) to meet growing demand for soccer infrastructure in Adelaide’s southern suburbs.
The complex includes:
Four full-sized, floodlit, professional-standard turf pitches Four change rooms, referee rooms, club offices, and storage areas A bar, canteen, commercial kitchen and function space. Spectator viewing mounds, outdoor seating, paved areas, and a raised deck A large, secure car park
The facility can be accessed via public transport on the 734 route, stop 45 Adams Road located nearby.
Honours League SAASL Sunday 7th Division Champions 1983 SAASL Sunday 6th Division Champions 1984 SAASL Sunday 5th Division Champions 1985 SAASL Sunday 4th Division Champions 1987 SAASL Sunday 1st Division Champions 1991 SAASL Saturday 2nd Division Champions 2001 SA State League 2 Champions (1): 2024
Senior Men Season-by-season record
SAASL (Sunday) Season Division Position Notes 1983 Sunday Division 7 1st Champions, Promoted 1984 Sunday Division 6 1st Champions, Promoted 1985 Sunday Division 5 1st Champions, Promoted (Unbeaten) 1986 Sunday Division 4 4th 1987 Sunday Division 4 1st Champions, Promoted 1988 Sunday Division 3 3rd Promoted 1989 Sunday Division 2 2nd Promoted 1990 Sunday Division 1 7th Terry Hayes, Munaro Medal Winner 1991 Sunday Division 1 1st Champions, Terry Hayes, Munaro Medal Winner 1992 Sunday Division 1 5th 1993 Sunday Division 1 6th 1994 Sunday Division 1 8th 1995 Sunday Division 1 8th 1996 Sunday Division 1 5th 1997 Sunday Division 1 10th Relegated 1998 Sunday Division 2 8th 1999 Sunday Division 2 3rd 2000 Sunday Division 2 9th
SAASL (Saturday) Season Division Position Notes 2001 Saturday Division 2 1st Champions 2002 Saturday Division 1 5th 2003 Saturday Division 1 4th 2004 Saturday Division 1 6th 2005 Saturday Division 1 3rd 2006 Saturday Division 1 4th 2007 Saturday Division 1 9th Relegated to Saturday Division 2 2008 Saturday Division 2 3rd
Football South Australia (FSA) Season Division Position Notes 2009 FFSA State League 10th 2010 FFSA State League 9th 2011 FFSA State League 10th 2012 FFSA State League 3rd 2013 NPL State League 14th 2014 NPL State League 8th 2015 NPL State League 4th 2016 NPL State League 5th 2017 NPL State League 7th 2018 NPL State League 12th Relegated to State League 2 2019 State League 2 8th 2020 State League 2 9th 2021 State League 2 10th 2022 State League 2 4th 2023 State League 2 10th 2024 State League 2 2nd Champions, Promoted2025State League 17th
Australia Cup YearFinish2014SA Preliminary Rounds (Quarter-finals)2015SA Preliminary Rounds (3rd Round)2016SA Preliminary Rounds (3rd Round)2017SA Preliminary Rounds (3rd Round)2018SA Preliminary Rounds (2nd Round)2019SA Preliminary Rounds (3rd Round)2021SA Preliminary Rounds (4th Round)2022SA Preliminary Rounds (4th Round)2023SA Preliminary Rounds (3rd Round)2024SA Preliminary Rounds (4th Round)2025SA Preliminary Rounds (5th Round)2026SA Preliminary Rounds (1st Round)
Senior Women Season-by-season record +SeasonDivisionPositionNotes2021Women's State League6th2022Women's State League4th2023Women's State League9th2024Women's State League8th2025Women's State League8th
References
External links Official website