The SA Flood Recovery Charity Match, held on February 19 2023 at Coopers Stadium, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for flood relief for South Australian farming families.

The event, which pitted a State Government team against a Pick a Local! Pick SA! team, was the curtain raiser for Adelaide United’s A-League match against Western Sydney Wanderers.

Former Adelaide United players turned coaches; Travis Dodd, for SA Government, and Marcello Carrusca, Pick A Local!, Pick SA! worked well to balance players
throughout the game matching skills, with both teams fielding a mix of experienced and amateur players.

It was the SA Government team who scored first with a strike from Shane Pearce in the first five minutes. SA Government followed a few minutes later with a
second goal scored by Peter Gonis, but it wasn’t long before Pick a Local!, Pick SA! made their way onto the scoreboard with a goal from Nathan Russo.

A spectacular header from Liam Golding cemented SA Government’s lead although Elisabeth Romeo, who had been strongly contesting throughout the match,
put the second on the board for Pick a Local!, Pick SA!

Second goals from both Pearce and Golding sealed the deal for SA Government to take the game 5 – 2 and take home the Rural Business Support Cup.

It was worth noting that young Alessandro dos Santos, at just 14-years-old, made some sensational saves as goalie for Pick a Local!, Pick SA!, preventing what could have been a bigger defeat. While there were some bragging rights for a few weeks, having industry and all sides of government unite for a worthy cause was the greater win.

Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Hon Clare Scriven MLC announced before the game that the SA Government would match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000.

At the end of the match, the SA Government generously announced that they would donate the full $100,000. Foodland SA also pledged to donate part of the proceeds from the Peculiar Picks range throughout March and April 2022. Other major donors who contributed to the Charity Match included AusVeg SA, Bank SA, CMV Farms and Duxton Water.

To date over $169,000 has been raised for the Rural Business Support Relief Fund to provide 95 Natural Disaster Support Grants to local farmers in their flood recovery.

Rural Business Support is deeply grateful to the following organisations for their support of this event