To celebrate 20 years of Adelaide United, we’re inviting fans to vote on our Team of 20 Years.
From Club legends to cult heroes, the competition will be fierce, and we want to know who you think deserves the call up!
Each day we will ask fans to vote on who they believe should be in a selected position, to complete the fan-voted Adelaide United Team of 20 Years. The voting will include both men’s and women’s players.
The final team will be announced at Adelaide United’s 20th Anniversary dinner at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday 23 January.
Today get voting on the right centre back. Will it be Jordan Elsey, Emma Checker, Ange Costanzo or Robbie Cornthwaite? You get to decide!
Enter your vote and your contact details to be in the running to win a double pass to the 20th Anniversary Dinner.
Hosted by Jarrod Walsh, the night will celebrate all the moments and people who have helped shape the club.
Guests will enjoy a three-course meal and premium beverage package, as well as live entertainment and an auction featuring exclusive memorabilia and unique experiences.
Tickets for the 20th Anniversary Dinner are still available with all proceeds from the night going towards the Adelaide United Foundation, which supports youth development, education and community initiatives.
How to vote: The team will be selected in a 4-4-2 formation and include a head coach. A substitutes bench will also be decided from among those that miss out on the starting XI. Click the link below to enter your vote. Voting for all positions will close at midnight on Friday 29 December with the final team to be announced on Tuesday 23 January at Adelaide United’s 20th Anniversary Dinner.
Angelo Costanzo
Costanzo was integral to Adelaide’s endearing and passionate beginnings as ‘The People’s Club.’
The no-nonsense defender made 92 total appearances for the Reds, scooping the first available A-League Premiership and helping United to the AFC Champions League Grand Final, all while stepping in as captain when needed.
Costanzo embodied what Adelaide is all about and what it still maintains in terms of its ‘underdog’ status, and he embraced it all the while with his trademark hard edge, poise and ponytail.
After retirement, Costanzo became the Reds’ Youth coach for five years between 2010-15.
Dylan McGowan
Dylan McGowan was the ‘complete’ defender in the Reds shirt, possessing all the qualities of a World Class centre-back.
McGowan played every minute of Adelaide United’s A-League Championship winning 2015/16 campaign and was an integral part of a formidable defence that conceded the league’s fewest goals.
He also scored one of his seven goals for the Reds against Melbourne City in the 2016 Semi-Final at Coopers Stadium – a volley that a striker would admire.
McGowan was vital to United’s FFA Cup triumph in 2014, winning just about everything with his hometown Club.
Robert Cornthwaite
A commanding Club figure, Robert Cornthwaite was an ever-reliable wall for United between 2005-2011, making over 100 appearances in all competitions.
While Cornthwaite helped deliver United its maiden Premiership in the first A-League season, he will forever be known for his 2008 Asian Champions League heroics.
Cornthwaite became a household name when he scored one of the only ‘open play’ goals of his career to down Kashima Antlers in the second-leg of the Quarter-Finals at Hindmarsh, after scoring an own goal in Japan the week before.
Real ones remember Robbie.
Jordan Elsey
Jordan Elsey rose to prominence as a promising South Australian youth product in the lead-in to the 2015-16 Grand Final, in which he was a squad member.
The defender made his Reds debut in October 2013 and went on to play 141 games for the Club, scoring six goals.
In January 2014, Elsey scored a memorable debut goal for United in stoppage time against league leaders Brisbane Roar, giving his team a surprising 2-1 victory.
Elsey, who sits ninth on the Club’s all-time appearances list, remarkably won the A-League Premiership and Championship double in 2016 and was part of United’s three FFA Cup triumphs.
Matilda McNamara
Matilda McNamara made her Adelaide United debut in December 2015 in a 5-1 win against Newcastle Jets, immediately showing composure beyond her years.
McNamara was a constant rock in defence for United, earning a call up to the Matildas squad for the first time in June 2022.
She was a stalwart in defence prior to international recognition from 2020-2022, playing all 27 matches and scoring three goals for the Reds over the two seasons.
On an NPLW themed podcast by fellow South Australian and Heidelberg United’s, Nicole Blackett, she was named in an all-time team by Adelaide United captain, Isabel Hodgson.
Abby Dahlkemper/Emma Checker
It was hard to split these two if not for the fact they would make a deadly centre-back partnership together.
Checker was always reliable from her debut at just 15 on the opening day of the 2011-12 season and would later return in a second stint in which at one point she was the youngest to captain an A-League side.
Dahlkemper joined the Reds on loan during the 2015-16 season, scoring a sensational five goals from just 12 appearances.
Both would be welcome back to United at any time.
