AFL legend Travis Boak is calling Somerton Park home after leaving Port Adelaide
He holds the record for most AFL games ever played for the Port Adelaide Football Club, and now Travis Boak is hoping for another win after selling his Somerton Park home.
The former captain recently listed the 1 Fairfield Ave house he bought in 2013 as he left South Africa after a successful 19 season with the Power and returned to his home country of Victoria, where the midfielder will work with the leadership and culture teams of the Carlton Football Club, as well as another business in a leadership role.
Boak celebrates the win against the Gold Coast Suns at Adelaide Oval. Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images
![AFL Rd 24 - Port Adelaide v Gold Coast](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 768 1024"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Boak is led by Ollie Wines and the Power’s Sam Powell-Pepper during the round 24 AFL match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Gold Coast Suns. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
1 Fairfield Ave, Somerton Park luxury facade. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
Open backyard. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
“Somerton Park felt very similar to Torquay and I remember the first time I went down there on my first trip to SA and thought to myself: ‘I’m going to live here one day’,” he said.
“It’s close to the water and it felt like a really nice place.
“My mother loves numbers and it’s number 1 and at the time I was the captain and she said: ‘It makes sense’.
“I tore it down and rebuilt and the construction was the thing I was most concerned about in terms of creating a peaceful place where I could come home to after a game, whether it was a good result or a bad one, and I always felt like I was in my own little world.
Power legend Travis Boak at home at Somerton Park. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
Power legend Travis Boak at home at Somerton Park. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
“It’s double-glazed and double-bricked and very quiet and I felt like I was away from everything, and it gave me time to regroup and gather my thoughts away from the feet.”
The home sits on a 950sqm block and has five bedrooms – or four plus a home theater – several living areas, a covered alfresco living area with an outdoor kitchen and a pool with a water feature.
Built for family, Boak says that for the most part, apart from the six years when his sister, partner and band mate Sam Powell-Pepper lived with him and it was closed, it was his private property.
MORE NEWS:
$660k Aussie home loan record is forcing first home buyers to rethink
Statistics that should scare all homeowners
Southern Ocean Lodge’s link to Adelaide’s development has been revealed
A shocking result as the council forcibly sold 57 properties to recover unpaid tax
How much did this £100 Adelaide home just sell for?
How simple change at the supermarket can get you home fast
“There was a lot of space for the four of us, but it was too big for me alone, but I enjoyed it,” he said.
“When I was captain we had a couple of barbecues where all the players would come and have drinks in the back and hang out for a few nights there, so a couple of times I’d have about 40 players there, so building that relationship in my own quiet place was really nice.
Luxury kitchen. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
Living room. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
One of the bedrooms. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
A light-filled living space. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
“I remember there were many discussions there about the coaches coming, leadership meetings where we talked with different players that we were trying to get them to come to the team.”
Now renting in Melbourne, Boak says it will be sad to say goodbye to his Somerton Park home, but it was time for the family to love it.
“I knew when I was building that I was building something that I would enjoy a lot and something that I would love when I got home and it was mine, so I ended up selling it in the hope that the big family will enjoy it,” he said.
A LOT OF NEWS
How much money do you need to save to buy anywhere in Australia?
How much was this 100 pound property recently sold for?
Block fever causes a mad rush through crumbling houses
An Aussie island property is being sold for a steal – but there’s a catch
“Maybe I didn’t know how sad I would be when that day came, and that time has come and I’m sad to leave.
“When I collected this place, it really affected me that I’m not coming back here and I’m not going to enjoy it anymore, but I’m happy for whoever buys it.”
Open living space. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
A great place to watch the game. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
The outside meets the inside. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
Outdoor kitchen. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
Although he has returned home to Victoria, Boak says it will not be the last time SA sees him.
“I loved every minute of my time in SA,” he said.
“Of course there were good times and bad times and many challenges and I wasn’t sure if I would stay here all at once, but SA has been surprising me.
“I love the coast and the people and I love going down south, and the city was really close.
“I love it so much and I’m so grateful for what Adelaide and SA has given me and the opportunity to fulfill my dream there.
“I always felt at home and it is a big part of my life that I will remember forever.
Some of the Power star memorabilia. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
Boak shoe collection. Photo: Pierce Mason Stephens
“I have a lot of friends who walk there and a lot of friends without feet, so I’ll be back a lot and I’m looking forward to it.”
The property is on the market through Rod Smitheram of Ray White Glenelg.
