Fixture Gather Round - SA announced as host for next 3 years 2024-2026

[Festerz]

16.04.23

GATHER ROUND SOUTH AUSTRALIA
AFL LOCKS IN SA FOR NEXT THREE SEASONS

The AFL in partnership with the SA Government is pleased to announce ‘Gather Round…. A Festival of Footy’ will be hosted in South Australia for the next three seasons.

The inaugural ‘Gather Round’ has been an overwhelming success, with all nine games sold out, more than 220,000 fans attending matches across the Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval and Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills and tens of thousands of fans attending the footy festival on the banks of Torrens.

More than 60,000 fans purchased tickets from interstate.

Across 2024, 2025 and 2026, Gather Round …. A festival of footy will be hosted exclusively in South Australia, with Adelaide Oval to be the central venue, with the intent from both the AFL and the SA Government to take regional matches in 2024 to the Barossa / McClaren Vale region.

As part of the three-year term, both the AFL and SA Government have also committed to establishing a community football legacy fund, that will benefit local footy clubs in the state beyond the weekend of matches.

The AFL will lock in the fixture dates of the round in the coming weeks to give fans as much lead time as possible to book travel and accommodation.

Ticketing information will be release later in the year.

“South Australia really turned it on. Gather Round and all the activity across the state, the nine matches, the footy festival and the community football engagement has been some of the best days and events the AFL has ever delivered,” AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan said.

“It has been a success because everyone in football got behind the idea, clubs, players, corporate partners and most importantly our fans, to deliver an extraordinary few days,

“While the concept has real momentum, and we plan on taking it to other states around the country, we also feel in order for it to be as successful in the other states we need to continue to build out the concept in South Australia,

“The reality is we only had a few months to pull this together, and we hope by locking it in now we are giving everyone a longer runway to put together a bigger and even better event, and our fans certainty around booking travel and accommodation.

“The match at Mount Barker was a special afternoon on Saturday and an important part of recommitting to South Australia was to establish the community legacy fund, ensuring local footy clubs’ benefit from bringing the Gather Round to town.”

During the round the AFL has facilitated dozens of community club and school visits, held seminars for community club volunteers and delivered more than 10,000 footballs to regional community clubs.

Details on the Community legacy fund will be communicated at a later date.

“On behalf of the AFL I want to thank to Premier Malinauskas and his team in the SA Government who in partnership, delivered an unbelievable few days for footy and the state of South Australia.”

The AFL will also work with the AFLPA on the commitments to the players.

“The players have been strong partners in the Gather Round concept and have embraced wholeheartedly the round. We will now work with the AFLPA on the commitments to the players in the coming years.”

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said “The inaugural Gather Round has been a stunning success, in no small part thanks to the willingness of South Australians, and our interstate visitors, to show up.
“We know that this has delivered huge benefits for our state, and that is why I’m so pleased to see it return for the next three years.”

“With more time to plan, we know we can make Gather Round even bigger and better than what it has already become.”

“I want to thank Gillon McLachlan, the AFL, wider footballing community, public servants, councils and others who’ve all worked so hard to deliver such an amazing event in just a few months.”

“But most of all, I want to thank each and every person who showed up.”

“This agreement is because of you.”

-ends-

 

[Clark G]

Side Note, how does Melbourne get adelaide oval 3 years in a row? That's beyond me. Collingwood I get. Essendon I somewhat get. Due to support size. But dees?

Port
Adelaide
Pies
Essendon
Geelong
Melbourne
These are all the teams to get all their 3 gather round games at Adelaide oval. Pick the odd one out.

Although Dees were poor this year, two semi final appearances the two years prior and a flag in 2021 maybe helps them?

 

[voorhees]

Side Note, how does Melbourne get adelaide oval 3 years in a row? That's beyond me. Collingwood I get. Essendon I somewhat get. Due to support size. But dees?

christ only knows.
richmond would be guaranteed to pull more supporters then the dee's.

 

[Nelso]

oh please..
there are more carlton and richmond fans in S.A then essendon.

I am saying that this is the reason why Essendon is playing at Adelaide Oval and not Norwood Oval.

 

[Leeda]

Hum for vaovriety....gather round for a warp speed variety.... curiosity has my name

 

[Underarm]

Side Note, how does Melbourne get adelaide oval 3 years in a row? That's beyond me. Collingwood I get. Essendon I somewhat get. Due to support size. But dees?

Port
Adelaide
Pies
Essendon
Geelong
Melbourne
These are all the teams to get all their 3 gather round games at Adelaide oval. Pick the odd one ouout.

It actually makes alot of sense when you think about it.

The gather round games are always fairly meh matchups since they don't want to waste big games by playing them interstate.

But they also want decent sized teams to play in the neutral double headers to ensure a crowd.

So I'd expect Melbourne, cats and Hawthorn to play at AO most years

 

[Leeda]

It actually makes alot of sense when you think about it.

The gather round games are always fairly meh matchups since they don't want to waste big games by playing them interstate.

But they also want decent sized teams to play in the neutral double headers to ensure a crowd.

So I'd expect Melbourne, cats and Hawthorn to play at AO most years

I always get people to get to the point for me....yay u have unlocked a gift....

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Side Note, how does Melbourne get adelaide oval 3 years in a row? That's beyond me. Collingwood I get. Essendon I somewhat get. Due to support size. But dees?

Port
Adelaide
Pies
Essendon
Geelong
Melbourne
These are all the teams to get all their 3 gather round games at Adelaide oval. Pick the odd one out.

I'm a Melbourne supporter and I even I concede it's nonsense that we've had the Adelaide Oval 3 years in a row.

 

[offtherails9]

Jeez that's a shit decision to make the Saturday split tickets as someone who has attended the first two. There was a real carnival cricket like atmosphere on the hill this year with two games, forcing everyone to leave the arena then head back in kinda sucks honestly.

 

[ibd77]

Bring back the Pie Floater!

 

[JPetro83]

I dont think Gather round would work well in any other state. it just has to be a South Aussie thing but we all know in 2027 that NSW will probably hold it.. or WA.

 

[Aussie in exile]

I'm a Melbourne supporter and I even I concede it's nonsense that we've had the Adelaide Oval 3 years in a row.

Snap

 

[Cuzz09]

SA should keep Gather Round but would be cool to have it in Tassie down the track

Sent from my SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[sabso]

I dont think Gather round would work

Well said

 

[Clark G]

I dont think Gather round would work well in any other state. it just has to be a South Aussie thing but we all know in 2027 that NSW will probably hold it.. or WA.

I am curious why you think that? I think it would be great to try it in WA.

 

[Hoops]

If they are going to have the bias Gather round, Port and Crows should have only 11 home games every second year. Not the 12 home games they currently get.

 

[Clark G]

If they are going to have the bias Gather round, Port and Crows should have only 11 home games every second year. Not the 12 home games they currently get.

Not saying I agree, but those two clubs and their fans would say it compensates them for having more overall trips compared to clubs in Victoria.

 

[Hoops]

Not saying I agree, but those two clubs and their fans would say it compensates them for having more overall trips compared to clubs in Victoria.

Why would they need compensation for what would otherwise be equal home and away games? Maybe financial compensation for travelling costs, thats it.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I am curious why you think that? I think it would be great to try it in WA.

WA - Facilities are there, however, costs for the interstate fans would be too high and would stop them coming over, and would really hinder creating that carnival atmosphere
TAS, QLD - Facilities are too spread out to make it work.
VIC - Facilities are perfect, but there's already a pro-Vic stigma, do we really want to make it more obvious and potentially piss off 50% of the country?
NSW - Facilities are there, but would enough interstate fans come to fill out the stadiums and make it work?
SA - Facilities are there, cheap and easy for many to get there.

SA is proven to work.
Victoria would work..........But the non-victorians would moan about it.

NSW I think would work too. But will enough non-vic fans come to fill out a neutral SCG game????

Tasmania would have to run off locals, but that might actually be feasible. $15 tickets and make everything Melbourne vs non Melbourne. About the only way I can see it working.

WA high risk, high reward. Enough locals to go?

 

[peetoo]

If round 0 is to continue, the teams not in qld nsw could go to Tassie

For example, this year

Wed. Tassie v carlton
Fri Melb v freo
Sat nth v pta
Sun stk v eagles
Sun bulldogs v Adel
Mon Tassie v richmond

Tassie get bye the next week

 

[PowerBaz]

Why would they need compensation for what would otherwise be equal home and away games? Maybe financial compensation for travelling costs, thats it.

Port and the Crows should just leave the AFL, that would be fair, then you can have gather round at Kardinia Park.

Never heard so much pissing and moaning from you guys across the border.

Dont worry though Dillon will move it, it’s a great success but he won’t let SA steal any thunder for too long, I mean you invented the game and all.

 

[Greasyrhys]

They should’ve had us play the tigers in gather round (plus in Adelaide later in the season) given we’ve played them here 27 times in 28 years.

 

[offtherails9]

It wouldn't work anywhere else to this level

 

[Dan26]

It will be interesting what happens from 2028 when we have a 19-team competition.

Currently Gather Round is the "23rd" match so everyone still gets 11 home, 11 away, and then the theoretically neutral Gather Round.

But it's impossible to have a 23-match season with 19 teams. It can't be done. It can only be a 24 match season or a 22 match season. Either way, someone loses a home game, if Gather Round is incorporated into either scenario. If Gather Round is incorporated into a 22 match season, it means some teams only have 10 home games. If it is incorporated into a 24-match season, some teams only get 11 home games instead of 12. In addition, 24 is probably too many games. 22, was for years seen as the maximum physical toll a team should endure and the AFL only went to 23 because they liked the idea of Gather Round. Also, one team wouldn't be able to participate in Gather Round.

So God knows what they're going to do. I'd personally shelve the concept, as I don't like it, and I think it adds nothing to the game (just my opinion), but it seems logistically unworkable in a 19-team competition anyway.

 

[The Tilt]

It will be interesting what happens from 2028 when we have a 19-team competition.

Currently Gather Round is the "23rd" match so everyone still gets 11 home, 11 away, and then the theoretically neutral Gather Round.

But it's impossible to have a 23-match season with 19 teams. It can't be done. It can only be a 24 match season or a 22 match season. Either way, someone loses a home game, if Gather Round is incorporated into either scenario. If Gather Round is incorporated into a 22 match season, it means some teams only have 10 home games. If it is incorporated into a 24-match season, some teams only get 11 home games instead of 12. In addition, 24 is probably too many games. 22, was for years seen as the maximum physical toll a team should endure and the AFL only went to 23 because they liked the idea of Gather Round. Also, one team wouldn't be able to participate in Gather Round.

So God knows what they're going to do. I'd personally shelve the concept, as I don't like it, and I think it adds nothing to the game (just my opinion), but it seems logistically unworkable in a 19-team competition anyway.

The most likely outcome is that they move to a 24 game season, with everyone playing 11 home, 11 away and 2 neutral/gather round matches (so 228 games in total, with 209 standard H&A games + 19 neutral matches). This might mean a gather round in Adelaide, plus another one somewhere else (e.g. Qld) later in the season, possibly with the 19th neutral game staged at a regional venue whenever they get around to playing it.
Of course there's nothing stopping them from having just one genuine 9-match gather round (in SA or wherever) and spreading out the remaining 10 neutral matches over the course season, but ultimately state governments will be very keen on hosting a gather round, and the AFL very keen on the money being offered. So, expect more than one.

Other options:

• They stick with just one gather round, and simply give some clubs 12 home games and others only 11. I wouldn't rule this out. I heard a few months back that the AFL was seriously considering giving the WA clubs an additional home match from 2025 to compensate for the extra travel. Seems kind or ridiculous to me, but it wouldn't shock me if they if they allocate uneven numbers of home games when we move to 19 clubs.
• They scrap gather round altogether, with everyone getting 12 home and 12 away games (or 11 and 11 if they go back to a 22 game season).
• They move to everyone having 12 home and 12 away games (i.e no nominally neutral games), but with a gather round being achieved by way of 6 or 7 clubs selling/being forced to sell one of their home games to SA (or wherever), i.e. with some of the revenue being provided by the state Govt going directly to the clubs hosting a match there.

 

[Billy ray]

11home. 11 away. 1 gather. 1 neutral like Cairns Darwin Townsville Alice Ballarat Bendigo Canberra etc etc