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-

 

[peetoo]

Would defeat the purpose of calling it "Gather Round" when fans are split between opposite ends of the country.

Would need renaming

 

[Soggy2112]

After the Tassie stadium is built, raise the profile of Darwin too with a split gather round week. Hobart and Darwin

Example
Wed Hobart tas v coll
Thu Darwin bris v WB
Fri Hobart haw v carl
Sat day hobart ess v wce
Sat night Hobart fre v rich
Sat night Darwin gws v pta
Sun day Hobart stk v syd
Sun night Darwin GC v Geel
Mon Darwin mel v adel
Tue Hobart tas v nth

As others said kind of defeats the purpose of a gather round having it in two states.

Tassie wouldn’t be the worst idea wants the new stadium is built, particularly as you can split games between Launceston and Hobart and encourage people to road trip.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Drove up to the Barossa mid last week. Lyndoch Oval and surrounds had been dug up, there were bulldozers, excavators and other machinery at work ripping up and moving soil. The site is roughly 400m long and at its widest point about 300m wide and at its narrowest point at the northern end, about 100m in the block that they had to remove the vineyards.

 

[Jeremias]

 

[Cuzz09]

as expected

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

 

[The Sultan]

lucky booked accommodation for those dates already

 

[simmo97]

I reckon you can almost guarantee the AFL will put together the following match-ups for Gather round next year

Crows/Port vs Collingwood
Crows/Port vs Brisbane

Why because the week after Gather round is Easter and Brisbane will host Collingwood on Easter Thursday.

 

[Underarm]

I reckon you can almost guarantee the AFL will put together the following match-ups for Gather round next year

Crows/Port vs Collingwood
Crows/Port vs Brisbane

Why because the week after Gather round is Easter and Brisbane will host Collingwood on Easter Thursday.

I don't think they'll give Brisbane an extra away game. I'd be shocked if they don't continue doing SA team v Vic Team.

 

[jdeezy]

I reckon you can almost guarantee the AFL will put together the following match-ups for Gather round next year

Crows/Port vs Collingwood
Crows/Port vs Brisbane

Why because the week after Gather round is Easter and Brisbane will host Collingwood on Easter Thursday.

Don't forget there's typically been an early Friday night game on Gather Round too. I suspect they'll put Brisbane in that one again, rather than against Port or Crows, both because of the extra away game factor as mentioned, but also because Channel 7 would likely crack it at the prospect of two National clubs playing each other in a primetime spot

Collingwood on the Thursday does seem a reasonable chance though..

 

[The_Wookie]

lol hotel sold out in 30 minutes, despite prices being 40% higher.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I don't think they'll give Brisbane an extra away game. I'd be shocked if they don't continue doing SA team v Vic Team.

Please, Brisbane fans would have greater access to a gather round fixture vs Adelaide than they would the Grand Final.

 

[Underarm]

Please, Brisbane fans would have greater access to a gather round fixture vs Adelaide than they would the Grand Final.

Nothing to do with access. They would rather the Vic clubs play an extra interstate away game than disadvantage a Non Vic club.

 

[Billy ray]

I don't think they'll give Brisbane an extra away game. I'd be shocked if they don't continue doing SA team v Vic Team.

But all non Victorian teams have an extra away game since gather round started havent they. I mean my suns have 9 at carrara and 2 at darwin (11 home) and 12 away incl gather round.
Doesnt brisbane have 11 gabba and 12 away?
Perth teams went from 12 at optus and 10 out of Perth to 12-11?
Sydney teams same (tho GWS like suns have some of their home at canberra rather than all at engie; swans went 11scg and 11 non scg to 11:12 now?

 

[Underarm]

But all non Victorian teams have an extra away game since gather round started havent they. I mean my suns have 9 at carrara and 2 at darwin (11 home) and 12 away incl gather round.
Doesnt brisbane have 11 gabba and 12 away?
Perth teams went from 12 at optus and 10 out of Perth to 12-11?
Sydney teams same (tho GWS like suns have some of their home at canberra rather than all at engie; swans went 11scg and 11 non scg to 11:12 now?

Well all Non SA teams get an extra away game. But obviously this affects Non Vic clubs more.

If you're going to make Brisbane travel an extra game, may as well make it against another team also travelling so that they're not disadvantaged further. I.e have them play Fremantle instead of Port Adelaide.

It's no coincidence that in both years the teams who have had to play Port and Adelaide have been Vic based clubs. (Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne, WBD).

 

[Spirit Level]

Ahh yes the flight price gouging begins.

 

[mattpolo8]

having done the trip the first 2 years, I'm attempting to get tickets to Glastonbury instead. fingers crossed

 

[Freomaniac]

lol hotel sold out in 30 minutes, despite prices being 40% higher.

Suprising as the Victorians have said that Adelaide is a poo hole lol

 

[Blackhawk42]

Unless you're taking young kids who don't travel well I don't really understand why the flight prices are a concern for Victorians. Just drive it!

My brother and I did it this year we live further away than Melbourne.

It's essentially just the length of the average work day, but in a car. Then you've got means of transportation for the whole weekend in the easiest city in the world to drive around in.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Adelaide V Collingwood on the Thursday night makes a ton of sense.

I know Pies supporters would be livid about playing an SA team during Gather round, but someone has to play them I guess....

 

[Underarm]

Adelaide V Collingwood on the Thursday night makes a ton of sense.

I know Pies supporters would be livid about playing an SA team during Gather round, but someone has to play them I guess....

And then Carlton as the stand alone match on Friday?

Thursday- Adelaide v Collingwood -AO
Friday 5pm Norwood -. Brisbane v North
Friday night- Carlton v ???

Sunday - Port v Hawks/Geelong

 

[jdeezy]

And then Carlton as the stand alone match on Friday?

Thursday- Adelaide v Collingwood -AO
Friday 5pm Norwood -. Brisbane v North
Friday night- Carlton v ???

Sunday - Port v Hawks

Avoiding a third straight year of Brisbane v North would be nice. With Carlton's massive supporter base maybe you could do Carlton v Brisbane as the Friday Night game?

 

[Rabish Binney]

having done the trip the first 2 years, I'm attempting to get tickets to Glastonbury instead. fingers crossed

Will be cheaper.....

 

[Underarm]

Avoiding a third straight year of Brisbane v North would be nice. With Carlton's massive supporter base maybe you could do Carlton v Brisbane as the Friday Night game?

Yeah I thought of that, but I feel like they wouldn't want to waste Brisbane v Carlton in gather round. They tend to prefer clashes with basically no history or rivalry.

It could also be

Adelaide v ???
Brisbane v ???
Collingwood v North Melbourne
And then Carlton on the Saturday

If they do the 2nd Good Friday game again next year, that could be Brisbane's opponent.

 

[Cuzz09]

Do Brisbane v WCE at Barossa

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

 

[Soggy2112]

Adelaide V Collingwood on the Thursday night makes a ton of sense.

I know Pies supporters would be livid about playing an SA team during Gather round, but someone has to play them I guess....

They should keep the Pies away from the SA teams as they’re the most likely to draw a big crowd independent of us.