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-

 

[Leeda]

Can we have a beech party....or else a hook up try and buy picnic...?
Lovin the sa kinship...

 

[Millsie69]

Why don’t they have 6 at the Adelaide Oval and punt one of the Norwood games?

Unless you have a seat in the stands, the viewing is awful for an official AFL game.

I also think they should split 2 games between Mt Barker and the Barossa.

It's apparently to do with the logistics of setting up the broadcast equipment. Can only have three venues with all of the HD cameras set up.

 

[Leeda]

It's apparently to do with the logistics of setting up the broadcast equipment. Can only have three venues with all of the HD cameras set up.

Well its two pants down and double trouble for the haka mo camberwell....s..tone deaf will ....

 

[Leeda]

Reply is controversial

 

[My_Username]

It's apparently to do with the logistics of setting up the broadcast equipment. Can only have three venues with all of the HD cameras set up.

Makes sense.

It'd take a couple of days to set that stuff up properly, and they wouldn't have that many 'mobile' sets of equipment available.

 

[Cuzz09]

Shame mt barker is gone.

Wasn't too bad out there

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

 

[JPetro83]

Wish they would hurry up and announce the Gather Round fixture.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Wish they would hurry up and announce the Gather Round fixture.

Last year it was announced 12 November.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Shame mt barker is gone.

Wasn't too bad out there

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

Agreed.
And it was easy to get a bus to and from the city.

Bit of a hassle now that you'll need to travel a fair bit further to the Barossa.

 

[theprospector]

Collingwood will likely play the Thursday and Brisbane the Friday given that Easter Thursday is the next week

 

[Millsie69]

Collingwood will likely play the Thursday and Brisbane the Friday given that Easter Thursday is the next week

Brisbane v North at Norwood again on the Friday?

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Brisbane v North at Norwood again on the Friday?

If that match up happens a third year in a row I'm giving it a miss. I left the game at half time to ensure I didn't miss the Port/Dons game which was even worse.

Give North a potential Gather Round win (or at least a competitive hit out) against a Richmond, West Coast, St Kilda, Melbourne, Essendon and the like.

With Easter the following week, do we think the following is possible:

Thursday night - Adelaide V Collingwood
Friday night - Port V Brisbane

Don't rule out one or both clubs playing on the Saturday of Gather Round and then having a 5 day break into Easter Thursday.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

Brisbane v North at Norwood again on the Friday?

 

[The_Wookie]

Shame mt barker is gone.

Wasn't too bad out there

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

at least mt barker was public transpot accessible. They gonna have to run the footy express to nuri or tickets on the stateliner are going through the roof.

 

[Nelso]

Agreed.
And it was easy to get a bus to and from the city.

Bit of a hassle now that you'll need to travel a fair bit further to the Barossa.

I have heard that the Government is looking at free shuttle buses from Gawler North Train Station to the ground at Lyndoch. Which is about a 20 minute drive between the two.

A shame the Government of the day did away with the rail line all the way up to the Barossa as the train track is right next to the Oval.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

If that match up happens a third year in a row I'm giving it a miss. I left the game at half time to ensure I didn't miss the Port/Dons game which was even worse.

Give North a potential Gather Round win (or at least a competitive hit out) against a Richmond, West Coast, St Kilda, Melbourne, Essendon and the like.

With Easter the following week, do we think the following is possible:

Thursday night - Adelaide V Collingwood
Friday night - Port V Brisbane

Don't rule out one or both clubs playing on the Saturday of Gather Round and then having a 5 day break into Easter Thursday.

Reckon both Collingwood and Brisbane will play on the Saturday and just really hope it's not another Brisbane vs. North Melbourne matchup cause while it might be an easy win for my team these past 2 years, rather be playing someone different for once and change it up.

If I was a betting man though, reckon my money would go to the AO fixturing being Adelaide vs. Richmond to start on Thursday night and Port Adelaide vs. Hawthorn on Friday Night. The AFL will then host a double-header there on Saturday with Collingwood more likely to host Saturday Night and then Carlton to host the final match on Sunday Night given both are massive Victorian clubs and will bring 50,000+ easily.

My ideal fixture for anyone who doesn't know (before Mt Barker got shelved and has now been updated) was:

Thursday
Adelaide vs. Richmond (AO)-(N)

Friday
St. Kilda vs. Greater Western Sydney (NO)-(T)
Port Adelaide vs. Hawthorn (AO)-(N)

Saturday
West Coast vs. North Melbourne (BA)-(D)
Essendon vs. Brisbane (AO)-(T)
Collingwood vs. Sydney (AO)-(N)

Sunday
Melbourne vs. Gold Coast (BA)-(D)
Geelong vs. Fremantle (NO)-(T)
Carlton vs. Western Bulldogs (AO)-(N)

 

[Seattle Mariners]

I have heard that the Government is looking at free shuttle buses from Gawler North Train Station to the ground at Lyndoch. Which is about a 20 minute drive between the two.

A shame the Government of the day did away with the rail line all the way up to the Barossa as the train track is right next to the Oval.

I just assumed they'd put on buses from the CBD to Barossa, just as they did for Mt Barker.

So we'll need to catch the train from the city to Gawlor North, and then hop on a bus to the oval?
Be touch and go to attend the early Sunday game in Barossa, and then get back to Adelaide in time for the Sunday twilight game

If that's the case, bring back Mt Barker and lets punt the Barossa.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Reckon both Collingwood and Brisbane will play on the Saturday and just really hope it's not another Brisbane vs. North Melbourne matchup cause while it might be an easy win for my team these past 2 years, rather be playing someone different for once and change it up.

If I was a betting man though, reckon my money would go to the AO fixturing being Adelaide vs. Richmond to start on Thursday night and Port Adelaide vs. Hawthorn on Friday Night. The AFL will then host a double-header there on Saturday with Collingwood more likely to host Saturday Night and then Carlton to host the final match on Sunday Night given both are massive Victorian clubs and will bring 50,000+ easily.

My ideal fixture for anyone who doesn't know (before Mt Barker got shelved and has now been updated) was:

Thursday
Adelaide vs. Richmond (AO)-(N)

Friday
St. Kilda vs. Greater Western Sydney (NO)-(T)
Port Adelaide vs. Hawthorn (AO)-(N)

Saturday
West Coast vs. North Melbourne (BA)-(D)
Essendon vs. Brisbane (AO)-(T)
Collingwood vs. Sydney (AO)-(N)

Sunday
Melbourne vs. Gold Coast (BA)-(D)
Geelong vs. Fremantle (NO)-(T)
Carlton vs. Western Bulldogs (AO)-(N)

Good effort but you'd have to wonder whether Richmond deserve an Adelaide Oval appearance. On popularity yes, but on recent performance no.

Conversely, GWS deserve to showcase their footy on AO, but if the AFL and SA government are so stressed about sell outs, then they'll once again be in Norwood or Barossa.

All the garbage teams of 2024 such as Richmond, North, West Coast, Melbourne, Gold Coast and St Kilda should be banished to the second tier venues.