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-

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Norwood is all about location, location, location.

If you are from interstate and staying in the CBD, especially close to East Terrace rather than West Terrace, its a 2 km walk, so about 20 minutes, cheap taxi or uber taxi ride and a cheap $3 or $4, 10 minute bus trip - but free with your footy ticket.

And if they continue to have the street party food and wine festival as they did in 2024, it becomes an even more convenient location.

Unley oval and Prospect oval are relatively close, about 4km and 6km, respectively, but not as convenient to get to as Norwood oval is from the middle of the CBD.

 

[Wizard]

Norwood is all about location, location, location.

If you are from interstate and staying in the CBD, especially close to East Terrace rather than West Terrace, its a 2 km walk, so about 20 minutes, cheap taxi or uber taxi ride and a cheap $3 or $4, 10 minute bus trip.

And if they continue to have the street party food and wine festival as they did in 2024, it becomes an even more convenient location.

Unley oval and Prospect oval are relatively close, about 4km and 6km, respectively, but not as convenient to get to as Norwood oval is from the middle of the CBD.

The Parade is more suitable to the festival like environment then Unley and Prospect are as well.
Prospect is an absolute nightmare as well and Unley oval doesn’t have a fence around it. I know they do the temp fencing thing but that’s not ideal for this style of event.

 

[jdeezy]

Norwood Food and Wine festival was a great vibe last year and definitely makes using Norwood worthwhile on a Saturday or Sunday. It's also the most logical other venue to use for the other Friday game, though I guess that you could do a Friday Night double header at AO if you wanted to?

If you're sticking with two in Norwood and two in the Barossa for at least the short term I can't see any other spots getting any love.

 

[glengowan]

I’ll go one step further and call it a disgrace that Mt Barker isn’t hosting next year. The locals couldn’t have organised it any better and it’s only a 30 or so minute bus ride to the CBD to catch the next game.

And I’m still scratching my head as to why Norwood get 2 games. The viewing is atrocious at the venue.

The locals can’t even organise for the venue to be used outside of gather round. Mt Barker is just a satellite suburb. Will be much better in the Barossa. A proper country venue.

And Norwood Oval is a class above any other SANFL venue. The only one you’d want to showcase at a national level.

 

[mattpolo8]

found a lack of shade a big factor at Mt Barker last year. Was very very warm in the sun and there was only the small grandstand where you were sheltered from it

 

[Seattle Mariners]

You can smell a late week Gather Rd leak and then the full release gather round on the weekend - given the full fixture is due out in only 8 days.

 

[Recon_29]

Surely an announcement soon?

 

[Bjo187]

Surely an announcement soon?

Tom Morris released what he thought the fixture is gonna be today. Your blues Saturday afternoon v west coast at Adelaide oval.

 

[ibd77]

Your blues Saturday afternoon v west coast at Adelaide oval.

Probably a typo and Norwood Oval is the likely venue. Otherwise a triple header at AO which makes no sense.

 

[Cuzz09]

please don't be at Adelaide Oval.

but i think Carlton won't play anywhere else.

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

 

[Nelso]

Only one Norwood Oval game this year.

Triple header at Adelaide Oval on the Saturday.

Port v Hawks Sunday twilight.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Only one Norwood Oval game this year.

Triple header at Adelaide Oval on the Saturday.

Port v Hawks Sunday twilight.

Botched IMO.

Triple header is a strange call.

6 of the 9 games at the one venue feels a bit redundant for what Gather Round actually exists for.

And Port vs Hawthorn is lazy booking.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Only one Norwood Oval game this year.

Triple header at Adelaide Oval on the Saturday.

Port v Hawks Sunday twilight.

Works lot better Friday arvo knock off

 

[Gavin Excell]

Botched IMO.

Triple header is a strange call.

6 of the 9 games at the one venue feels a bit redundant for what Gather Round actually exists for.

And Port vs Hawthorn is lazy booking.

Agree

 

[The_Wookie]

10.11.24
MEDIA ALERT

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas will be available to media tomorrow in the Barossa.

Who: AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas
When: 8.30am (Adelaide time), please arrive and set up by 8.15am
Where: Lyndoch Recreation Park

 

[Underarm]

Botched IMO.

Triple header is a strange call.

6 of the 9 games at the one venue feels a bit redundant for what Gather Round actually exists for.

And Port vs Hawthorn is lazy booking.

Is it? The original premise of Gather/Magic round is all games at the one venue so you can watch as many games as you want. If the games are all at regional Venues, it makes it pretty hard to attend multiple games.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

The locals can’t even organise for the venue to be used outside of gather round. Mt Barker is just a satellite suburb. Will be much better in the Barossa. A proper country venue.

And Norwood Oval is a class above any other SANFL venue. The only one you’d want to showcase at a national level.

Norwood oval is terrible but in a great location.

Tiny ground, limited and very dated facilities and a brick wall along the wing.

The location and street party makes it a winner though.

On SM-G975F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Redline]

The Friday early game was great and unique to the weekend but I get its an awkward time to watch on TV.

 

[Walshawk]

Gather Round as per Ch9
Thurs
Crows v Cats AO
Fri
Pies v Swans AO
Sat
Nth v GC Barossa
BLUES V WC triple header @ AO
WB v Lions
ess v Dees
Sun
Tiges v Freo Barossa
stk v GWS Norwood
Port v Hawks AO

Not sure Pies v Swans will sell out. All the others will, very quickly

 

[Redline]

Gather Round as per Ch9
Thurs
Crows v Cats AO
Fri
Pies v Swans AO
Sat
Nth v GC Barossa
BLUES V WC triple header @ AO
WB v Lions
ess v Dees
Sun
Tiges v Freo Norwood
stk v GWS Norwood
Port v Hawks AO

Not sure Pies v Swans will sell out. All the others will, very quickly

One of those Sunday games listed at Norwood will be in the Barossa. I don't think Norwood could hold a double header.

I think they might play that AFLW All Star game on the Friday afternoon at Norwood.

 

[Walshawk]

One of those Sunday games listed at Norwood will be in the Barossa. I don't think Norwood could hold a double header

Fixed. Tigers in Barossa

 

[blueiris]

One of those Sunday games listed at Norwood will be in the Barossa. I don't think Norwood could hold a double header.

I think they might play that AFLW All Star game on the Friday afternoon at Norwood.

A bit early in the season to have an AFLW game considering the woman actually have jobs

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Fixed. Tigers in Barossa

They should get plenty of support from H.G. Nelson's old footy team, the Nuriootpa Tigers.

 

[mattpolo8]

This year the 2 saturday AO games were 4:40pm and 8:10pm. The double header only works if they are back to back and no more then an hour gap in between.

 

[Redline]

A bit early in the season to have an AFLW game considering the woman actually have jobs

Agreed, it was just a rumour from Carolyn Wilson they were adding a game like that for 2025.