Gather Round Feedback

[Interstater]

As a homesick South Australian that has been living in Vic for 18 months,
I'm very curious what you liked and didn't like if you went to Gather Round this year.

As reward for at least reading this thread I'll give those of you driving back a strong tip:

Drop into Foodland on Glen Osmond Road (opposite the Arkaba) before you hit the freeway on the way back and buy:

• 500 grams of Chapman's Fritz (in the red wrapper)
• at least 2 packets of YoYo biscuits
• as much Menz Fruchocs as you can afford
• your favourite cheese and crackers
• 2 litres of Farmers Union Iced Coffee (FUIC) or a couple of the 600ml versions

cheers

 

[Dazb86]

Came out of the shower dirtier than I went in. What's up with the water in S.A?

 

[TheUnicorn]

Probably not gather rounds fault but this round of footy was pretty shit to watch.

 

[FreoRicci]

AFL taking the piss with the quality of games.

Brisbane North
Port St Kilda
Adelaide Carlton
Collingwood Fremantle
Geelong West Coast
Melbourne Essendon
GWS Richmond

Only two that were really meaningful for the season in terms of top 10:
Gold Coast Sydney
Hawthorn Bulldogs
(Margin did blow out)

Why not have the GF replay at Adelaide Oval (the two teams play at MCG on GF Day for neutrality anyway..)

The Showdown should be played to kick it off or on Saturday night.
Adelaide and Port still get the two teams they’ll play during the season regardless.

Pretty unfair on South Australia that these were the fixtures..

 

[Jibroni]

I'm a local, love the concept, pop up venues and the array of merchandise (although maybe $$$ for some).

If we are to keep it here for the longer term a few suggestions would be:

- Upgrade the seating at Norwood or place one game there.

- Build a perm stand in the Barossa (A small one) and keep investing in more perm infrastructure. Allow Central Districts to play there a couple times there too.

- Have a showdown as the marqee fixture and allow an opportunity for some interstaters to experience one.

 

[MisterMarcus]

We go over every year for it - it's a relatively easy drive from Melbourne so I hope they keep it in Adelaide.

Norwood gave the Cats game a sort of VFL/local footy vibe, would be good to upgrade it into a proper boutique stadium with seating all around, otherwise was a nice change.

Would love to keep it in Adelaide, partly for the relative convenience, and partly because it would be kind of wrong for SA to do all the hard yards then have it taken off them.

 

[ibd77]

As a homesick South Australian that has been living in Vic for 18 months,
I'm very curious what you liked and didn't like if you went to Gather Round this year.

As reward for at least reading this thread I'll give those of you driving back a strong tip:

Drop into Foodland on Glen Osmond Road (opposite the Arkaba) before you hit the freeway on the way back and buy:

• 500 grams of Chapman's Fritz (in the red wrapper)
• at least 2 packets of YoYo biscuits
• as much Menz Fruchocs as you can afford
• your favourite cheese and crackers
• 2 litres of Farmers Union Iced Coffee (FUIC) or a couple of the 600ml versions

cheers

Some of my Vic friends love Halls Fruita.

 

[Interstater]

Some of my Vic friends love Halls Fruita.

Mate I would kill to have some of that Chapman's fritz fried up with eggs tomorrow morning.
Miss that fried fritz more than anything.

I don't drink softies though, so no comment on that one.

 

[ibd77]

AFL taking the piss with the quality of games.

Brisbane North
Port St Kilda
Adelaide Carlton
Collingwood Fremantle
Geelong West Coast
Melbourne Essendon
GWS Richmond

Only two that were really meaningful for the season in terms of top 10:
Gold Coast Sydney
Hawthorn Bulldogs
(Margin did blow out)

Why not have the GF replay at Adelaide Oval (the two teams play at MCG on GF Day for neutrality anyway..)

The Showdown should be played to kick it off or on Saturday night.
Adelaide and Port still get the two teams they’ll play during the season regardless.

Pretty unfair on South Australia that these were the fixtures..

This is not event to host marquee games.
But in saying that, don't match the same teams together from previous Gather Rounds. That was a deliberate ploy by the AFL to force Gather Round to fail and thank fcku that tactic blew up in their face.

 

[Interstater]

AFL taking the piss with the quality of games.

Brisbane North
Port St Kilda
Adelaide Carlton
Collingwood Fremantle
Geelong West Coast
Melbourne Essendon
GWS Richmond

Only two that were really meaningful for the season in terms of top 10:
Gold Coast Sydney
Hawthorn Bulldogs
(Margin did blow out)

Why not have the GF replay at Adelaide Oval (the two teams play at MCG on GF Day for neutrality anyway..)

The Showdown should be played to kick it off or on Saturday night.
Adelaide and Port still get the two teams they’ll play during the season regardless.

Pretty unfair on South Australia that these were the fixtures..

I'm not against a neutral Showdown during Gather Round except for one issue.
As it currently stands, Port wears the PB's at its home Showdown each year.

Move the jumpers to the ANZAC Day game (as it always should have been) and yeh I'm all in with playing a neutral one and alternating home ones a year at a time.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of a Saturday night showdown with say 30% crows, 30% port and 40% reserved for neutral club members. Could be the best game of the year.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Should be a showdown

Games based on ladder position from last season

• 1 v 11
• 4 v 6
• 16 v 3
• 14 v 15
• 7 v 10
• 8 v 9
• 2 v 18
• 5 v 17
• 13 v 12

Like it was setup to fail

Weather didn't help..

 

[Tackle Bag]

10k is not big enough to host an AFL game. Increase the capacity and accom

 

[Dirty Bird]

Came out of the shower dirtier than I went in. What's up with the water in S.A?

Don't you just love the self-pawn.

You do realise the water comes from the murray darling basin? THE WATER COMES FROM VICTORIA (Among other states)

 

[Dirty Bird]

AFL taking the piss with the quality of games.

Brisbane North
Port St Kilda
Adelaide Carlton
Collingwood Fremantle
Geelong West Coast
Melbourne Essendon
GWS Richmond

Only two that were really meaningful for the season in terms of top 10:
Gold Coast Sydney
Hawthorn Bulldogs
(Margin did blow out)

Why not have the GF replay at Adelaide Oval (the two teams play at MCG on GF Day for neutrality anyway..)

The Showdown should be played to kick it off or on Saturday night.
Adelaide and Port still get the two teams they’ll play during the season regardless.

Pretty unfair on South Australia that these were the fixtures..

Why do you complain about the Adelaide teams getting an extra game in state when you get the exact same vs North Melbourne?

 

[FreoRicci]

This is not event to host marquee games.
But in saying that, don't match the same teams together from previous Gather Rounds. That was a deliberate ploy by the AFL to force Gather Round to fail and thank fcku that tactic blew up in their face.

Should be an event to host marquee games.
Massive opportunity for tourism. Guess AFL y to capitalise on revenue with lowly teams AND maximise revenues in normal fixturing.
I mean it still sold out with GWS v Richmond which otherwise would have got 15k at MCG or less at Sydney Showgrounds.

 

[ibd77]

Should be an event to host marquee games.
Massive opportunity for tourism. Guess AFL y to capitalise on revenue with lowly teams AND maximise revenues in normal fixturing.
I mean it still sold out with GWS v Richmond which otherwise would have got 15k at MCG or less at Sydney Showgrounds.

SA Gather Round has demonstrated that it doesn't need marquee games. Collingwood vs Freo got 48k, Ess vs Mel got 38k. Hawks vs Dogs got 48k. Great result for neutral games. As long as you can schedule 2 evenly matched teams, you should get a decent crowd in Adelaide. Would like to see Brisbane have an AO shot against Hawthorn, Geelong or Collingwood next season.

 

[maskmcgee]

Get rid of it

 

[Interstater]

Get rid of it

Why?

 

[SC_Power]

Why?

They’re just in favour of getting rid of ALL the inequalities in the fixture and returning it to an even competition, and I agree with them.

Removing clubs from their entitlement to Anzac Day and other Thursday Friday night marquee timeslots and restoring financial equality to the competition is important enough to go past club loyalties, kudos to them.
And as much as it will hurt the Victorians to lose the Grand Final rights, it makes for a fairer competition to share it around. It’s great that some Victorians are in favour of that.

 

[M Malice]

Norwood is a shite ground, Barossa not AFL quality conditions, have it in SE Qld at the Gabba and Carrara.

There's more off field action on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane than Adelaide and surrounds, it has a gods waiting room vibe.

 

[Schwarzes_Goal]

Anyone with a negative word to say about Gather Round clearly hasn't been.
Amazing weekend that should stay right where it is.

 

[Lunchtime]

Probably not gather rounds fault but this round of footy was pretty shit to watch.

I agree. This year's Gather Round 2026....it sort of lacked something. That spark.

 

[Romano]

Less repeat Gather round fixtures in future (Ess v Melb, Crows v Carl)

Brisbane need to play on Adelaide Oval

Less overlapping games (eg consider bringing back the early Friday game at Norwood)

Collingwood to play the Barossa / McLaren Vale fixture in the future to finally give them a taste of playing in smaller venues (when did they last play Kardinia Park) and maximise tourism revenue.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Less repeat Gather round fixtures in future (Ess v Melb, Crows v Carl)

Brisbane need to play on Adelaide Oval

Less overlapping games (eg consider bringing back the early Friday game at Norwood)

Collingwood to play the Barossa / McLaren Vale fixture in the future to finally give them a taste of playing in smaller venues (when did they last play Kardinia Park) and maximise tourism revenue.

I think the friday was due to orthodox Easter. Huge numbers at the church across the road at night for stations of the Cross

Didn't want to let that clash

 

[brmi]

Anyone with a negative word to say about Gather Round clearly hasn't been.
Amazing weekend that should stay right where it is.

Totally agree. Been two years in a row with the family and love it. They've got the balance absolutely right between catering for families/kids and adults.

The Norwood Street festival on Sunday arvo is a great way to finish off the weekend.