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-

 

[mrmonkey]

It would lower attendance for the round and deny members of many clubs a home game to go to.

Terrible idea.

Had the same thought, the reason it works in the nrl is because their fans don't care about going to games like afl fans. Nrl fans happy to just watch their team on TV. Though evidently crowds are down in afl the crowd figures are still pretty good.

 

[mcgarnacle]

Like the idea of rotating between cities other than Melbourne.

Would be tough to fit 9 games over three days though - Thursday would be a stretch for a Magic Round.

Fri - 5:15pm & 8pm
Sat - 11:45am, 2:30pm, 5:15pm, 8pm
Sun - 11:45am, 2:30pm, 5:15pm

And before anyone says 11:45am is too early for a game, don't WCE & FRE need to play at these times (relative to WA time) every now and then when they travel to the Eastern timezone?

 

[Billy ray]

 

[citizen-erased]

Like the idea of rotating between cities other than Melbourne.

Would be tough to fit 9 games over three days though - Thursday would be a stretch for a Magic Round.

Fri - 5:15pm & 8pm
Sat - 11:45am, 2:30pm, 5:15pm, 8pm
Sun - 11:45am, 2:30pm, 5:15pm

And before anyone says 11:45am is too early for a game, don't WCE & FRE need to play at these times (relative to WA time) every now and then when they travel to the Eastern timezone?

You'd need 3 grounds too.
Not sure how one ground is gonna look after 9 games in one weekend. Particularly if its wet

 

[Billy ray]

It's bucketing down here. No.

Can i have free platinum for a year if it happens?

 

[Chief]

Can i have free platinum for a year if it happens?

Huh? Why?

 

[Billy ray]

Huh? Why?

Because its such an unpopular thing that noone wants. So watch it happen.

 

[Chief]

I'm still lost as to how it relates to you.

 

[Engimal v3]

Stop arguing and give it to him

 

[Chief]

And I definitely know it doesn't relate to you.

 

[Ash1337]

I think it'll work in QLD to help grow the game. They got it to work in QLD in 2020 when ppl couldn't travel and a lot of people actually love to travel to QLD.

 

[Billy ray]

 

[AndyD]

I think it'll work in QLD to help grow the game. They got it to work in QLD in 2020 when ppl couldn't travel and a lot of people actually love to travel to QLD.

By what sort of measure was it a success in “growing the game” in 2020? I’d say that looking at the TV ratings in QLD, it would show that the experiment of the last 35 years has probably failed in that regard. I certainly don’t think the ratings in QLD would’ve been any worse than what they are now if the VFL/AFL simply played 11 neutral site games a year in QLD instead of basing a team up there.


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[Ginnieboy]

Rugby have to fill a stadium somehow I guess, luckily we don’t have that problem.

 

[Pick4To6]

The idea has merit, but I would hold it in Alice Springs are Darwin.

Thursday night footy - Alice Springs
Friday night footy - Darwin (dream time game)
Saturday 3 games in Alice Springs
Sunday 3 games in Darwin

Hold the Sir Doug Nicholls round with Indigenous guernsey.

Make it a true celebration of the First Nation people and their contribution to the game of Australia Rules.

* Richmond and Essendon can still do as they please with dream time at the G, but allow the people of NT truly embrace that concept.

 

[BigVic]

Was discussed last night during a meeting by holding an extra game in one state as soon as next year

 

[aCunningPlan]

Yeah it sounds like Magic Round is a real thing, it will be an additional round so no one misses out. Approx. Round 5, Easter holidays, triple headers.

 

[GroggSquad]

Yeah it sounds like Magic Round is a real thing, it will be an additional round so no one misses out. Approx. Round 5, Easter holidays, triple headers.

Surely it is possible to schedule 11 home games for WA/SA/NSW/QLD clubs and 11+ games in VIC for VIC clubs without adding an extra round?

 

[Foxman98]

Really dumb idea works for NRL as they're essentially a 2 state comp which are all close to each other we are north south east and west. People don't go to north vs gold coast why would they go to gold coast vs freo in melbourne?

 

[VernonSpots]

Really dumb idea works for NRL as they're essentially a 2 state comp which are all close to each other we are north south east and west. People don't go to north vs gold coast why would they go to gold coast vs freo in melbourne?

I think there would be a big influx of visitors to the state who would go to the games. Firstly, AFL will ensure some marketable teams play against low supporter teams and will then jam in some of the lower profile games as part of a double / triple header with more appealing games to ensure crowds are OK.

Like in NRL, there will be bunch of ppl that but the "day pass" and stay for all three.

It's a great idea albeit blatantly ripped from the NRL. Do it in any state bar Vic to begin with subject to ground availability.

 

[Foxman98]

I think there would be a big influx of visitors to the state who would go to the games. Firstly, AFL will ensure some marketable teams play against low supporter teams and will then jam in some of the lower profile games as part of a double / triple header with more appealing games to ensure crowds are OK.

Like in NRL, there will be bunch of ppl that but the "day pass" and stay for all three.

It's a great idea albeit blatantly ripped from the NRL. Do it in any state bar Vic to begin with subject to ground availability.

If you do it in any other state you will get even less support. Adelaide is the only one with any remote chance due to its more centralised location however they only have the 1 ground as does Perth

 

[Altum Volantes]

Who asked for this?…

I’ll only support this if it paves the way for AFLX to return and if the city in question is Shanghai.

Of all the things the pandemic took away, I think we miss AFLX and the China games the most.

 

[VernonSpots]

If you do it in any other state you will get even less support. Adelaide is the only one with any remote chance due to its more centralised location however they only have the 1 ground as does Perth

Fair enough. I guess it's worth a shot and if it's a fail, then they can shelve it rework it.

 

[aCunningPlan]

Really dumb idea works for NRL as they're essentially a 2 state comp which are all close to each other we are north south east and west. People don't go to north vs gold coast why would they go to gold coast vs freo in melbourne?

Really dumb response, there would be thousands of fans flying into Adelaide/Sydney/wherever to enjoy going to two or three games. Big clubs would play against smaller clubs to ensure there is some interest across the board. Sydney could be great if they used Accor Stadium and the Showgrounds if they needed two grounds, would have an AusOpen feel about it. Great idea that would work really well for footy tourism. Given Melbourne gets the Grand Final I would expect this to tour around the other states.

 

[Foxman98]

Really dumb response, there would be thousands of fans flying into Adelaide/Sydney/wherever to enjoy going to two or three games. Big clubs would play against smaller clubs to ensure there is some interest across the board. Sydney could be great if they used Accor Stadium and the Showgrounds if they needed two grounds, would have an AusOpen feel about it. Great idea that would work really well for footy tourism. Given Melbourne gets the Grand Final I would expect this to tour around the other states.

See how many of the melbounre clubs travel interstate it's not much. Sydney isn't a football state so you're already going to have smaller crowds. Richmond vs GWS in Perth isn't getting many fans nor is Essendon vs Gold Coast in Western Sydney. Again we have a much broader spread of team locations hence it doesn't work