Fixture Gather Round - SA announced as host for next 3 years 2024-2026

Festerz

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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-
 
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Nov 26, 2016
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Don’t know about Elizabeth but at least with Noarlunga stadium, theres a train line that connects to the city so if a game was played in the afternoon there, people can rush on the train afterwards to the city to watch both AO night matches if they wanted to.

Elizabeth Station on the Gawler Line is about a 10-minute walk. Very accessible from the city.

From memory, much of the seating was just concrete steps and metal benches. But plenty of grassy hill.
 
I wonder if they would think about aligning any AFL clubs with their SANFL equivalents?

If a game at Brighton Oval (home of Glenelg), make it a Richmond home game.

Make the Barossa game a Bulldogs home game.

Melbourne at Norwood, etc.
Wouldn’t it be more appropriate if Bulldogs played at Elizabeth instead of the Barossa though (Central Districts alignment).
 
May 8, 2022
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Thu night- Port v rich -
Sat- 4pm - Freo v Melb -
Sat - 730 pm - Carlton v St kilda
Sun - 730pm - Brisbane v geelong

This is a rumoured draft I heard about looks realistic and sensible
I'd go to the following games
 

Ginnieboy

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What a load of s**t, NRL need it because no one turns up, we clearly do not, if it isn’t broke…..
 
Nov 26, 2016
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What a load of s**t, NRL need it because no one turns up, we clearly do not, if it isn’t broke…..

It's not really about that though.

It's about fitting in an extra round without giving half the clubs an extra home game. Probably already a part of the upcoming broadcast agreement.

Having states bid on it and staying in the news cycle in the off-season is just gravy.
 

Ginnieboy

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It's not really about that though.

It's about fitting in an extra round without giving half the clubs an extra home game. Probably already a part of the upcoming broadcast agreement.

Having states bid on it and staying in the news cycle in the off-season is just gravy.
AFLPA is going to love that, imagine if your work had a ‘magic round’ where you were required to work on top of your normal duties.
 

parano1a

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One point not addressed in the media articles about "Magic Round" is broadcast rights. It's safe to assume that at least the Thursday and Friday night games will be on Seven, but will these be additional FTA games or will they be taken from other rounds so the same number of overall games are on FTA?
 
Mar 24, 2017
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One point not addressed in the media articles about "Magic Round" is broadcast rights. It's safe to assume that at least the Thursday and Friday night games will be on Seven, but will these be additional FTA games or will they be taken from other rounds so the same number of overall games are on FTA?
I would suggest that the next broadcast deal was based on the extra 11 games and extra round that the 19th team in Tas will deliver. This is almost the same. The extra round would likely have three FTA games like almost every other round. They would be on top of the previously agreed games. This is contra from the AFL to the networks.
 
Mar 5, 2014
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As much as I hate the idea my opinion on a possible fixture

Thursday Night 7.20pm - Adelaide vs Carlton (Adelaide Oval)
Friday Night 7.50pm - Port vs Brisbane ( Adelaide Oval)

Saturday 1.10pm - Western Bulldogs Vs Gold Coast ( Suburban )
Saturday 3.20pm - Fremantle V Collingwood (Adelaide Oval )
Saturday 4.45pm - GWS vs St Kilda (Suburban)
Saturday 7.00pm - Richmond V Sydney (Adelaide Oval)

Sunday 12pm - North V West Coast (Suburban)
Sunday 3pm - Geelong Vs Essendon (Adelaide Oval)
Sunday 6.30pm - Hawthorn V Melbourne (Adealide Oval)
 
May 8, 2022
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As much as I hate the idea my opinion on a possible fixture

Thursday Night 7.20pm - Adelaide vs Carlton (Adelaide Oval)
Friday Night 7.50pm - Port vs Brisbane ( Adelaide Oval)

Saturday 1.10pm - Western Bulldogs Vs Gold Coast ( Suburban )
Saturday 3.20pm - Fremantle V Collingwood (Adelaide Oval )
Saturday 4.45pm - GWS vs St Kilda (Suburban)
Saturday 7.00pm - Richmond V Sydney (Adelaide Oval)

Sunday 12pm - North V West Coast (Suburban)
Sunday 3pm - Geelong Vs Essendon (Adelaide Oval)
Sunday 6.30pm - Hawthorn V Melbourne (Adealide Oval)
If it's all about tv ratings, how is that good?
 
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