AFL Gather Round should be locked in as a South Australian showpiece until 2059 | Michael Mkoka-Nicholson

Why 2059? If it’s good enough for the Vics to hog the Grand Final for decades to come, SA should be rewarded for creating footy’s ultimate party, argues Michael Mkoka-Nicholson.

There are certain moments in sporting history we all tend to remember exactly where we were when they happened.

Cathy Freeman’s 400m Sydney Olympics gold medal run.

The Matildas’ penalty shootout against France to progress to the World Cup semi-final.

And in 2018, when Eddie McGuire opened the Footy Show with news that the AFL Grand Final would be staying in Victoria until at least 2057 (of course the precious Vics were later granted an MCG Grand Final extension until 2059 because of Covid.)

OK, sure, that last one might not sit on the same pedestal as the other two, but as South Aussies in an Australian Rules mad state, the mere thought of that last day in September does tend to bristle the diehards (read: me).

Then Gather Round came along.

In 2023, no one (myself included) could ever have imagined how Gather Round would be embraced by the whole state, not to mention the rest of the footy world.

The vibe was very “AFL Grand Final weekend in Melbourne” – scarfs and team colours of all denominations wandering around the CBD, Norwood and Adelaide Hills, experiencing all that our city and state has to offer.

What Gather Round means to South Australia is more than just playing nine games of footy across the weekend.

It’s the eyes of the country on our city and regions that consistently punch above their weight but fly under the radar on the national stage.

It’s having our legends of the game and folklore on show for the rest of the competition to see on shows like The Front Bar or any of the Fox Footy programs.

It’s getting to show off to the rest of the country why South Australia’s footy atmosphere is second to none.

Tay Crawford, Charlotte Nenke, Jess Meachin, Sam Stones and Grace Mulvahil show their colours for Gather Round. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

WA and Queensland got the Grand Final during the Covid years. Expansion regions get a leg-up from the AFL with concessions or Opening Round concepts. So why shouldn’t South Australians finally get their seat at the table and enjoy the fruits of our successes as the biggest footy market outside Victoria?

While the conspiracy theorist in me thinks throwing Adelaide a crumb of the AFL showcase pie might have been to satiate the loudest among us calling for a rethink on the Grand Final location – at this point, we’ll take it.

When even Eddie McGuire is on the side of the Croweaters, you know we must be doing something right.

Now on the eve of year 2 for the concept, we’re about to see it get bigger and better – not to mention the GLORIOUS weather forecast for the weekend.

Week for it ☀️#GatherRoundpic.twitter.com/1LVUlXn0cc

— AFL (@AFL) April 2, 2024

“(With) 38 per cent of ticket sales from outside South Australia, compared to 32 per cent last year, we have seen genuine growth on last year. Everything is heading in the right direction,” says Gather Round commander-in-chief Peter Malinauskas.

What the Fringe and the Festival does for the arts and the economy in South Australia, so too can Gather Round – just with a sport-obsessed flavour instead.

Now there’s only one thing left to do, Pete – get that events cheque book out and lock it in until 2059.

Michael Mkoka-Nicholson is The Advertiser’s audience development editor and a long-suffering Crows supporter. Should Gather Round stay in SA until 2059? Leave a comment below.