Gather Round’s SA future in doubt as Tassie Devils enter AFL

The entry of the AFL’s 19th team could spell trouble for Adelaide’s hopes of holding onto the popular footy fest.

• Exclusive: Barossa gets its Gather Round wish

The AFL is already planning to hold future Gather Round events outside SA, with the state facing the possibility of missing out on the event as early as 2028.

Documents reveal the league has begun making contingency plans for when a 19th team comes into the competition in four years, planning to hold three Gather Round events per season.

9 NEWS revealed the first event could take place in the Opening Round in Victoria and Tasmania to help celebrate the introduction of the Tassie Devils into the competition, while the second could be in Sydney over the Easter holidays.

But the documents reveal the third event could be alternated annually between Adelaide and Perth, meaning SA faces the prospect of losing the event in the future.

It comes despite AFL chief Andrew Dillon signalling he wants Adelaide to be the permanent Gather Round host.

Asked at a business breakfast if he saw Gather Round as a South Australian fixture going forward, Mr Dillon said this depended on the state continuing to get return on its investment.

But he said the “great thing” about SA hosting Gather Round was basing it around Adelaide Oval, which he branded an “iconic venue” that was “brilliantly situated”.

“We’ve got three years … or this year plus another two and if the way it’s gone … the sequels not often better than the original but it looks like we’re going to improve on what happened last year,” he said.

“And if we can continue to improve and the fans come in from interstate, because that’s really important for South Australia.

“It’s a good investment that the South Australian Government’s making and we don’t take it for granted.

“But we know for South Australia continuing to invest they need to get the economic impact. So as long as we can continue to see that.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and SA Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“The great thing I think about South Australia is to be able to base it around the Adelaide Oval, which is just such an iconic venue, so brilliantly situated.”

Mr Dillon, the AFL’s chief executive officer, was speaking at the Gather Round Breakfast, presented by the Sydney Swans, at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Asked if he saw Gather Round as something owned by SA, Swans chairman Andrew Pridham, a Rostrevor College and UniSA graduate, said every state should have something to identify with AFL.

He said AFL Opening Round in New South Wales and Queensland had been “a huge success” that should be “here to stay”.

Sydney has been viewed as a competitor for Gather Round. Mr Pridham did not directly endorse Adelaide as the permanent host but talked up his hometown.

“It’s fantastic and I think Adelaide really being on show, it just shows what a great place South Australia to the whole of Australia – our corporate partners are here, for example,” he said.

“And not only is it a great place to visit, it’s great for education, food, wine – it’s a good place to live, a good place to do business and I think it’s a great showcase.”

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Asked if Sydney could host Gather Round, former Geelong premiership captain Joel Selwood, a Channel 7 footy commentator, said “it’s going to be hard to get off Adelaide”.

“I think the Premier’s has done a great job working with the AFL to get it to where it’s at. Thinking back to last year there was probably only about a three month lead-in to get ready … they got a good run at it this year and it’s got that sort of Grand Final feel to it being around town,” he said.

“So wish Sydney all the best but it’s gonna be really hard to get off Adelaide. It just works so well, being close to all parts of the world.”

Speaking later at the Gather Round Business Lunch alongside Premier Peter Malinauskas, Mr Dillon was asked if the concept would work anywhere else in Australia.

Mr Malinauskas promptly declared: “No, I’ll answer that for him.”

Mr Dillon then said: “I can’t give away any negotiating positions but, look, it’s an incredible city, Adelaide, for a Gather Round, just because, as I said, the Adelaide Oval is such a great venue and so central and then everything can flow from there.”

Treasury Wine Estates chief executive officer Tim Ford told The Advertiser Gather Round should be locked in for Adelaide.

“Gather Round has quickly become a festival of football that Adelaide brings to life, I expect better than any other city can. So when you’re onto something special like it has become, it makes sense just lock it in and build on it rather than debate it,” said Mr Ford, who heads one of the world’s biggest wine companies.

It comes as Port Adelaide senior coach Ken Hinkley staunchly defended South Australia’s right to host Gather Round, saying there was no better place in the country to have it.

Ahead of the second Gather Round kicking off, interstate clubs have moaned that the festival of footy gives Adelaide and the Power an unfair advantage by giving them an extra home game and creating an “imbalance” in the fixturing.

With the extra game at Adelaide Oval as part of Gather Round, the Crows and Power play 13 games in SA this year – including the two Showdowns.

Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon play 17 of their 23 home and away matches this season in Melbourne., while Melbourne, Richmond and St Kilda play 15 games in the Victorian capital.

The Tigers and Saints also play a match each an hour out of Melbourne in Geelong.

Geelong coach Chris Scott said this week that if Gather Round was to remain in Adelaide, then the Crows and Power should face off in a Showdown.

“I’m not sure that the two Adelaide teams should just get an extra home game against an away team,” he said on SEN.

“The clear and obvious solution to the compromise is that there should just be another Showdown.”

On Thursday Hinkley rejected this suggestion and said he believed no other state could do Gather Round better than SA.

“That is Chris’ opinion I suppose,” he said.

“I think Gather Round is in a great spot, I think it is in the right town.

“If someone can do it better than what last year was it will probably be Adelaide this year, because we are doing it pretty well already from what I can see.”

Hinkley also said the argument of too many games at Adelaide Oval for the Crows and Power did not make sense.

“Without going tit for tat, the MCG has the grand final every year,” he said.

The SA Government will host Gather Round until 2026 after the roaring success of last year’s inaugural edition.

There are plans to host a game in the Barossa Valley next year.

Hinkley backed the Government to hold onto Gather Round.

“What you look at is results and results say it is going to be hard to be better than Adelaide,” he said.

“The premier (Peter Malinauskas) is doing a good job, I’m sure he can make sure we can keep it.”