Corporate high-flyers jet into Adelaide on special flights to be wined and dined at AFL Gather Round

Corporate high-flyers have jetted into Adelaide to be wined and dined at AFL Gather Round, while airlines have scheduled extra services.

Corporate high-flyers have jetted into Adelaide to be wined and dined at a string of business events held during AFL Gather Round, while airlines have scheduled extra services and charter flights to accommodate an army of footy fans.

Powerhouse Victorian clubs have gone to great lengths to ensure sponsors have the chance to experience the best South Australia has to offer.

A fully-booked flight chartered by Collingwood for corporates will land on Sunday ahead of a business brunch that morning.

Anthony Koutoufides was on board a Virgin Australia flight for Carlton players and fans from Melbourne to Adelaide on Thursday. Picture Supplied

The group will spend the day in Adelaide before the Pies’ evening clash with Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval.

Carlton offered 50 places for key corporates on a Blues on Tour trip, which included airfares, accommodation, premium reserve seating, and a Guard of Honour experience hosted by past club champions Greg Williams and Brendan Fevola.

Company heads from Adelaide and interstate – about an even split among the 300 guests – attended a lunch at Adelaide Town Hall on Friday hosted by the club’s corporate network, Carlton IN Business.

Corporates who made the trip included Penfolds, Virgin Australia, Bupa, AMPOL, Hyundai, Fujitsu and Visy.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said this year’s Gather Round had attracted not only football fans from across the nation but also business leaders, investors and representatives from some of Australia’s biggest companies to Adelaide.

A special Virgin Australia “fan flight” took players, fans and the media from Melbourne to Adelaide on Thursday. Picture Supplied

“This year, the AFL clubs are taking things up a notch, with most teams hosting events for business and coterie groups here in Adelaide,” he said.

“The eyes of the country are on us, and this is an opportunity for investors and business leaders to enhance their appreciation of what the South Australian economy has to offer.”

A special Virgin Australia “fan flight” took Carlton players and fans, as well as members of the media, from Melbourne to Adelaide on Thursday afternoon ahead of the Blues’ clash with the Dockers at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

AFL Today Show host Jaymz Clements was on board and said there was a real buzz among fans.

He said passengers ran through a football banner when boarding and, once on the flight, there were scarfs on every seat, prize giveaways and player interviews over the loudspeaker.

“You could see how, if you were a fan, it would absolutely make your trip that much better to be on the team plane,” he said.

“It would definitely make your start to Gather Round a bit peppier than being on any other normal flight.”

Premier Peter Malinauskas said AFL clubs were “taking things up a notch” this year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

A Virgin Australia spokesman said the airline was committed to helping footy fans get to and from Gather Round.

“In 2023 we flew more than 60,000 guests to and from South Australia during the week of the event, and this year we have more than 70,000 seats scheduled to and from Adelaide from 2–9 April,” he said.

The schedule has included up to 11 return flights per day from Adelaide to Melbourne, up to seven to Sydney, up to five to Brisbane, up to four to Perth, up to two to the Gold Coast, and daily flights between Adelaide and Alice Springs, Canberra, Hobart and Launceston.

An Alliance Airlines spokesman confirmed the airline was operating charter services to support interstate visitors attending Gather Round.

He said Alliance had also been called in to assist other carriers that had boosted their capacity for the weekend.

The Sydney Swans held a networking breakfast at the Convention Centre on Friday morning, while the Brisbane Lions said about 1000 members had travelled to SA and were participating in “a range of tourism and sponsor-led events”.