Norwood businesses celebrate bonanza from Gather Round fame

Spending figures have confirmed what the AFL has predicted; the Gather Round was a bonanza for the leafy east.

Gather Round, GWS v Hawthorn at Norwood Oval. Picture: Russell Millard

Two AFL matches played at Norwood Oval during Gather Round have pumped $2.2 million into the suburb for dining and entertainment.

The April weekend in Adelaide, Norwood and Mt Barker was hailed a success with crowds inside and outside the venues, but the first spending figures show a 50 per cent above average spend for the weekend.

Norwood Payneham and St Peters Mayor Robert Bria said the council had for five years been recording figures from Spendmapp.

The Friday night spend in Norwood of $876,594 — coinciding with a Fremantle/Gold Cost game — broke the spending record.

“This figure represents the single largest daily expenditure on dining and entertainment based on Spendmapp data, since the Council starting collecting the data in July 2018,” Mayor Bria said.

“The Council knew that the Friday night match under lights at Norwood Oval would be very popular, and the timeslot was ideal, giving fans time to get dinner or a drink after the game.”

Spendmapp takes into account all debit and credit card transactions, and applies a weighting to make sure cash payments are included.

Norwood Mayor Robert Bria celebrating the success of Gather Round after two games at Norwood Oval. Picture: Supplied

Restaurant 400 Gradi Venue Manager Alessia Campagnaro said she had never seen such crowds on The Parade.

“The place was buzzing and normally we have a short gap between lunch and dinner but we were busy all day long, non-stop,” she said.

“We have seating for 120 and we were full inside and outside. We turned the tables around three times on the Friday night.”

Mayor Bria said the Hawthorn/Greater Western Sydney Sunday match recorded a spend of $774,184, again only for dining and entertainment.

The total weekend spend for dining and entertainment in the suburb was $2.215 million, or $730,000 more than the average weekend spend.

“These numbers are incredible and shows that AFL football is very much welcomed on The Parade given the number of hotels, cafes and restaurants fans visited before and after the two matches.”

Mayor Bria said the council-owned Norwood Oval, also benefited from $700,000 of infrastructure improvements for Gather Round, which included new coaches’ boxes, a new media box and new kiosk under the ET Smith Stand.

“The Council recently resolved to formally advise the State Government, the AFL, SANFL and Norwood Football Club of its interest for Norwood Oval to host matches as part of next year’s Gather Round.”

Mayor Bria has also written to Hawthorn Football Club Chief Executive Justin Reeves, following the Club’s interest in playing at Norwood Oval over the next three years.

Colonist Tavern manager Bree Stoldt said “We were hosting so many different people from not only around the state but the country”.

“The atmosphere that was produced was something we haven’t seen for a long time on The Parade and we really hope The Parade gets the opportunity to host again next year,” she said.