Premier Peter Malinauskas launches fresh push for AFL Gather Round to be hosted in South Australia permanently

Premier Peter Malinauskas has used the AFL Grand Final to convince Katy Perry to tour Adelaide – and to press for SA to become the permanent home for Gather Round.

A fresh push to make South Australia the permanent home of AFL Gather Round has been launched by Premier Peter Malinauskas., who wants to extend hosting rights beyond 2026.

Pressing the case at the AFL’s Grand Final function on Saturday, Mr Malinauskas pushed the need to capitalise on the success of the first two Gather Rounds based in SA, centred on Adelaide Oval.

The Premier used the same high-powered networking function to convince pop superstar Katy Perry to add Adelaide to her 2025 Australian tour.

Premier Peter Malinauskas and AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon at Adelaide Oval in July, when they announced dates for the 2025 AFL Gather Round. Picture: Dean Martin

Mr Malinauskas said he did not expect a deal with the AFL to be reached quickly but insisted he was “always keen to strike while the iron’s hot”.

“Our argument to the AFL is basically around the fact that if you give it a longer term future in South Australia, then it gives not just the state government but other operators, the opportunity to invest and make something out of it, because you can do it with a degree of certainty,” he told FIVEaa.

“Whereas if you’re chopping and changing all the time, it undermines the case for, you know, a Barossa Valley business to invest in the exercise or the Barossa Valley Council in the way that they are to get a Gather Round game next year.

“So, longevity brings with it certainty, certainty brings with it the capacity to plan for the future. That’s one of our arguments. And, like I said, we’ll press it any chance we get.”

AFL chief Andrew Dillon in April signalled he wanted Adelaide to be the permanent event host.

Premier Peter Malinauskas and AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon at Adelaide Oval in July. Picture: Dean Martin

Asked if he saw Gather Round as an SA fixture going forward, Mr Dillon 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”.

“It’s a good investment that the South Australian Government’s making and we don’t take it for granted,” he said at the time.

“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.”

Speaking at the Gather Round Business Lunch in April alongside Mr 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.”