AFL 2023 All the news and features from Gather Round
The vibe was fantastic at Norwood Oval, but a logistical issue left impatient punters thirsty. And the league needs to learn the lessons of its first crack out in the burbs.
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This is what Gather Round is truly about.
The iconic Norwood Oval was absolutely heaving on Friday evening as the footy festival in Adelaide truly kicked off.
Gather Round officially kicked off with a bang on Thursday night at Adelaide Oval when the Crows thumped Carlton in front of a packed crows at the city’s big venue.
But the true spirit of Gather Round was on show on Friday evening as Fremantle and Gold Coast went into the burbs and played out a thriller in front of a packed crowd at the iconic venue.
Where else would a Dockers and Suns clash be sold out with a first bounce of 4.40pm or there would be so much atmosphere for such an off-Broadway clash?
The Parade was pumping as fans of all clubs, both AFL and SANFL got among the festivities.
At the Colonist, just a few hundred metres from the ground, there were fans wearing the following colours: Adelaide, Essendon, Melbourne, Hawthorn, GWS, Richmond, Sydney, St Kilda, West Coast.
That’s not to mention the many Fremantle and Gold Coast fans that descended on the eastern suburbs of Adelaide.
And don’t forget those Norwood diehards who donned the red and the blue for an AFL home and away debut at the iconic ground on the Parade.
But while footy fans were able to enjoy a pre-match beverage with ease, it became a lot harder when they got into Norwood Oval.
With less bars than what was usually operational for a SANFL game lines for drinks quickly snaked around the iconic hill at Norwood Oval.
Punters were left thirsty, impatient and annoyed.
“I’ve been thirsty since quarter time,” Jordan Meseldzija said as he waited in line for a drink as the halftime siren sounded.
“We’ve been waiting a fair while to get a drink.”
Cade Parsons of Salisbury East said he nearly had to wait for two quarters for a drink.
“It has been bloody too long,” he said.
“We pretty much missed the first quarter waiting in line for a drink.
“The only good thing is that we are watching the footy.”
Gather Round has been styled as being for the fans, and they have flocked or are flocking to all the venues in and around Adelaide.
But on more than one occasions the food and beverage situation at Norwood Oval was described as a “logistical nightmare” by fans.
Some feared for what interstate visitors to Adelaide for Gather Round would think after having to wait for 40 minutes to an hour for a drink.
And it wasn’t just the alcoholic beverages that were either in short supply or fans had to wait a long time for.
At halftime at one canteen there was just one Coke and a Fanta left.
But the old oval still has its charm.
The brick wall might have been covered in signage, and the AFL’s sponsors have completely taken over.
But there was still the suburban footy feel to the AFL clash that organisers banked on when they scheduled two games at Norwood Oval.
On the expansive hill, with the old southern stand in sight, Richmond fan Michael Bird of Doreen could not help but be impressed with the sight of Norwood Oval hosting an AFL game.
His main engagement for the evening was at the Sydney and Richmond clash at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
But he and his friends couldn’t help but popping into Norwood Oval to catch a glimpse at what an AFL match at the iconic ground would look like.
“I wouldn’t normally be watching these two (Fremantle and Gold Coast) live,” he said.
“But I think it is really nice, I like it (the ground a lot).
“I think it is just really different to a normal footy ground.”
Many of the fans like Michael didn’t have a horse in the race on Friday night.
Those who did support either team loved were loving the clash under lights justy out of the CBD.
There was a lot of purple, with the Dockers James Aish still a fan favourite and every touch the former Norwood star had was cheered loudly.
While the Suns fans might be hoping they have more games at Norwood Oval, so significant was their support out of the Gold Coast.
South Australian Mitch Powell has normally been in the minority when the Suns play at Adelaide Oval.
But at Norwood Oval he was revelling being on more equal terms.
“It is incredible,” he said.
“Normally we are outnumbered 95-5 at Adelaide Oval but here it has been 60-40 or even 50-50.
“It has been incredible.”
The crowd was electric, and Norwood Oval looked an absolute a treat on the big stage.
But when it next rolls around when Hawthorn take on GWS, and should AFL action return in the future, then the league needs to learn the lessons of its first crack at the big time out in the burbs.
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