AFL Gather Round 2024 fixture: Crows v Melbourne, Port v Essendon to kick off second festival of footy
After the huge success of its inaugural year, Gather Round will be back ‘bigger and better’ in 2024, with Adelaide and Port headlining a huge opening two nights. See the details, fixture.
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The Crows will open next year’s Gather Round against Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, before Port Adelaide plays Essendon in another blockbuster at the ground under lights on Friday.
This masthead can reveal the two South Australian clubs have been given prime time slots for the second footy festival, which is scheduled for round 4, starting April 4.
Adelaide also played the first match during the inaugural Gather Round this year when it took on Carlton, booting the opening six goals on its way to a 56-point victory.
Facing premiership contender Melbourne with the eyes of the AFL world watching will be a huge challenge for the Crows, who are determined to end a seven-season finals drought in 2024 after narrowly missing out this past campaign.
The Power and Bombers played two thrillers in 2023, the latest being when Dan Houston’s post-siren, 50m bomb in the wet at the MCG won the game for the visitors in July.
The matches might be the first time new Demon Shane McAdam and Bombers recruit Xavier Duursma face their former sides.
Having the Crows and Port feature on the first two nights ensures an SA team does not draw the majority of the crowd for an Adelaide Oval weekend double-header, leaving a host of empty seats for the other clash, as happened with the Port-Western Bulldogs game this year.
The AFL’s new chief executive, Andrew Dillon, will announce the full Gather Round fixture with South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas at Norwood Oval on Sunday.
Dillon was in Adelaide on Saturday for the Crows’ AFLW qualifying final against Brisbane at the same venue.
As this masthead revealed last month, the league was poised to stick with the same grounds for 2024: Adelaide Oval, Norwood and Mount Barker.
Dillon said he was looking forward to heading back to SA for Gather Round next year.
“Gather Round 2023 created a small slice of football history – all 18 clubs in the one state at the one time for a full round of nine matches and a celebration of footy,” Dillon said.
“South Australia really turned it on and we are excited to bring fans a bigger and better experience in 2024.”
Malinauskas said visitors who came to the first Gather Round loved it and those who missed out wished they were there.
“The city will be electric on Thursday and Friday night as Adelaide Oval plays host to the Crows and Power,” Malinauskas said.
“The race will be on for footy fans from interstate to book their flight and accommodation in South Australia for next year’s Gather Round.”
More than 220,000 fans attended matches during the inaugural Gather Round, including at least 60,000 from interstate.
South Australia will host the event until 2026.
Club/AFL members will once again get free access to their team’s matches with ticketing information released shortly.
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Originally published as AFL Gather Round 2024 fixture: Crows v Melbourne, Port v Essendon to kick off second festival of footy
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