AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon expects Premier Peter Malinauskas to push for an early extension to Gather Round contract

As Gather Round gets ready to kick off, rumours over its future in SA begin to swirl. So what does the AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon have to say?

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says he expects Premier Peter Malinauskas to push for an early extension of the SA’s Gather Round contract. Picture: Dean Martin

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says he would be very surprised if South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas didn’t push for an early extension of the state’s Gather Round contract during next week’s third edition of the festival of footy.

Fans from across the country will descend on SA next week when the third Gather Round kicks off – with games to be played at Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval and the new Barossa Park at Lyndoch.

South Australia’s contract to host Gather Round expires next year and Dillon was expecting Malinauskas to push for a renewal when they meet across next week.

“I’d be very surprised if he didn’t,” Dillon said.

Malinauskas said he was determined for SA to keep Gather Round, but the state had to earn the right to continue hosting it.

“We would love to be able to extend Gather Round, no doubt about it,” he said.

“But I’m very clear minded about the fact that we can’t just expect Gather Round to come our way every year.

“There is a competition in the market for it that is understandable given its success.

“So we have to earn the right.

“We don’t want to take it for granted, I think we have demonstrated to the AFL that we are serious about it.”

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said he hoped to see SA continue to invest in infrastructure for the event such as Barossa Park. Picture: Dean Martin

Dillon said seeing investment in facilities was a key desire of the AFL.

“For us it is continuing to see investment in infrastructure, the Barossa Park which will now be an incredible facility not just for the two AFL games that we have this year and possibly next it will be an amazing infrastructure legacy for the people of the Barossa,” he said.

“And it is not just AFL, it is cricket, little athletics and netball.

“So it is continued investment in facilities, we are seeing great growth in community footy in South Australia.

“Those are the sort of things I want to see.”

Birds of Tokyo take flight

Aussie rock band Birds of Tokyo will be performing at the free entry Norwood Food & Wine Festival on Sunday 13 April as part of Gather Round. Picture: Kane Hibberd.

Meanwhile, alternative rockers Birds of Tokyo have been announced as headlining the Norwood Food and Wine Festival – to coincide with the St Kilda v GWS Giants clash at Norwood Oval on April 13.

The Aussie group will perform at the popular street party, which was revived for last year’s footy feast.

A secondary release of tickets for some Gather Round matches will also be announced on Tuesday, allowing fans to snap up a limited number of seats for selected matches, including Port Adelaide v Hawthorn match on Sunday, April 13, and Adelaide v Geelong on Thursday, April 10, both at Adelaide Oval.

Both matches at a new site in Lyndoch, in the Barossa Valley, remain sold out.

Frontman Ian Kenny said the band, who will take to the main stage at 6pm, was thrilled to be entertaining footy fans next month.

Birds of Tokyo is one of several music acts announced for the four-day Gather Round festival. Picture: Kane Hibberd.

“We are super excited to be heading back to Adelaide for a festival of footy celebrating South Australia’s amazing food, wine, beer and spirits,” Kenny said.

“Birds of Tokyo has a long and special history with the AFL, and we’re proud to be extending that in Norwood as part of Gather Round.”

Kicking off at 11am, the food and wine festival on the Parade will also feature a host of dedicated watch zones for footy fans to tune into all the action throughout the day.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said more than 100,000 tickets were sold for Gather Round in the four hours after they went on sale.

“With a host of blockbuster matches, entertainment offerings and amazing South Australian hospitality on offer, it continues to be one of the hottest tickets in town,” Dillon said.

Fans heading to the Norwood Food & Wine Festival can travel free on the City-Norwood shuttle bus with a valid Gather Round match ticket.

Birds of Tokyo is one of several music acts announced for the four-day festival.

Electro-pop duo Sneaky Sound System will close the weekend with a pre-match performance on Adelaide Oval prior to the Port Adelaide v Hawthorn clash.

They will also perform a set in The Pepsi Collective, an entertainment space in the stadium’s Magarey Room.

Electronic-hip hop duo Hermitude, aka Elgusto and Luke Dubs, will kick off the festival of footy with an on-field performance before the opening match between the Crows and Cats on April 10.

Adelaide Oval will be the centrepiece for the event, which will feature all 18 clubs playing in South Australia from April 10-13. Norwood Oval and Barossa Park at Lyndoch will also host two matches each.

Originally published as AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon expects Premier Peter Malinauskas to push for an early extension to Gather Round contract