Gather Round whispers: All the off-field news and drama from footy’s biggest festival
South Australia pushed hard for the Sheffield Shield final to be played at the iconic Adelaide Oval, only to be turned down by the AFL. But has a peace deal been struck after the verbal stoush?
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On Saturday Barossa Park will become the 51st venue to host an AFL game.
At the Gather Round official function prior to the Adelaide and Geelong clash to kick-off the footy festival, AFL boss Andrew Dillon did concede that 12 months ago when he stood on the patch of ground at Lyndoch he had some concerns about whether it could become an AFL ground in time.
But driven by SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, the redevelopment of the oval was done in time and now sits as the jewel of this year’s Gather Round.
So no wonder Dillon was looking for some advice to get the proposed Macquarie Point stadium in Hobart off the ground.
“Premier just a quick one, I’d like to know what you said to the builders, there is a venue in another state that I wouldn’t mind to get a wriggle on,” Dillon said on a strong speech to the packed out room in the McLachlan Room.
The tide might be turning Dillon’s way on that one.
Revelations this week that the author of an independent economic review into the proposed stadium in Hobart - Dr Nicholas Gruen - met with anti-stadium activists before he was formally appointed to conduct the review and before the appointment was public knowledge has had the Tasmanian Government looking to fast-track the stadium through parliament.
Dr Gruen’s report claimed the stadium’s proponents had over-estimated the benefits of the project, and underestimated its costs, as well as lashing the government’s handling of it.
But in the original report Dr Gruen did not disclose that he met with anti-stadium activists - including Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan - prior to being appointed to do the review.
It is fair to say those people Dr Gruen did interview as part of his report from the footy, and stadium world, have not given the report any credence.
One person spoken to said the report had no idea of what an oval could generate outside of sporting events.
FRIENDS AGAIN
Sitting next to each other at the function on Thursday was Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough and AFL footy boss Laura Kane.
How much do we reckon they would have spoken about the failed bid by the SACA to get the Sheffield Shield final played at Adelaide Oval between two AFL games?
That looked to be the first real test of the good relationship between the SA Government and the AFL.
Even Dillon being called a “d**khead” by Hough’s mentor Les Burdett hasn’t hurt the relationship with the AFL boss joking that Burdett was along with former CFMEU Victoria secretary John Setka and his teenage daughters in calling him that.
BT’S BIRTHDAY
It’s fair to say Brian Taylor’s 63rd birthday was not forgotten on Thursday.
Channel 7 brought up a cake to the media centre at Adelaide Oval while at the Bespoke Bar on the eastern side of the ground - his Triple M colleagues serenaded the former Collingwood and Richmond forward with a happy birthday song.
SA’S $55K PLAY TO SWAY MEDIA BIGWIGS
One of the smartest things South Australia Tourism and government has done to ensure there is always interstate buy-in when it comes to Gather Round has been the annual media lunch.
And this year they took it to another level.
Last year’s edition at renowned Italian establishment Fugazzi - with its New York-style interior - was so good and so loved by the contingent that there was serious consideration of holding it there again.
Instead this year’s one was held at the recently opened Station Road on the ground floor of Festival Tower.
And with SA premier Peter Malinauskas pitching for Gather Round to stay in the state, they brought out the big guns.
Fresh off a birthday party for one of Australia’s billionaires, Penfold’s chief winemaker Peter Gago was rolled out for the lunch featuring many of the AFL media big-hitters.
And with him was a magnum of Penfold’s iconic Grange that cost upwards of $55,000 — yes $55,000 that was donated by the renowned winery.
With the Bin 95 flowing at Station Road, you are going to be hard pressed to find a media figure from interstate who is going to say that Gather Round should be held somewhere that isn’t SA in the future.
With bigwigs from the AFL, broadcast partners Foxtel and Channel 7 as well as other media outlets, in attendance Malinauskas said if SA is allowed to continue to host Gather Round they will continue to invest in it.
At the end of the main long table Malinauskas was on was Fox Footy general manager Michael Neill and Channel 7 and Triple M commentator Brian Taylor along with Taylor’s fellow Channel 7 talent Nick Riewoldt.
In an ad promoting their exclusive coverage of every game on a Saturday, Fox Footy and Kayo had a reference to Taylor at the end of it - which we understand did not go down all that well at Channel 7.
But no Grange was spilt between the two.
POWER TABLE
On Wednesday night at the welcome dinner at Penfolds Estate, host Hamish McLachlan looked at the main table and remarked if you want anything to be done, that’s where you go to.
Malinauskas, as he will do all this weekend, took up his place at the centre of it, with News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller next to him.
Next to Miller was powerful Federal Labor senator Don Farrell, while AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon was on the other side of Malinauskas.
Opposite the premier was AFL Commission chair Richard Goyder at one of the best nights of the AFL calendar, with guests saying it did not disappoint as it returned to Magill after being held on the Glenelg foreshore last year.
But we have been told it was nowhere near as lavish as the one held at the Magill Estate venue for the inaugural Gather Round in 2023.
Not only was the guest list reduced but the Grange cellars weren’t opened up like they were two-years ago - with the real expensive stuff was originally for the top table featuring previous AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan and Malinauskas.
On that occasion one enterprising state politician made sure he was always either talking to or near Malinauskas when his glass needed a refill so the Grange kept flowing for him.
At the function were Carlton chief executive Brian Cook and Eddie McGuire, in the aftermath of the former Collingwood president saying Blues coach Michael Voss will be sacked if they don’t beat West Coast on Saturday at Adelaide Oval.
Other chief executives there included Adelaide’s Tim Silvers, Port’s Matthew Richardson, West Coast’s Don Pyke - while Tasmania’s Brendon Gale was also an attendee.
PORT COOK UP
There hasn’t been much sizzle in Port Adelaide’s sausage so far this season, but Zak Butters and Sam Powell-Pepper hope to change that this weekend.
While the Power aim to save their season from sliding even further in Gather Round’s grudge match finale on Sunday, on Friday Butters and Powell-Pepper have a different task - manning barbecues from 2pm at Coles in Findon, just down the road from the club’s Alberton base.
It’s fair to say the reaction to this club-backed appearance two days out from the game made for some fertile comments on Port Adelaide’s Facebook page from frustrated fans upset at the 1-3 season start. At least there should be plenty of sizzle come Sunday night!
MARKETERS MISSED A TRICK
You can’t escape what you are flying into at Adelaide Airport as Gather Round steps up a notch, but the AFL’s marketeers missed a chance to dive a little deeper into the Jack Ginnivan-Ken Hinkley rivalry.
Fans stepping off planes from all over the country were greeted with almost life-size 3-D cuts out of some of the stars of the AFL’s travelling circus, featuring a player from every team in the match-up set down for Gather Round.
But it was Ginnivan’s fellow mosquito fleet member Nick Watson who was the Hawks’ player used alongside Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee.
Ginni will be flat when he flies into Adelaide on Friday and sees the missed opportunity; the Wiz - who loves the limelight almost as much as his teammate - won’t be.
Originally published as Gather Round whispers: All the off-field news and drama from footy’s biggest festival
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