South Australia’s Premier Pushes for Long-Term Gather Round Contract
South Australia’s premier is continuing to advocate for a long-term contract to host the AFL’s Gather Round, but has indicated that any major announcement is unlikely to happen this weekend. The event, which marks its fourth year, kicked off today after the state secured a three-year hosting rights deal following the success of the 2023 event.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon expressed optimism about ongoing discussions with Premier Peter Malinauskas, calling them “fruitful.” However, he acknowledged that the negotiations are complex and emphasized that the timing of any agreement would depend on what makes the most sense for both parties.
“We’ll continue to have the discussions, and if it makes sense to do it this weekend, then we’ll do it. If it takes two weeks or two months later, we’d do that as well,” Mr. Dillon said.
Mr. Malinauskas has set his sights on securing a more enduring fixture for the state on the AFL calendar. He stated that discussions about an extension would take place over the coming days, weeks, or even months if necessary.
“Making sure that Gather Round remains on everyone’s bucket lists, that when you come once, you want to come back a second time … means we have to innovate, we have to keep it fresh,” he said.
“We’ve got a few ideas about how we can achieve that, but that’s only going to be realized if we’ve got some certainty around a deal beyond one year.”
When asked whether he was open to a one-year deal in the interim, Mr. Malinauskas said: “I think going into those sorts of specifics starts to run negotiations through a forum like this [press conference], which is just not good practice.”
Speaking on Channel Nine last night, Mr. Malinauskas said he was willing to invest more into Gather Round if assured the event would be held in SA for several years.
“If the AFL make it a year-in-year-out proposition, I think they’ll do themselves a disservice, and also footy itself,” he said.
“So, give us the long-term contract, we’ll invest into the future and make more locations like the Barossa.”
Mr. Malinauskas noted that there were more hotel bookings this year than at the same time last year, and other metrics — such as visitor arrivals at the airport and across the border, as well as ticket sales — pointed to an event “as big as last year’s, maybe a little bit bigger again.”
Mr. Dillon agreed, adding that the federal government’s cut to the fuel excise and efforts to secure supply have boosted confidence for travellers to drive across state lines.
“Gather Round works here, we can see by the number of people travelling from interstate, we can see it by the ticket sales, we can see it by the broadcast ratings around Australia,” he said.
The government previously estimated that 20,000 fans drive to SA for Gather Round, but some supporters last month were reconsidering due to fuel costs and supply concerns.
The state will play host to all 18 AFL teams from April 9 to 12 across three venues, including one in the Barossa Valley, about an hour’s drive from Adelaide.
