No immediate Gather Round deal as SA seeks longer term and Tasmania’s 2028 entry adds complexity

A fresh AFL Gather Round deal is unlikely to land this weekend, with South Australia pushing for a longer-term arrangement and the league weighing changes ahead of Tasmania’s entry in 2028.

Appearing together in Adelaide on Wednesday, SA Premier Peter Malinauskas and AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said they want the right deal rather than a rushed one, even though there had been hopes an extension to the current three-year agreement might be announced by Sunday.

Interest from other states has added to the negotiating complexity. “All good agreements reflect win-win arrangements and we’re focused on that,” Malinauskas said, adding both sides agreed it was “better to get it right than rushed.” He said interstate visitor numbers over the next four days were expected to match or even exceed last year’s, despite fuel price concerns, noting hotel bookings were ahead of the same time in 2023.

Dillon was upbeat about the concept remaining in Adelaide, calling Gather Round “unique” and saying it “works really well” in South Australia. Asked if it would be silly to move the round from Adelaide and its neighbouring regions, he replied: “I’ve been accused of a lot of things and silly is one of them.” He said an announcement would come when ready: “If it makes sense to do it this weekend, we’ll do it.

If it takes two weeks or two months later, we’ll do that as well.” Tasmania’s entry will reshape the fixture, Dillon said, indicating the league would move to 22 or 24 rounds from the current 23 when the 19th team joins. “There’s complexity, when you’re talking about an additional game that wasn’t part of the collective agreement,” he noted.

“We have a 19th team coming into the competition… which means we’ll have a new competition structure.” South Australia has hosted Gather Round since its inception. Organisers expect strong crowds again this year, with the event returning to the Barossa after games were played there for the first time last year.

A 10c-per-litre fuel discount is available on the AFL app for fans driving from interstate. This is the fourth year of Gather Round, which has become a highlight of the AFL calendar. Round five will also be the first time this season that all 18 teams are playing.

Dillon said SA had “put its best foot forward over four years” and that “all of Australia has embraced Gather Round”, while Malinauskas argued the event brings people together in a way that Australian rules football uniquely can. Both sides signalled further discussions in the coming weeks, with no fixed timetable for a new agreement.