Western Australia won’t have the possibility to play host to the AFL’s new Gather Round till no less than 2027, with the league locking in South Australia as its venue for the subsequent three seasons.
The AFL labelled the primary incarnation of the marquee spherical an “overwhelming success” and revealed it might keep in and round Adelaide on a three-year deal.
New South Wales had been within the hunt for this 12 months’s occasion, whereas WA was additionally thought-about a well-liked location, ought to the spherical turn into a rolling carnival. But solely after the newly-minted deal will different states be thought-about.
More than 60,000 folks travelled from interstate for the 9 video games, with each match-day listed as a sell-out.
Part of the deal is a trick-down neighborhood soccer fund for South Australian golf equipment.
“South Australia really turned it on. Gather Round and all the activity across the state, the nine matches, the footy festival and the community football engagement has been some of the best days and events the AFL has ever delivered,” AFL chief government Gillon McLachlan mentioned.
“It has been a success because everyone in football got behind the idea, clubs, players, corporate partners and most importantly our fans, to deliver an extraordinary few days.
“While the concept has real momentum, and we plan on taking it to other states around the country, we also feel in order for it to be as successful in the other states we need to continue to build out the concept in South Australia.”
Outgoing league boss McLachlan reiterated the idea of South Australian president Peter Malinauskas that an excellent higher occasion could be placed on with extra time to arrange.
“The reality is we only had a few months to pull this together, and we hope by locking it in now we are giving everyone a longer runway to put together a bigger and even better event, and our fans certainty around booking travel and accommodation,” he mentioned.
The AFL says it would lock within the spherical and dates for subsequent 12 months’s Gather Round inside weeks.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
