Inside Gather Round: Biggest asset hidden in plain sight… as ‘sacrilege’ sight sums up its beauty

There’s only so many times someone — or something — can break their own record before you stop being surprised and start being impressed all over again.

That’s where South Australia’s Gather Round sits right now.

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After another record-breaking crowd of 270,018 across four days, the question around the AFL’s marquee concept continues to grow louder. Should it stay in South Australia, or is it time to take it elsewhere?

Somewhat surprisingly, state premier Peter Malinauskas and the AFL are yet to officially announce an extension; despite little doubt that a new deal will be reached.

CODE Sports’ Jon Ralph reported on Monday that Malinauskas is eyeing off a five-year deal with slight increases on the current three-year, $80 million deal. The new deal would see a new stadium built in the McLaren Vale wine area to put a fifth Gather Round venue on the map.

Once a new deal is eventually reached though, debate on where it could be played alternatively will still simmer away. But for those who have experienced it first-hand in South Australia, the answer feels increasingly obvious.

This is all messaging you’ve probably heard or read before, though.

Instead, let’s expand on one of the fixture’s most underrated assets: Norwood.

Alongside Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval has been a staple since the inaugural Gather Round in 2023. Mount Barker’s Summit Sports Park in the Adelaide Hills was the weekend’s third venue for the first two years, before football moved up north to the Barossa Valley.

Norwood’s location is convenient, sitting just a few kilometres east of both Adelaide Oval and the CBD. Home of the ‘Redlegs’ in the SANFL, the ground itself holds a heavy sentiment in South Australian state football.

The picturesque oval and unique dimensions make for a great spectacle year on year — and on either side of the first and final siren, fans are sprawling out on The Parade enjoying the best the state has to offer in food and alcohol.

It was barely past midday on Sunday when Geelong and West Coast did battle at Norwood Oval — and the dozens of pop-up stalls were already beginning to flood with people, less than 18 hours after the suburb’s monster day hosting Sydney and Gold Coast.

Entering the precinct just after 11.30am local time, there was a decent crowd departing the Food and Wine Festival en route to watch the Cats and Eagles. Barely 45 minutes later, there were lines across just about every stall in sight and approaching 1pm, you were forced to take short steps in your movements — such was the size of the crowd.

By this time, Prancing Pony beers were flying around everywhere, the lines for food were forming at pace and a number of hangovers from the night before were evaporating rapidly.

“We’ve come here (from Melbourne) every year since 2023. There’s absolutely no reason we won’t do it again next year,” one Carlton fan said of him and his mates at The Parade.

“We haven’t been up to the Barossa to watch a match just yet, but we’re hopeful we can next year … we’ve spent every other minute either here, or floating around the CBD.”

If it’s good enough for a Blues fan in 2026 to stay nearly 72 hours after an away loss, it’s clearly a winner — much like the food options at the festival.

But as has been the case all weekend and years gone by, the spectacle hasn’t come at the expense of the football — nor has it been lost on those in the coaches’ box.

Cats coach Chris Scott gave a glowing review of his side’s fixture in Norwood, as well as the fans and locals who came along to be a part of the ground’s history on Sunday afternoon.

“Just to finish off, can I just say, we really appreciated (that) there was a record crowd here at Norwood today, and it’s a bit of an honour for the Cats to be a part of that,” Scott said unprompted to round out his post-game press conference.

“For the fourth year in a row — and I would have said this if we lost the game as well — we have just had a great experience over here for Gather Round.

“I’m not necessarily supporting the fact that Adelaide keep it forever, but what I will acknowledge is, gee, they do a bloody good job of it.

“It’s just brilliant to see so many Geelong supporters out here in Norwood as well … We’re based in sort of regional Victoria, but there are Cats supporters everywhere. It’s great to get the chance to sort of take it, even though we are still in the heart of Adelaide, basically, the suburban feel, it was nice.

“They did a great job of it, so thank you.”

The concept certainly wasn’t lost on players last year, and 12 months on, players from both South Australia and interstate remain smitten at the “privilege” of being a centrepiece to the show.

“I love it. Us being able to open it and start off the weekend is such a privilege,” dashing Adelaide defender Wayne Milera told foxfooty.com.au in the changerooms on Thursday night.

“It gives South Australia and Adelaide a great buzz. If we could keep it here, it’d be perfect … I love the idea of getting out to Norwood and the Barossa. It’s great for our community, and great for our state.”

The 28-year-old has taken part in the round’s opening fixture three times in the last four years. At the other end of the spectrum these last two seasons though, it’s been their cross-town rival Port Adelaide who has closed out the weekend.

This year, it was St Kilda who the Power locked horns with on a Sunday night, with the visitors in the end coming up trumps by 14 points to round out a spectacular weekend of football.

An amusing moment amid Port Adelaide’s distinct tradition on the opening siren encapsulated the beauty that is Gather Round.

To the tune of INXS’s classic ‘Never Tear Us Apart’, Power supporters hold up their scarfs in support of the club in an often-spine-tingling practice. However, such is the neutral interest and love for Gather Round, an eagle-eyed Gerard Whateley on Fox Footy commentary picked up on an almost original sight to a Port home game.

“A Crows scarf (being held up)! Sacrilege, isn’t it?!” AFL 360 host Whateley said.

It was an observation that’s often echoed when describing Gather Round to those who haven’t been, but seeing fans from all 18 clubs in the one place is hard to appreciate until you see it in person.

Throughout Norwood, Adelaide Oval and no doubt the Barossa too this weekend, the representation of each team was prominent. Australian rules is often a sport that divides people, albeit playfully. But South Australia has a funny way of making the populous feel like one large team.

“I love Gather Round. I don’t think any other state turns it on like Adelaide when there’s a big event on like LIV (Golf) and Gather Round,” Saints young gun Windhager told foxfooty.com.au on Sunday night after his side’s win.

“We’re staying in Glenelg for the week (before playing Adelaide next Saturday). I love it there. We’ll hang out, go out for a few dinners, play a couple of rounds of golf … we did it last year too.”

Gather Round is a concept that cannot be manufactured anywhere else. That’s not to say another state or territory shouldn’t one day be granted the privilege of hosting it — because they should.

But that day is a long way off, and until somewhere else can somehow bottle that same feeling, it’s South Australia’s to lose.