South Australia has been confirmed as the location for the AFL’s inaugural festival of football.
Based on the NRL’s Magic Round, Adelaide will play host to all nine AFL games across four days next April.
All 18 AFL teams will play in South Australia in round five next year, with matches to be scheduled from April 13 to 16.
The festival adds an extra round of games to the season, increasing from 23 to 24, with one bye for each team.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said SA premier Peter Malinauskas “pestered” him to secure the “legacy” round, with the state edging out early frontrunner NSW.
Up to six games will be played at the Adelaide Oval, while suburban venues and possibly a ground in the Barossa Valley could host the remaining matches.
“We are looking forward to not only bringing nine great matches for premiership points to South Australia, but also a party-like atmosphere, filled with fan activations, family-friendly events, music, entertainment,” McLachlan said.
“Over the pandemic-challenged years, South Australia played an important role in the survival of our game, and we are so pleased to be able to bring this major football event into the state.
“School holidays are a great opportunity for families, and we will work with the SA government to ensure we will have free experiences and activations at matches and around the city.”
Jack Ginnivan. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Malinauskas said he was “so excited” South Australia had earned hosting rights.
“I can’t wait to welcome fans from across the country who will get to witness a truly unique round of footy and also experience everything South Australia has to offer,” he said.
“And for South Australian footy fans, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience footy like never before.”
Malinauskas had a major crack at NSW and the NRL – which has staged its Magic Round at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium since 2019, although the event did not go ahead in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The objective was to get it here first, we didn’t want to be anyone’s sloppy seconds, particularly Sydney’s,” he told reporters.
“Turn on the NRL most weekends and the crowds look like a SANFL game.”
The match-ups will be confirmed later in November when the AFL releases the 2023 fixture.
the watcher
Guest
This may be good or it may well be a dud. For a start it means an extra home game for the crows and port, which adds a bit to both teams. More importantly, though for the other interstate teams it almost certainly means losing another opportunity to play in Melbourne. Odds are the league will not want to have some sort of high drawing teams playing the Crows and Port, which could be like Richmond, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong and possibly West Coast. It would almost certainly not have games between the big Vic clubs in Adelaide either. Equally. they wouldn't be taking a derby game off the interstate teams, as they already play each other twice. So what you are left with is potentially games that are often shuffled off to Ballarat, Darwin, Alice Springs, Hobart and Tasmania being played in SA. But seriously, is anyone going to go to see say GWS play the dogs in SA? or Brisbane play North. And if it was say Sydney or Brisbane playing Melbourne or Geelong, wouldn't both sides feel they are missing out if the return game isn't either a home game or at least a game on the MCG or Docklands as the interstate teams are lucky if they get more than 1 game at the G each year. There is going to be fraught for finals places come the end of the season if we have as close a season as we had this year.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I'm picturing some dark, foreboding forest in Grüntelsmayer
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Agree Rowdy a bit of Hansel & Gretel (AFL)if you throw the breadcrumbs & they are evenly spread you can find your way back to home base in one piece.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Who knows; probably not the AFL. There'll need to be a big rethink and redesign on how all this is done.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
They are doing their usual walk both sides of the street
Chanon
Roar Rookie
The entire umpire fraternity would feel let down by this one umpire & in some way they must feel like accomplices in this saga. Guilty by association. Be very interesting to see how the AFL handle the fall out.
RT
Roar Rookie
The umpires agree on the votes. So the ump in question would know the votes in all 10 games he umpired where the betting irregularities occurred. The AFL say the Brownlow result was not compromised, but have they checked with all other umpires in those games that this umpire was not pushing for particular votes that were not aligned with his colleagues?
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Dam ive always the silly question on whether somebody does watch the umpires as much as what players are looked at for doing dodgy things. I expect a refund on all brownlow bets now.lol. :laughing:
J.T. Delacroix
Guest
I’ve got nothing against playing a round in SA, Rowdy. That’s fine with me. Growing up in Mildura, we had a few summer holidays in SA. It’s a nice place. Not happy with the ‘Magic Round’ title though. Makes little sense, & more importantly, Peter V’landy’s (the NRL visionary) probably came up with it & that doesn’t help anything. Just saying.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water’ l wonder if the AFL brain trusts are wondering how to mitigate this disaster.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
I was just about to let you know but you beat me to the pun.h :stoked:
ScottyJ
Roar Rookie
Now hearing its Michael Pell. Was already tarnished after Cripps getting off for what he did to Ah Chee.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
At least with McDonalds, you get a burger and chips for your 10 bucks, and you don't need to believe in magic sticks to get it. But getting eternal salvation through Hillsong could end up costing you many tens of thousands of dollars.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Really gee wiz this is a huge conundrum for the AFL this could be a catalyst for change on how the votes are conducted in future. Questions remain on how one umpire could have access to other umpires votes apart from Stevic votes. Once again intriguing :shocked:
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Well it says AFL. Obviously done to get me and you engaged. I don't mind, l love a stoush.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I don't get why they are.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Did you, or did you not, use "baseless ad hominems"? You can chose what you want to think about but if you don't change you mind you are wrong.
ScottyJ
Roar Rookie
I'm hearing Stevic.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
I miss the VFL. I was quite happy when it wasn’t a national comp. I don’t mind a bit of inclusive reflection on our flawed society but there might be a need for a “Round” Round to indicate nothing in particular is being recognised.
Tony
Roar Guru
I look forward to his comments on the Brownlow Medal arrests