{"id":603837,"date":"2026-04-13T09:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/603837\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T09:52:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:52:13","slug":"inside-fourth-edition-of-gather-round-the-sacrilege-sight-of-never-tear-us-apart-and-beauty-of-norwood-oval","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/603837\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside fourth edition of Gather Round, the sacrilege sight of Never Tear Us Apart and beauty of Norwood Oval"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s only so many times someone \u2014 or something \u2014 can break their own record before you stop being surprised and start being impressed all over again.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where South Australia\u2019s Gather Round sits right now.<\/p>\n

Watch every match of every round of the AFL Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

After another record-breaking crowd of 270,018 across four days,<\/a> the question around the AFL\u2019s marquee concept continues to grow louder. Should it stay in South Australia, or is it time to take it elsewhere?<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

CODE Sports\u2019 Jon Ralph reported on Monday<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

SA government seeking Gather round deal | 03:45<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

This is all messaging you\u2019ve probably heard or read before, though.<\/p>\n

Instead, let\u2019s expand on one of the fixture\u2019s most underrated assets: Norwood.<\/p>\n

Alongside Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval has been a staple since the inaugural Gather Round in 2023. Mount Barker\u2019s Summit Sports Park in the Adelaide Hills was the weekend\u2019s third venue for the first two years, before football moved up north to the Barossa Valley.<\/p>\n

Norwood\u2019s location is convenient, sitting just a few kilometres east of both Adelaide Oval and the CBD. Home of the \u2018Redlegs\u2019 in the SANFL, the ground itself holds a heavy sentiment in South Australian state football.<\/p>\n

Cats pull away to smash Eagles | 01:14<\/p>\n

The picturesque oval and unique dimensions make for a great spectacle year on year \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

It was barely past midday on Sunday when Geelong and West Coast did battle at Norwood Oval \u2014 and the dozens of pop-up stalls were already beginning to flood with people, less than 18 hours after the suburb\u2019s monster day hosting Sydney and Gold Coast.<\/p>\n

Peter Malinauskas speaks to media on Sunday afternoon, the final day of 2026\u2019s Gather Round at the Norwood Food & Wine Festival on April 12, 2026 (Photo by Tim Joy\/The Advertiser)Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 such was the size of the crowd.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

One of South Australia’s more iconic beers brands, Prancing Pony, is surely a favourite of Fremantle’s Patrick Voss.Source: Fox SportsAnd if beer doesn’t tickle your fancy for an alcoholic beverage, South Australia is the absolute last place in the country you won’t be able to find a wine option.Source: Fox SportsA trio of recognised labels set up shop in front of BankSA\u2026 smart!Source: Fox Sports<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve come here (from Melbourne) every year since 2023. There\u2019s absolutely no reason we won\u2019t do it again next year,\u201d one Carlton fan said of him and his mates at The Parade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t been up to the Barossa to watch a match just yet, but we\u2019re hopeful we can next year \u2026 we\u2019ve spent every other minute either here, or floating around the CBD.\u201d<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s good enough for a Blues fan in 2026 to stay nearly 72 hours after an away loss, it\u2019s clearly a winner \u2014 much like the food options at the festival.<\/p>\n

A spiced chicken flatbread for the ages!Source: Fox SportsThere was plenty of gourmet food on offer for attendees.Source: Fox Sports<\/p>\n

But as has been the case all weekend and years gone by, the spectacle hasn\u2019t come at the expense of the football \u2014 nor has it been lost on those in the coaches\u2019 box.<\/p>\n

Cats coach Chris Scott gave a glowing review of his side\u2019s fixture in Norwood, as well as the fans and locals who came along to be a part of the ground\u2019s history on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust to finish off, can I just say, we really appreciated (that) there was a record crowd here at Norwood today, and it\u2019s a bit of an honour for the Cats to be a part of that,\u201d Scott said unprompted to round out his post-game press conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the fourth year in a row \u2014 and I would have said this if we lost the game as well \u2014 we have just had a great experience over here for Gather Round.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just brilliant to see so many Geelong supporters out here in Norwood as well \u2026 We\u2019re based in sort of regional Victoria, but there are Cats supporters everywhere. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did a great job of it, so thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Gather Round record of 9,434 people attended Geelong vs West Coast at Norwood Oval on Sunday.Source: Fox Sports<\/p>\n

The concept certainly wasn\u2019t lost on players last year,<\/a> and 12 months on, players from both South Australia and interstate remain smitten at the \u201cprivilege\u201d of being a centrepiece to the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it. Us being able to open it and start off the weekend is such a privilege,\u201d dashing Adelaide defender Wayne Milera told foxfooty.com.au in the changerooms on Thursday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives South Australia and Adelaide a great buzz. If we could keep it here, it\u2019d be perfect \u2026 I love the idea of getting out to Norwood and the Barossa. It\u2019s great for our community, and great for our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old has taken part in the round\u2019s opening fixture three times in the last four years. At the other end of the spectrum these last two seasons though, it\u2019s been their cross-town rival Port Adelaide who has closed out the weekend.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Port fans during “Never Tear Us Apart” during the 2026 AFL Round 5 match between the Port Adelaide Power and the St Kilda Saints at Adelaide Oval on April 11, 2026 (Photo by Sarah Reed via Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesA general view of play during the Round 5 AFL match between Port Adelaide Power and St Kilda Saints at Adelaide Oval, on April 12, 2026 (Photo by Quinn Rooney\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

An amusing moment amid Port Adelaide\u2019s distinct tradition on the opening siren encapsulated the beauty that is Gather Round.<\/p>\n

To the tune of INXS\u2019s classic \u2018Never Tear Us Apart\u2019, 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. <\/p>\n

\u201cA Crows scarf (being held up)! Sacrilege, isn\u2019t it?!\u201d AFL 360 host Whateley said.<\/p>\n

It was an observation that\u2019s often echoed when describing Gather Round to those who haven\u2019t been, but seeing fans from all 18 clubs in the one place is hard to appreciate until you see it in person.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Bombers FINALLY celebrate a win | 02:11<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Gather Round. I don\u2019t think any other state turns it on like Adelaide when there\u2019s a big event on like LIV (Golf) and Gather Round,\u201d Saints young gun Windhager told foxfooty.com.au on Sunday night after his side\u2019s win.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re staying in Glenelg for the week (before playing Adelaide next Saturday). I love it there. We\u2019ll hang out, go out for a few dinners, play a couple of rounds of golf \u2026 we did it last year too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gather Round is a concept that cannot be manufactured anywhere else. That\u2019s not to say another state or territory shouldn\u2019t one day be granted the privilege of hosting it \u2014 because they should.<\/p>\n

But that day is a long way off, and until somewhere else can somehow bottle that same feeling, it\u2019s South Australia\u2019s to lose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s only so many times someone \u2014 or something \u2014 can break their own record before you stop…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":603838,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[64,63,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-603837","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=603837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/603838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=603837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=603837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=603837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}