AFL Gather Round 2026 kicks off again, celebrating all things Footy in South Australia over one action-packed weekend – 18 teams, 9 games, and one massive Festival of Footy. This year’s forum puts a spotlight on innovation and partnerships, exploring how local governments, schools, sporting organisations, planners, and facility managers can work together to unlock better community outcomes.
As demand for community sport and active spaces rises, partnerships are no longer just beneficial – they are essential.
Join us at the SANFL’s brand-new High-Performance Centre to explore how local government, education, and sporting organisations can work together to make our spaces work harder, smarter, and for more people.
Why attend?
Future focused insights: Unpack practical ways to manage land use and flexible activity spaces.
Exclusive access: Take a guided tour of the state-of-the-art Footy Park Precinct.
Diverse perspectives: Hear from a multi-layered group of presenters across government, planning, and elite sport.
Valuable connections: Build the cross-sector relationships needed to drive your next collaborative project.
This forum is ideal for:
Local government: Managers, Planners, and Asset Owners.
Education: School Business Managers and Principals.
Sport: SSOs, NSOs, and Recreation Officers.
Facilities: Project Planners and Facility Managers.
Limited bonus tickets available!
Through our partnership with the SANFL, we have a limited allocation of tickets for the Essendon v Melbourne match. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis for forum attendees only. Register now and opt-in to ensure you don’t miss out on the Festival of Footy’s biggest Saturday match.
Hosted by Hayley Ashworth, President, Parks & Leisure SA / NT
A full agenda can be viewed below which features keynote presentations from Hawthorn Football Club and Flinders University.
About Gather Round Gather Round will return to South Australia from Thursday 9 April to Sunday 12 April, following the incredible success of the last three years. Gather Round 2026 will again see a round of the Premiership Season fixture played in South Australia, with nine matches over four days, and all 18 clubs descending on Adelaide and South Australia. The 2026 event dates will coincide with school holidays in Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Research has shown that interstate visitors make up 33% of match attendances for Gather Round. The event achieved $91.6 million economic contribution and contributed to 191,696 visitor nights in South Australia, with interstate visitors spending on average 4.5 nights in the state. For more information head to: 2026 Gather Round – AFL.com.au |