The Barossa is very much an away game for South Australian natives Caleb Daniel and Sam Draper in this AFL Gather Round.
As local players who have made it good interstate, Daniel and Draper were obvious choices to front the press conference on the eve of Saturday's North Melbourne versus Brisbane match.
There was just one detail that might not impress the Barossa locals - Daniel and Draper came through local club South Adelaide, an hour and a half down the other end of Adelaide, and they'd love their old patch to host the regional Gather Round games.
This is the second year of two games at Lyndoch Recreation Park in the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide, after Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills was the early venue for the Gather Round games outside of the city.
Not surprisingly, South Adelaide and nearby McLaren Vale are lobbying to host future matches.
"I'm a big advocate for this. South Adelaide is a perfect venue for a Gather Round game - they have the wineries down there, they have nice beaches, there's a train line ride next to the stadium," said Draper, the Lions ruckman.
"So hopefully they can get some funding and get a game down there."
Not that Draper has anything against the Barossa - he has 30 family and friends coming to Saturday's game.
"We're the early game, so they can watch the footy and head to a winery afterwards," he said after Friday training at the venue.
North Melbourne's Daniel similarly spruiked for the regions immediately south of Adelaide.
"It would be amazing, for a McLaren Vale game. Footy is massive down south and everyone loves it," he said.
Setting aside which famous SA wine producing region should host games, Saturday's clash will be a barometer for the improving Kangaroos.
They are coming off two wins and now play the two-time defending premiers, who will welcome back two of their co-captains, Harris Andrews and Hugh McCluggage.
Brisbane belted North in the first two Gather Rounds, but there is sense early this season that the Kangaroos are starting to close the gap to the best sides.
"We're really excited. We've started the year pretty positively and it's going to be an amazing challenge to come up against the reigning premiers and we're in really good nick as well," Daniel said.
"It is a real challenge, a real test."
There was further good news for North on Friday, with forward Jacob Konstanty signing a two-year extension.
Draper is also in a good frame of mind, three games into his comeback from an Achilles injury that ruined last season for him.
He also has moved from Essendon to the Lions.
"There are times when you're in rehab and you have some thoughts, 'I don't know if I will ever be back to where I was before'," he said.
"So it's nice to be able to see the hard work is paying off."
