South Australia is closing in on a return to State of Origin after securing the AFL's Gather Round for another three years.
After weeks of negotiations, the league's chief executive Andrew Dillon and SA Premier Peter Malinauskas confirmed one of the showpieces of the AFL season would continue in the state until 2029.
There was no announcement on Thursday morning about State of Origin though, with SA keen to be involved after the success of this year's WA v Victoria revival in Perth. But that is expected soon.
Next year's Gather Round, which has been an early-April fixture since it started in 2023, will have a player parade in the Adelaide CBD for the first time.
"We've built something really special that continues to grow, year on and year on and year on," Dillon said at the Adelaide Oval announcement.
"We're really excited to build on this magnificent event we've built with the SA government.
"It's everything that Adelaide and SA brings, that's made it the perfect home for Gather Round.
"It was a bit of a no-brainer to extend it for the three years that we've done."
The obvious threat to SA continuing to host Gather Round beyond 2029 will be the Tasmania Devils joining the AFL from 2028.
Gather Round attracted more than 270,000 fans this year and, unlike the unsuccessful Opening Round experiment, has become a feature of the AFL season.
Apart from Adelaide Oval, the round also features two games at suburban Norwood Oval and another two matches at a regional venue.
The Barossa Valley has hosted games over the last two years and there is a push for the McLaren Vale region to be the next venue outside Adelaide.
But dates and grounds are yet to be confirmed for next year.
