Gather Round your footy team

Footy fans are being encouraged to get up close to their favourite AFL teams and players with a series of Gather Round open trainings and clinics, as South Australia’s Festival of Footy returns for 2026.
 
Locals and visitors alike can get along to more than two dozen open training sessions and footy clinics in a rare opportunity to connect with the best players from all clubs across the AFL.
 
The opportunity coincides with the release of a new travel app which will make it even easier for local and interstate footy fans to discover the best of the state and everything AFL Gather Round has to offer.
 
With the big weekend of footy action approaching, the Explore South Australia app will allow fans to quickly and easily check fixtures, find details of club appearances and Festival of Footy events, and search nearby hospitality and experiences wherever they are in the state.
 
Fans can also filter events by club, ensuring they’re able to cheer on their team at every stop.
 
The app has been launched ahead of the Gather Round, with a footy festival takeover listing all 18 teams’ open training and footy clinics, player appearances, and what events can help keep the footy fun rolling beyond the final siren.
 
Opportunities include:
 
Tuesday 7 April
Port Adelaide Footy Clinic
4.00-5.00pm, Alberton Oval
 
Wednesday 8 April
Carlton Open Training
3.30pm-4.30pm, Sturt FC
Adelaide Crows Footy Clinic
11:30 - 12:30pm, Glenelg Oval
Adelaide Crows Open Training
5.00-5.30pm, Glenelg Oval
 
Thursday 9 April
Fremantle Open Training
10.30-11.30am, Sturt FC
Melbourne Open Training
3.00-4.00pm, South Adelaide
Collingwood Open Training
4:00-5.00pm, West Adelaide
West Coast Eagles Footy Clinic
4.00-5.00pm, Glenelg Oval
 
Friday 10 April
North Melbourne Open Training
9.00-10.00am, Barossa Park
Melbourne Open Training
10.00-11.00am, Glenelg Oval
Brisbane Lions Open Training
11.30am-12.30pm, Barossa Park
Western Bulldogs Open Training
2:30pm - 3:30pm, North Adelaide
Gold Coast SUNS Open Training
3.00-4.00pm, Norwood
Essendon Open Training
3.30-4.15pm, Sturt FC
Hawthorn Open Training
3.00-4.00pm, West Torrens FC
Sydney Swans Open Training
4.00-5.30pm, Norwood
Richmond Footy Clinic
3.30-5.00pm, Central Districts FC
Essendon Footy Clinic
4.15-5.15pm, Sturt FC
 
Saturday 11 April
Geelong Cats Open Training
9.30am-10.00am, Norwood
Geelong Cats Footy Clinic
10.00am-11.00am, Norwood
Port Adelaide Open Training
10.00-11.00am, Alberton Oval
West Coast Eagles Open Training
10.00-11.00am, West Adelaide
Collingwood Footy Clinic
10.30am-11.30am, Woodville West Torrens FC
Richmond Open Training
12.00-1.00pm, Central Districts FC
GWS GIANTS Open Training
3.15-4.15pm, Tanunda FC
GWS GIANTS Footy Clinic
4.15-5.00pm, Tanunda FC
 
Sunday 12 April
Hawthorn Footy Clinic
10:30 - 12pm, Woodville West Torrens FC
 
Monday 13 April
St Kilda Footy Clinic
10.00am-11.15am, Woodville West Torrens FC 
 
The Explore South Australia app, developed by the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), will help users year-round explore more of the State’s world-class hospitality, renowned experiences, and unique accommodation.
 
It also provides personalised suggestions and real-time information to users, so tourism experiences are easier to find and simpler to book.
 
Key features of the Explore South Australia app include:

• Location based exploration of tourism products via interactive maps
• An AI powered travel quiz delivering personalised travel recommendations
• A trip planner integrated with southaustralia.com to build itineraries and find saved favourites
• AI chatbot powered by content on southaustralia.com to help with trip planning
• Offline access to previously downloaded maps and itineraries

 
The app is being cross promoted via the official AFL Gather Round guides and in Uber vehicles, to ensure thousands of visitors know it’s available and ready to help them make the most of their time in South Australia, for AFL Gather Round, and through the year.
 
Tourism operators can maximise their presence on the app by creating or updating their Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) listing, ensuring their business information, including location and opening hours, is up-to-date.
 
The app is available to download on the Apple Store and Google Play. For more information go to southaustralia.com
 
Premier Peter Malinauskas said it’s an exciting time both for footy fans and for our state.
 
“We’re encouraging fans to really soak up the Gather Round atmosphere and get up close to their favourite teams and players during a series of open trainings and clinics,” he said.
 
“We are also launching the new Explore South Australia app which will help kick goals for our visitor economy when thousands of footy fans flock to South Australia for AFL Gather Round and beyond.”
 
“With Gather Round in SA fast becoming a favourite among fans, the new app makes it even easier for supporters to get the most out of the weekend, with fixtures, club appearances and Festival of Footy events all in one place – and of course the world-class hospitality offerings across our state.
 
For locals and those coming across the border, this new app will turn a trip to the footy into the ultimate weekend exploring South Australia.”
 
Tourism Minister Emily Bourke said the Explore South Australia app is a fantastic resource for travellers visiting South Australia and locals looking for something new, while providing another way for our tourism operators to reach consumers.
 
“Answering the question; what’s good, open and nearby? in real time will translate to visitors spending with local businesses, booking more tours, eating at more of our restaurants, and attending more local events that are exactly what they are looking for,” she said”
 
“If you're here for a visit, or if you live in and love SA and want to see more, download the Explore South Australia app to spend less time searching and more time exploring the abundance of simple pleasures found right here.”