The AFL has confirmed on Friday morning that the inaugural magic round will be held in South Australia in 2023.
League chief Gillon McLachlan and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas are fronting a press conference in Adelaide, outlining details of an extra round that will mean each team will play 23 games over 24 rounds next season.
South Australia successfully outbid NSW for the right to the round held in the Easter school holidays, which is expected to add at least $500,000 to each club’s coffers, with money going into football departments, and to players through their collective bargaining agreement, of which a new deal is under negotiation.
Matches will be held at several venues, with Adelaide Oval the primary base.
The magic round is based on the NRL concept, where all 18 clubs heading to the one state to play a round of football. It’s expected this will encourage supporters to travel, and boost tourism. The league will also host several events across the weekend.
The extra round means there will be one less meaningless pre-season game, a boost for players worried about injury heading into the season proper.
The AFL will also confirm whether South Australia hosts the magic round in 2024, or if it is immediately rotated.
More to come
