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.
