Gather Round bid for Darwin

‘It would be huge for NT’

The AFL and NT Government have begun talks of hosting an AFLW Gather Round in Darwin in future years as plans “mature” for the women’s game to make a return to the Territory later this year.

The Sunday Territorian understands both stakeholders are in the early stages of planning a potential Gather Round for Darwin to host across four grounds.

TIO Stadium would be the main stadium used with options to play games at Cazalys Arena in Palmerston and potentially even the smaller boutique Gardens Oval situated just outside the CBD. TIO Stadium Oval 2 would also be considered as an option.

It comes as Kevin Sheedy’s idea to have the AFLW Dreamtime game in Darwin next season is under consideration at the moment.

A source said the Gather Round plans “are still being worked through” with plans “further along” for the AFLW Dreamtime match between Richmond and Essendon.

Darwin’s TIO Stadium has hosted three AFLW games before with the last match occurring in 2019 between Adelaide and Fremantle. Traeger Park in Alice Springs has hosted two matches before with the last one in March 2020 just before Covid hit.

Support for a Gather Round in Darwin has previously been backed by NT sports minister Kate Worden who supported Collingwood footballer Mason Cox when he suggested the location as an option last year.

Katherine-born ex-Gold Coast midfielder Jed Anderson, inset, then supported the calls for the round to happen in Darwin, saying “it would be huge for the Territory”. “Obviously, everyone up there loves their footy, the whole community will support it,” Anderson said.

“It would be nice to have it up there and see all the teams experience the Territory.

“It‘s a beautiful part of the country, there are a lot of things to do.”

The Territory has seen significant growth in the women’s game with 40 per cent of the game now played by women.

A large part of the rise has come from the emergence of the Tiwi Island Football League women’s competition this year.

It was revealed on Wednesday, former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and AFL champions Nathan Buckley and Andrew McLeod joined the NT’s taskforce aimed at investigating the feasibility of an NT AFL club.

Ahead of the potential bid by 2034, the NT government will provide additional funding to clubs to bring more AFL and AFLW games to the region.