Mihocek’s neck injury was ‘millimetres from disaster’

Gather Round sealed in South Australia until 2029

Sam McClure

The AFL has locked away one of its biggest success stories, with the league and South Australian government agreeing to extend Gather Round through to the end of 2029.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas will announce the three-year extension in Adelaide on Thursday morning after months of negotiations over the future of the festival.

The deal ensures South Australia retains hosting rights, with the current deal due to expire after this year, and provides certainty for what has become one of the AFL’s marquee events.

Gather Round has delivered significant economic benefits to South Australia, with the 2025 edition generating an estimated $113 million in economic impact.

Several new initiatives are expected to be incorporated into future Gather Rounds as part of the extension.

Reports in Adelaide have suggested that a Friday afternoon street parade featuring players and coaches from every club will begin from 2027, while Adelaide will also host an AFL Hall of Fame function during the festival.

There is also a preference for the reigning premiers to feature in a grand final replay at Adelaide Oval during the round.

The extension also gives the South Australian government time to pursue plans for a potential new venue in the McLaren Vale region, which could further expand Gather Round’s footprint beyond Adelaide, Norwood and the Barossa.

One challenge looming on the horizon is the arrival of the Tasmania Devils in 2028. With 19 teams in the competition, the AFL will need to determine how Gather Round accommodates an odd-numbered competition, with possibilities including one club playing twice or an alternative fixture arrangement.

More to come

King reflects on ‘eerie’ Mihocek incident

Danny Russell

Steven King has described feeling guilty at having to coach out a match after watching key forward Brody Mihocek carted from the MCG with a serious neck injury that was “millimetres away from disaster”.

The Melbourne coach said it was “eerie” seeing Mihocek driven head first into the MCG turf during the second term of Melbourne’s eight-point victory over Collingwood on the King’s Birthday weekend.

Mihocek, 34, was taken to hospital during the game to have surgery on a fractured neck. He has been up and walking around.

“I’ve seen some lower-limb injuries in my time that have been pretty horrific, but that one was next level in terms of potential of serious repercussions,” King said on Thursday morning.

“It was pretty eerie and moving on with the game didn’t seem the right thing to do at the time.

“Then seeing Brody and his family down the rooms at half-time, and that was probably a reminder, and even the players running out, seeing Brody again, that you question your own mortality a bit from a footy sense, it was pretty bad.

“You’re not really thinking about the game. You go to [his wife] Polly and Brady’s dad and just make sure they’re OK, and you feel a bit guilty walking away, then trying to think about coaching the rest of the second half.”

King said it was important to remember Mihocek was the victim in the incident and people needed to understand the player did not contribute “at all”.

But the Melbourne coach was also quick to clear Collingwood defender Billy Frampton of any blame.

Frampton was hit with a three-match ban by the match review officer for his second-term tackle that led to Mihocek’s injury, but the decision was overturned by the AFL tribunal on appeal.

“I didn’t follow the actual tribunal,” King said. “To me, that was irrelevant.

“All my thoughts and prayers are with Brody and his family, but I actually felt like reaching out to Billy as well, because I feel like he was just playing the game as well. It’s just one of those terrible accidents.”

King said the Demons had not given any consideration to Mihocek’s path back to football.

“We’ll get feedback from our docs around what the next steps are, but that’s the last thing on our minds at the moment, asking him to think about when his return date is,” he said.

“It’s just, let’s just tick off the first week, and make sure everyone’s okay.

“At the moment I can’t really speak for how he’s feeling because he’s the one at home, away from his teammates in a neck brace – millimetres from disaster, or potential disaster.”

King praised Melbourne’s medical team for being “the difference between where Brody’s at now and what could have potentially happened”.

“It’s uncharted for me to sort of stand here and think it’s one of those ones where you just say it’s fortunate he’s still with us,” the Demons coach said.

King acknowledged it had been an emotional week for the Demons, following a state funeral for former coach Neale Daniher at the MCG on Wednesday.

“I haven’t been to a funeral like that before,” he said. “I mean, we’ve been to state funerals and stuff, but I felt like that was, it was a celebration, but it was really emotional as well, just to hear a bit more about the man, more as a father and grandfather and coach, and then the whole MND cause as well.”

King said it was significant the Demons were playing Daniher’s old club Essendon at the MCG on Saturday.

Melbourne will be looking to atone for the last time they met, a 45-point win to the Bombers – their sole win for the year – at Adelaide Oval during Gather Round.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.