Gees sounds like a lot of work to do when you see South Australia is already getting double the amount of money from their AFL Gather Round. Is Magic Round getting stale?
NRL in race to reimagine Magic Round as rival AFL event doubles profits
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The NRL is in a race to “reimagine” its showpiece annual Magic Round in Brisbane, as Adelaide toasts its $114m AFL Gather Round juggernaut this weekend.
The AFL copied the concept of holding all games in one home-and-away round in a single city from the NRL in 2023 — but in just three years it now brings in double the amount of money for South Australia than what Magic Round does for Queensland.
Queensland’s deal for Magic Round, which began in 2019, is set to run until 2027.
Events guru Tony Cochrane believes the showpiece can be “reimagined” to rival the AFL’s festival.
It is understood some major additions are being planned for this year’s event, including a four-day closure of Caxton Street to create a festival environment in the precinct, with activations across almost 20 sites throughout the city.
Additionally, Tourism Events Queensland confirmed it had sent an observer to Adelaide ahead of Gather Round.
Mr Cochrane, a former chairman of the Gold Coast Suns AFL team and the man credited with turning the Supercars racing series into a powerhouse of Australian sport, is also the state’s new “special envoy” for major events.
He said Magic Round could bring in new ideas and initiatives, including the possibility of taking games beyond Suncorp Stadium to broaden the event’s reach, as Gather Round does with matches in suburban Adelaide and even the Barossa Valley.
Queensland Rugby League CEO Ben Ikin said the success of Magic Round showed it did not need to copy the AFL product.
“While Gather Round might have some elements that are worth looking at, Magic Round is a wonderful event,” he said.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
