The GIANTS will head to South Australia as part of the AFL’s four-day festival of footy, with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan today announcing an extra round of nine games is heading to the state during the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

Taking place round 5 of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, all nine games will be scheduled across four days within Adelaide and regional SA, running from Thursday April 13 through to Sunday April 16, with the round of matches coinciding with school holidays.

AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan said it was a great initiative to bring a major footy event to South Australia.

“We are looking forward to not only bringing nine great matches for Premiership points to South Australia, but also a party-like atmosphere, filled with fan activations, family-friendly events, music, entertainment, community engagement, all designed to bring the city to life over the four days,” Mr McLachlan said.

“Over the pandemic-challenged years, South Australia played an important role in the survival of our game, and we are so pleased to be able to bring this major football event into the state.

“School holidays are a great opportunity for families, and we will work with the SA Government to ensure we will have free experiences and activations at matches and around the city for all footy fans to come together.

“Our clubs, our players and coaches are excited to come together, put on a great show and engage with the local community and grassroots footy, all while showcasing the great state of South Australia.

“On behalf of the AFL, I would like to thank Premier Malinauskas, who has really taken the lead on this project, along with everyone at the South Australian Government and all footy fans across the state – your passion for this project has been infectious and we look forward to putting on a great show for you all come April.”

Match ups, timings and venues will be confirmed upon release of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season fixture in late November.

Further ticketing information including premium hospitality experiences will be released post the announcement of the fixture.

The matches will be broadcast on SEVEN, Fox Footy and Kayo.