Pack your footy colours and experience footy fever in Mount Gambier before Gather Round

Footy fans are sure to get a kick out of Before the Bounce events to be held in Mount Gambier starting Saturday March 23 until Sunday 7 April.

Before the AFL Gather Round in April, footy fans travelling through Mt Gambier get to experience a full Festival of Footy with a range of footy based activities and events to celebrate the season.

The Mt Gambier community event, Before the Bounce, offers visitors and the local community a huge selection of things to do, including a free SANFL footy clinic.

City of Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin said their proud sporting city is ready to welcome visitors on their way to Adelaide.

“Council staff have done a fabulous job to pull together this event program for our residents and visitors to enjoy,” Mayor Martin said.

“We are a destination in our own right and welcome visitors who are making the pilgrimage to Adelaide for the Gather Round to kickstart their footy weekend, play and stay in our city.

“We are a proud sporting city with a particular love of Australian Rules Football.’’

The first event, on Saturday March 23 will be held at the Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre. It will display Naracoorte resident Andy Muro’s extensive football guernsey collection.

Other activities include a guernsey design competition with an opportunity to take a footy card selfie.

One of the highlights is a free junior footy clinic run by the SANFL game development staff. Held at Frew Park on Thursday 28 March at 4:30pm, the clinic will include a special display featuring the SANFL and 2024 AFL Premiership Cups.

Other fun events include a Find the Football competition with an AFL footy signed by Geelong Cats player, Brad Close.

There is also a film screening of the 1980s football classic, ‘The Club’, presented by Mount Gambier’s own drag king - Loveit Murray - on Wednesday 27 March at 6:00pm.

The council has worked with the South Australian Tourism Commission, AFL and SANFL to develop Before the Bounce.

Find out more about the Mt Gambier events  ‘Before the Bounce’.