EXTRA flights into and out of Adelaide during the AFL's inaugural Gather Round will be key to the League' drive to keep airfares as affordable as possible for interstate fans.
The AFL and South Australian Government are keen to attract as many supporters as possible to next season's round five fixture that will see all nine matches played in Adelaide, with the high cost of flying a potential deterrent.
However, both organising parties will work with major airlines to put on extra flights, with the League's major sponsor Virgin Australia already committing to increase capacity for the event that runs from Thursday, April 13 to Sunday, April 16.
GATHER ROUND Check out the full fixture for festival of footy in SA
"We certainly don't control pricing, but we've had a commitment from them to offer airfares at a reasonable price," Auld told reporters in Adelaide on Friday.
"But capacity is what drives that and I think there will be something like a 20 per cent increase in capacity over that weekend from Virgin.
"It's something we're committed to trying to solve. They are certainly aware of our focus on affordability."
The AFL said in a statement that Virgin had already planned more than 13,000 extra seats specifically for the round five festival, with flight capacity almost doubling between Melbourne and Adelaide.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said that Adelaide's hotels are already reporting high demand over that period, with the major airlines set to play a key role in the event's success.
"People are coming to our state for this event, it's bloody awesome, it's the whole idea, but that means there's going to be pressure on airlines," Mr Malinauskas said.
"I've already met with Qantas and Virgin on this issue and they are actively turning their minds to additional capacity, which we're grateful for.
"But there is still work to be done in that area."
The fixture will see six matches played at Adelaide Oval, two at Norwood Oval and one at Mount Barker's Summit Sports and Recreation Park in the Adelaide Hills.
Mr Malinauskas had pushed hard for a game to be hosted in the Barossa Valley to showcase the region as a tourist destination.
The League's football operations team assessed 16 venues in the Barossa in two visits to the state, but none were deemed suitable.
"In the pre-season we've got some flexibility around the requirements of a ground, but with the home-and-away season we have less flexibility," Auld explained.
"It's a game for four premiership points.
"We've got some work to do (with the Mount Barker ground), there's no doubt about that, but we've got the right people to do that work.
"The team made the assessment that it was the sort of work that can be done in a four-month period.
"The (playing) surface is pretty good, which is sometimes the hardest thing to get right, the dimensions of the oval are pretty good and the broadcasters think they can bump in what they need."
