AFL Academy to feature during Gather Round

The 2023 AFL Academy will be on show in South Australia during Gather Round…. A festival of footy.

Round Five of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season fixture will be played in South Australia, with Gather Round to feature nine matches, four days, three venues and all 18 AFL clubs descending on Adelaide for a round of footy like never before.

The AFL Academy will arrive in South Australia on Thursday, April 13 for their second training camp of the 2023 program. It follows a camp that was held in Melbourne in December.

A feature of the upcoming camp will be the AFL Academy playing an exhibition match as a curtain-closer to the Round 5 AFL game between the Brisbane Lions and North Melbourne at Adelaide Hills (Summit Sports and Recreation Park, Mount Barker) on Saturday, April 15.

An opponent will be confirmed shortly.

The AFL Academy features a selection of the most talented male footballers across the country. All players were aged 17 as of January 1, 2023 and will be eligible in the 2023 AFL Draft.

National Academy Manager, Tarkyn Lockyer, said: “We are thrilled to have the AFL Academy come together in South Australia and experience the excitement of Gather Round.

“The players selected in the AFL Academy represent the future of the AFL and we look forward to them putting their talents on show in front of South Australian football fans.

“Players in the AFL Academy take part in high performance and personal development programs which have been established to best prepare them for entry into elite football programs.”

AFL Head of Talent Pathways, Grant Williams, said: “We acknowledge the support of the South Australian Government, Mount Barker District Council and SANFL and thank them for providing the opportunity for the AFL Academy to take part in this exciting festival of footy.”

Continue below to view the 2023 AFL Academy squad.