The AFL's Gather Round is one game down, and is continuing to gather momentum.
But the future location of the fixture remains almost as much of a hot topic as the matches themselves, as football fervour continues to build in Adelaide ahead of the weekend's eight remaining games.
The highly anticipated inaugural showcase event got underway at Adelaide Oval last night with a barnstorming victory by the Crows over Carlton.
"We got out of the blocks incredibly last night — nearly 48,000 people there," AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan told ABC News Breakfast.
But the public enthusiasm, reflected in ticket sales, has the AFL confronting a selection headache: where to hold Gather Round next year?
"We've got to execute over the weekend but all the tickets are all sold," McLachlan said.
"We look at what's happened here, you look at a state that loves football, [it's] accessible, a city that people can get to all the different ovals, great suburban ovals, the hills, the Barossa — I think they're the attributes that have made this work.
"We will make an assessment on Monday — I know New South Wales and WA are keen but this state has done a hell of a job."
McLachlan backed up those comments on radio station 3AW, saying while he had originally "anticipated moving it next year if it worked", it may not become a travelling roadshow just yet.
"Adelaide just feels the right spot," he said.
"The fact that it's in the middle of Australia and people can drive from Melbourne, you can get here from Perth pretty easily — there are so many Western Australians here — and there are people from everywhere, that's an asset as well.
"Probably it's got its roots down here and needs to be here for a while."
That might come as music to the ears of the SA government, which — while investing taxpayer funds to secure hosting rights — has expended much energy over the past week spruiking the tourism and financial gains.
"We were hoping for good crowds that would be respectable," SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said this morning in Mount Barker, where tomorrow's match between North Melbourne and Brisbane will be held.
"But for all games to be sold out has just demonstrated the value of this event, that the risk was worth taking.
"Gather Round is South Australia at the moment and hopefully it stays that way for some time to come."
Airport has busiest day since start of COVID
The level of investment has not been revealed, with the government previously saying that the details are "commercial-in-confidence", but the level of interest in the round has been reflected at Adelaide Airport.
The airport's executive general manager of terminals, Dermot O'Neill, said the site is currently having its busiest day since COVID-19 began to impact travel.
"[There will be] 34,000 people through our airport today, our busiest day in over three years, a terrific start to the next four days where we're going to see over 115,000 people through our airport," he said.
"A lot of people here for Gather Round, it's the start of the school holidays … [and] you can come down and see the AFL Premiership cup."
The AFL's Laura Kane likened the enthusiasm for the event to "Grand Final week", and expects Gather Round to become an annual fixture.
She said the round also marked the first time in AFL history that all nine games have been sold out.
"Did I think every game would sell out? Maybe not — but really pleased to see that it has," she said.
"If you can't come and you have a ticket, please give it to someone who can, or return it via the official channels. Last night we had 1,000 people return their tickets and all tickets were sold to new fans."
Players themselves have also given the round the thumbs up.
Brisbane star midfielder Lachie Neale — who learned his trade in the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League in South Australia's south-east — said it was "really special" to play an elite game on a regional oval.
"It's not very often you get to play a 'country' sort of game in your home state," Neale said this morning at Mount Barker's Summit Sport Park, which sits not far from the peak that gives the town its name.
"I love the backdrop. Even just looking out over my right shoulder, it's magic."
