The game is sold out but those who missed out on tickets can still get involved through community screenings at Stephen Street, Mount Barker and Wallis Cinemas Mount Barker.

For information about where to catch all the action both before and after the game, head to the Mount Barker District Council website.

Further information about all AFL Gather Round matches can be found on the official AFL website.

Hills Football

Beyond the AFL Gather Round, the Adelaide Hills footy league is also a thriving competition that really heats up when the months turn cold. Hills footy is hard and hectic, thanks to inter-village sporting rivalries that go back over a century.

How do I get my fix of Hills footy?

The present league (Hills Football League, formed in 1967) is the largest outside of Adelaide and hosts 19 clubs. Each Saturday, ovals across the region reliably fill up, with crowds at their most feverish when finals start in August. Juniors usually enjoy first bounce at 9am, but you might be best arriving for 2.30pm when the Div 1 A-Grade teams face off. By this time, the braziers are roaring, the barbecues are sizzling and the home crowd and visitors are desperately trying to outdo each other, either by exercising their vocals or honking their car-horns.

A few basics. Entry will be around $7, a snag or a burger will set you back around $5 and if you really want to fit in, you should wear chequered flanny (several layers) and uggs. The piece de resistance is a ute, reverse-parked and suitably accoutred in the back with chairs, doona and esky. As well as local colour, a few ovals are enhanced by sublime country surrounds (Nairne, Macclesfield and Kangarilla are prime examples) as well as very supportive local pubs.

Reflecting the standard of play, you might see a few famous names on the field, and thanks to long-standing rivalries, some grudge matches are guaranteed to please: look out especially for Bridgewater-Bremer vs Mount Lofty, Birdwood vs Gumeracha, and Hahndorf vs Mount Barker. See the fixtures.