Footy fans heading to South Australia for AFL Gather Round are being warned to expect an increased police presence on Victorian roads, with the new five-day Operation Constellate.

It will see police highly visible and enforcing on all major arterial routes and metro feeder roads between Melbourne and the South Australian border, from Thursday to Monday.

The police presence will also continue over the border, with South Australia Police implementing a major traffic operation on metropolitan and regional routes to Adelaide.

Road Policing Acting Superintendent Sarah Carmichael said AFL Gather Round was a fantastic event that attracted visitors from around the country to South Australia.

“We know many Victorians will be heading across the border this weekend to enjoy the festivities,” she said.

“With this in mind, Victoria Police this year will be implementing a new road policing operation dedicated to the event, with a major police presence on all major routes and feeder roads between Melbourne and Adelaide.

“We’ve also been coordinating with our partners at South Australia Police to ensure a coordinated road policing presence on both sides of the border.

“Anyone planning to make the road trip from Melbourne should expect to see a highly visible police presence all the way across to Adelaide.

“We’ve just come off a major road policing operation for Easter which saw over 7500 infringements issued, and while we certainly don’t want to be issuing penalties, we won’t hesitate to do so if we detect drivers disregarding the road rules.

“Ultimately, we will be doing all we can to ensure all motorists can make it safely to and from the event.

“Please, drive safely and most importantly, enjoy a fantastic weekend of footy.”

Last year, AFL Gather Round attracted more than 54,000 interstate visitors to South Australia, which was an 18 per cent increase on 2024.

With the drive from Melbourne to Adelaide taking approximately eight hours, motorists making the journey are being encouraged to manage fatigue by taking regular breaks and allow plenty of extra travel time with increased traffic volumes expected.

Police will be conducting roadside alcohol and drug testing at every opportunity, with motorists warned to expect to be tested anywhere, anytime.

Speed enforcement will also be a major focus of the operation, with police urging drivers to stick to the speed limit to avoid receiving an infringement.

Police are urging motorists to remain alert when travelling to South Australia this weekend, with complacency often leading to driving errors such as excessive or inappropriate speed, unsafe overtaking, failing to stop or give way, fatigue and distraction – all which have been cited as major contributing factors in this year’s fatal collisions.

For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads, people can visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.