AFL in Cairns

Lensen

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Feb 23, 2003
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You want to be the strongest code everywhere
Again, why? Why is obliterating NRL in Cairns more important than rewarding existing supporters in Tassie with their own team?

I mean, I know the AFL spin on it - that the infinite growth of money in the game is the be all and end all. I'm genuinely curious why anyone who's merely a supporter of the game feel this way?
 
Apr 19, 2013
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I was watching a report on the ABC the other night on the governments plans of developing North Queensland particularly Cairns, two main points of the story were relocating public servants from Canberra and New Port to Cairns and making Cairns the home of Australia's main navy base. With the international airport extension tacking place in the near future and talks of a second casino being built up there it got me thinking how quickly the population will boom and how the AFL can grow/cement the game in the area.
The NRL already has the North Queensland Cowboys based in Townsville and I feel like it would be a wasted opportunity to grow the game if the AFL didn't do more than just play one game for points a year up there alongside a small local comp.

Have you seen the Cairns casino? It aint anything special.

Who knows between NZ, Cairns & Tas.
 

Bender571

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Again, why? Why is obliterating NRL in Cairns more important than rewarding existing supporters in Tassie with their own team?

I mean, I know the AFL spin on it - that the infinite growth of money in the game is the be all and end all. I'm genuinely curious why anyone who's merely a supporter of the game feel this way?

Because a larger supporter base leads to a larger talent pool* which leads to a better quality players and game.

*the OP mentioned growing the game with more games played there, not an additional team so the current pool isn't being diluted.
 

Lensen

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Feb 23, 2003
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Because a larger supporter base leads to a larger talent pool* which leads to a better quality players and game.

*the OP mentioned growing the game with more games played there, not an additional team so the current pool isn't being diluted.
Fair enough. I'd argue the more money in the game = the more bloated coaching groups become = the more analysis etc is put in = a less entertaining product. But that's an opinion only and can see your point of view.
 

Kreuuuzeurns

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Sep 25, 2013
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Again, why? Why is obliterating NRL in Cairns more important than rewarding existing supporters in Tassie with their own team?

I mean, I know the AFL spin on it - that the infinite growth of money in the game is the be all and end all. I'm genuinely curious why anyone who's merely a supporter of the game feel this way?

Mate I'd give Tassie a team tomorrow if I could, as I said before they deserve it as much as anyone but until that's possible we have to expand Cairns and Alice Springs and even NZ.

I do get where you are coming from, but we won't be getting a 19th team for atleast 10 years. Gotta keep expanding until we can.
 
Sep 3, 2002
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I was watching a report on the ABC the other night on the governments plans of developing North Queensland particularly Cairns, two main points of the story were relocating public servants from Canberra and New Port to Cairns and making Cairns the home of Australia's main navy base. With the international airport extension tacking place in the near future and talks of a second casino being built up there it got me thinking how quickly the population will boom and how the AFL can grow/cement the game in the area.
The NRL already has the North Queensland Cowboys based in Townsville and I feel like it would be a wasted opportunity to grow the game if the AFL didn't do more than just play one game for points a year up there alongside a small local comp.

Love to see this but the inlet (River) to the base is far too small for this to ever happen.

Townsville possibly though
 

coniglio_number1

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Sep 16, 2011
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Using zone selections, prelisted 17 year olds working the birthday cutoffs and the same draft concessions hypothetically what would a FNQ team look like? Maybe this is a question for knightmare, chris25
 

coniglio_number1

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Rough stab at my question.

17yo access born between Jan-April 1996
1: Clem smith
2: Jake lever
3: Patrick mccartin
4: Christian petracca
5: Peter bampton
6: Jesse watchman
7: Doum dawam
8: Ryan lim
9: Jermaine miller-Lewis
10: Peter spurling
11: angus brayshaw
12. Mac bower

Zone selections:
1: Liam Dawson
2: Lachlan weller
3: Matthew hammelmann

National draft:
1: Hugh goddard
2: Peter wright
3: Sam durdin
5: Jarrod Pickett
7: Sean maclaren
9: Tom lamb
11: bohdi walker
13: Jake donkersley
15: Jaden McGrath

Not to mention 10 of the best state leaguers. These names I pulled off a phantom draft

15:
 

walhawk

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Apr 20, 2007
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How much would Tassie getting their own team effect Hawthorn's membership and partnership benefits with them? (not trying to troll)
Well, we have 9K members there so would lose half of them and the value of the half would be reduced.
On the positive, we would gain a few Melbourne members and many more would upgrade given the chance for 11 home games/reserved seats compared to just seven.
And with 60K members and recent success we would have no trouble finding a new sponsor.
We might slip for the second biggest membership to the third, but the revenue per membership would increase.
It would be revenue neutral.
Bad for Tassie based Hawks.
Great for Vic based Hawks.
 

carnthemlions

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Apr 19, 2012
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there isn't a population just yet for an AFL club. Townsville is a much larger town than cairns with people living cliser to the city. cairns population is vastly spread out.
a operating revenue for an AFL club more than 3 times that of an NRL club. most NRL clubs are around 15 million. AFL clubs are up to any where from 40 million to 65 million in operating revenue.
would be nice for an AFL team in cairns, but only in a dream

There's actually an AFL presence in Cairns(strong local comp etc.). People in Townsville don't even know what AFL is. And Townsville is also quite spread out- also a bit of a hole.
Playing a couple of AFL games a year in Cairns is as far as it will ever go.
 

brisbane13

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There's actually an AFL presence in Cairns(strong local comp etc.). People in Townsville don't even know what AFL is. And Townsville is also quite spread out- also a bit of a hole.
Playing a couple of AFL games a year in Cairns is as far as it will ever go.

realise that, having lived in both Cairns and townsville over the years. AFL and NRL are both well supported in Cairns & townsville mainly NRl and union.
my main concern on the AFL side of things that there isnt enough population and money in cairns to support an AFL side full time. the NRL sides run on at least 3rd the money of what the AFL clubs do. also many of the population in the far north of QLD are very spread out, not so much in the city or suburbs of cairns. if a team was to play several games there part time like the Hawks do in Tassie, would be the best out come IMO
 

carnthemlions

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realise that, having lived in both Cairns and townsville over the years. AFL and NRL are both well supported in Cairns & townsville mainly NRl and union.
my main concern on the AFL side of things that there isnt enough population and money in cairns to support an AFL side full time. the NRL sides run on at least 3rd the money of what the AFL clubs do. also many of the population in the far north of QLD are very spread out, not so much in the city or suburbs of cairns. if a team was to play several games there part time like the Hawks do in Tassie, would be the best out come IMO

Yeah definitely no chance of Cairns being able to support an AFL team. The NQ Cowboys couldn't exist if they only relied on Townsville for membership + crowd numbers at games. Absolutely no hope for an AFL team. The Suns or Lions playing a couple of games per year in Cairns is the best possible result, really.
 

brisbane13

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Yeah definitely no chance of Cairns being able to support an AFL team. The NQ Cowboys couldn't exist if they only relied on Townsville for membership + crowd numbers at games. Absolutely no hope for an AFL team. The Suns or Lions playing a couple of games per year in Cairns is the best possible result, really.
Pretty much. It would be a good money earner for one of the SE based qld clubs to play a few games up there. Aka hawthorn and tassie. Buy teams playing at those smaller stadiums they have access to the corporate boxes and signage.
 

Engimal

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Because the AFL wants to reach out into uncharted territories, not to territories that it already has secured. The AFL is more concerned about business than doing what's right when it comes to new teams.
 

kid_a

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Apr 5, 2010
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As has been stated on this thread thus far it'll be quite some time before there is thought of a NQ/cairns team in the AFL, but i really do think there should be a push for a NQ team based at Cazaly's into the NEAFL in the coming years;
-help development local players.
-give footy fans up north a team to follow
-work as somewhat of a test run for a potential future AFL club up there

hell, I even knocked this up just now as an idea

nq rays.jpg
 

brisbane13

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Nov 27, 2012
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As has been stated on this thread thus far it'll be quite some time before there is thought of a NQ/cairns team in the AFL, but i really do think there should be a push for a NQ team based at Cazaly's into the NEAFL in the coming years;
-help development local players.
-give footy fans up north a team to follow
-work as somewhat of a test run for a potential future AFL club up there

hell, I even knocked this up just now as an idea

View attachment 38358

how about a team based up there part time similar to hawthorn do with Tasmania?
 

kid_a

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how about a team based up there part time similar to hawthorn do with Tasmania?


Ideally for Vic clubs i'd imagine they'd rather play all there home games in Victoria if they could, and the reason its relatively comfortable for the Hawks to maintain a foothold in Tassie is because its very close, Cairns would be somewhat of a hike in comparison, heck even Wellington is a shorter trip from Melbourne than Cairns. Plus the Tigers have already been playing home games up there the last couple of years and now I think the Doggies have taken over from them by having matches up there.
 
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