Cairns Expansion Watch

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Matchu

Matchu

Norm Smith Medallist
Veteran
Apr 12, 2007
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AFL Club
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This thread is intended to discuss, speculate and inform posters on Cairns' efforts to establish a NEAFL team and, perhaps one day, an AFL team. fumbler revealed in the Cazaly's Stadium thread that there have been whispers that AFL Cairns have removed their only tenant (Manunda Hawks) in anticipation of establishing a NEAFL team based out of Cazaly's.

From a league point of view it makes sense as there are currently 11 teams competing and all five Queensland teams are based in the south-east. A Cairns-based team entering the NEAFL is nothing new as it was on the cards back in 2013. It's fair to assume the Suns would be in favour of establishing a Cairns-based NEAFL team as the whole north Queensland region is a part of their academy zone. Since this helps the Suns it would be fair to assume the AFL would also be in favour of it occurring.

North Queensland is really the only major area of Australia that isn't currently competing in a competition directly below the AFL. Start a NEAFL team up north would obviously increase the standard of football in Cairns but also provide a clear pathway into the AFL for people in the north. They would have a much better chance of acquiring talent from Townsville or even Papua New Guinea than Brisbane or the Gold Coast. Similar to the way the NT Thunder have lots of talented players playing for them who are unwilling to play in other parts of the country.

Cazaly's Stadium does not need an upgrade as it is already at the AFL level so that is a big plus for their bid to enter the league. I'm not really sure much else has to be done besides acquiring players (shouldn't be too hard) and deciding what to wear/call themselves.

So, let's discuss!
 
Yes it was strange getting rid of the only local club playing permanently at Cazaly's but how strange have the people running the AFL Cairns been acting the past few years anyway.

First off lets speculate what the team would be known as, as they are currently called the Lions with a Suns connection.

th
 
fumbler said:
Yes it was strange getting rid of the only local club playing permanently at Cazaly's but how strange have the people running the AFL Cairns been acting the past few years anyway.

First off lets speculate what the team would be known as, as they are currently called the Lions with a Suns connection.

th
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Looks like a merged GC/ Brisbane logo which I'm guessing are the two most popular teams up there.

I really hope this happens, the AFL desperately needs a major team of some sort up north, although what has happened to the Local hawks team? They haven't been giving the flick for the season have they... That can't be good for growing the game if they have
 

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thegreig said:
Looks like a merged GC/ Brisbane logo which I'm guessing are the two most popular teams up there.

I really hope this happens, the AFL desperately needs a major team of some sort up north, although what has happened to the Local hawks team? They haven't been giving the flick for the season have they... That can't be good for growing the game if they have
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Read the local AFL Cairns thread.

Originally the Cairns reps were the Cyclones and wore green and gold, the Cazaly's Club has one of the first guernsey's they wore. Cairns like most of Qld was a Lions area so they found it easier and cheaper to use Brisbane's identity, once the Suns came in they formed a bond but decided to keep the Lions moniker and change their identity slightly to the logo i posted.

I'd love an AFL club up here, even if one of the current ones played four or five games here a season.
Not sure how i'd go supporting a NEAFL side though to be honest.
 
thegreig said:
Whys that? I have heard the NEAFL is having some trouble at the moment
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One major stumbling block , AFL Cairns wants the team based in Cairns , Powers to be with the licence (AFLQ) want the team based in Townsville & to take in Rocky & Mackay. ( they don't have anywhere near the money required). Cairns hasn't quite enough money to go alone on the push. Source ---- last time this was raised in 2013, media etc.
 
fumbler said:
First off lets speculate what the team would be known as, as they are currently called the Lions with a Suns connection.

th
Click to expand...
Obviously that will be one of the first things to change. Does Cairns have any colours traditionally associated with the area? I know there is a Queensland Cup team there that wears blue and orange so perhaps that is an option?

tamba said:
One major stumbling block , AFL Cairns wants the team based in Cairns , Powers to be with the licence (AFLQ) want the team based in Townsville & to take in Rocky & Mackay. ( they don't have anywhere near the money required). Cairns hasn't quite enough money to go alone on the push. Source ---- last time this was raised in 2013, media etc.
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I understand this is an issue but Cairns is clearly the better suited city to host a NEAFL team. I guess they could always play a few games in Townsville but predominantly play out of Cazaly's?
 
tamba said:
One major stumbling block , AFL Cairns wants the team based in Cairns , Powers to be with the licence (AFLQ) want the team based in Townsville & to take in Rocky & Mackay. ( they don't have anywhere near the money required). Cairns hasn't quite enough money to go alone on the push. Source ---- last time this was raised in 2013, media etc.
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Everything I have read from 2013 suggested the team was going to be based in Cairns and not once mentioned Townsville. This article in particular is interesting:

No date set for Cairns NEAFL
8 May 2013
There is still no set date on the expansion of Australian Rules in the Far North, with AFL officials not ready to put the sign of approval on a Cairns-based NEAFL side despite the concept carrying widespread support.

AFL Queensland boss Michael Conlan was in Cairns last week to meet with AFL Cairns head Gary Young about the future of the sport in the region. Dates, time-frames and plans have been many and varied in regards to what's next, with Conlan stating on the weekend that an AFL team could be relocated to North Queensland by 2030. But Conlan told The Cairns Post in April that "2020, or at the very least 2025 there would be a team playing out of the North Queensland area."

And in July last year general manager of the AFL's national and international development Andrew Dillon said an NEAFL team would be established by 2013 or 2014. Yesterday Young conceded that 2015 was a more realistic introduction point, considering their desire to ensure the team's sustainability. Young said despite nothing being concrete, it was just a matter of time.

"Michael's very keen for it to happen and engage this area in the bigger football picture. There are just still things that we need to work on," Young said. All the teams competing in the NEAFL had approved of North Queensland's presence in the league, but they need to work out how to pay for it. Young said flights, accommodation, food, support staff, uniforms, training equipment, medical bills and game-day costs would amount to about $1000 weekly for each player. "It's ticking all the boxes," he said.

"We just want to make sure a team would be there for the long term. "Having a team travelling every second week costs a lot of money and we are working out a lot of behind-the-scenes things." At the grassroots level things are positive, with the junior AFL Cairns clubs reporting a growth in memberhsip at last weekend's sign-ons. And players from interstate are still coming to play in the AFL Cairns seniors league with on eye on being part of a future NEAFL team.
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Probably the most interesting portion of that article is where the head of AFL Cairns says there will be an AFL team in North Queensland by 2025 and even suggested it could be a current team that gets relocated. So they said back then that 2015 is the realistic establishment year and they definitely have enough time from here until the start of the 2016 season to get everything together. Getting a major sponsor to cover a lot of the costs is probably the major hurdle at this point.
 
It's worth mentioning that in 2013 there was a game played between the North Queensland U25s team and the Queensland U18s Scorpions team. It was seen as a bit of a trial run for the North Queensland NEAFL team to see how they would manage bringing in players from long distances. The team was made up of players predominantly from Cairns and Townsville but also included players from Mackay and Rockhampton. They wore blue and yellow guernseys:

BIfTQZZ.jpg
 
Matchu said:
Obviously that will be one of the first things to change. Does Cairns have any colours traditionally associated with the area? I know there is a Queensland Cup team there that wears blue and orange so perhaps that is an option?


I understand this is an issue but Cairns is clearly the better suited city to host a NEAFL team. I guess they could always play a few games in Townsville but predominantly play out of Cazaly's?
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It's quite a mixture of Colours up here. The Taipans are Orange, the Marlins in the QBL are sky blue and orange, similar to the Pride in the Q-Cup.
So maybe they could be a mix of Dark Green (no one else has green) Orange and blue?

Matchu said:
It's worth mentioning that in 2013 there was a game played between the North Queensland U25s team and the Queensland U18s Scorpions team. It was seen as a bit of a trial run for the North Queensland NEAFL team to see how they would manage bringing in players from long distances. The team was made up of players predominantly from Cairns and Townsville but also included players from Mackay and Rockhampton. They wore blue and yellow guernseys:

BIfTQZZ.jpg
Click to expand...

AFL Townsville Eagles colours will never be worn by a Cairns rep side, also it has NQ as the badge and Cairns is actually a part of FNQ.

For those not aware Cairns and Townsville have a rivalry similar to that of South Tassie and North Tassie
 
fumbler said:
It's quite a mixture of Colours up here. The Taipans are Orange, the Marlins in the QBL are sky blue and orange, similar to the Pride in the Q-Cup.
So maybe they could be a mix of Dark Green (no one else has green) Orange and blue?



AFL Townsville Eagles colours will never be worn by a Cairns rep side, also it has NQ as the badge and Cairns is actually a part of FNQ.

For those not aware Cairns and Townsville have a rivalry similar to that of South Tassie and North Tassie
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Well it seems that orange must be involved.
 
even though the discussion is great.

This simply won't happen we have clubs based in Sydney & Canberra that can't compete now not saying cairns wouldn't but the AFL will continue to put money & development into these clubs..

Look this is my opinion but also an opinion of quite a few that are "in the know with AFLQ" the Neafl has a year 2 years max left in it than we will return to AFL reserves,..

The contract with the neafl clubs & AFL runs out end of 2016 & the major TV rights are up for tender end of 2015 & with what they are speculating this next contract will be worth billions so they will make sure clubs have the twos running around..
 

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So we're essentially stuck in a situation where the AFLQ wants a team in Townsville but know it won't work and AFL Cairns want a team but don't have enough money or the AFLQ support?
 
Plan being hatched for AFL shift to the Sunshine Coast
Brisbane mentor Justin Leppitsch said he would be the first man to put his hand up to coach a Sunshine Coast-based AFL team, as the sport's Queensland chief executive laid out plans yesterday to expand in the region.

AFL Queensland chief executive Michael Conlan is getting behind a move to relocate an AFL team to the Coast in the next 15 years to take advantage of the expected population boom.

He met with Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson yesterday to discuss the possibility and map out a plan to make it happen.

Mr Conlan said: "It's very important we work with the local councils to get their development and facility plans - know what commercial plans they're working on to entice corporations to relocate here and grow their businesses - so then we start our planning on where do we set up another AFL club long-term."

He said Melbourne's population would not be able to support 10 AFL teams, and the Sunshine Coast could become a viable relocation destination.

"We already have bit of vision of whether Townsville could be a possible relocation for an AFL club, but if you look at that population by 2030 Townsville's going to be around about 250,000," he said.

"By 2030 we saw some vision that the Sunshine Coast could have a population of 500,000.

"That puts it into a population the size of Tasmania, which supports six home (AFL) games."

The AFL has had a major presence on the Coast this summer, with reigning premier Hawthorn, the Brisbane Lions, Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs all holding training camps in the region.

The Lions are back on the Coast this week, visiting schools as part of an Australia Post Community Camp.

"We're very committed to growing our game here on the Sunshine Coast," Mr Conlan said.

Part of the growth plan is elevating a Coast team from the QFA North competition to the state-wide QAFL - the code's third tier, below the AFL and the NEAFL.

MR CONLAN said one of the region's current QFA North clubs could step up but the state body would prefer a region-wide representative team.

"The move of having a Sunshine Coast regional team in the state league comp probably would be one we think could be the answer," he said.

Leppitsch's focus is on rebuilding the Lions into a premiership force, but he is excited by the prospect of coaching a Sunshine Coast AFL team.

The former Brisbane defender would be 55 years old in 2030 - six years younger than current Carlton mentor Mick Malthouse and much younger than the code's oldest ever coach, Frank "Checker" Hughes, who was 71 when coach of Melbourne in 1965.

"I'd actually like to coach the team if it's here," Leppitsch said.

"It would be a nice place to live and coach a team at that point. It'd be terrific for the game if we had a team up here. I don't know what's going to happen in 15, 20 years, but I'd love to see it happen."

The Lions are on the Sunshine Coast and Gympie for a few days as part of their annual community camp.
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This article basically confirms that AFL QLD has plans for Townsville and not Cairns but interestingly they want a Melbourne-based team to move to the Sunshine Coast by 2030 too. It's almost unfathomable but is it possible that in 2030 there will be AFL teams in Brisbane, Townsville, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast? That would be an amazing development for the game in Queensland if it somehow happened.
 
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Why don't they send North Melbourne up there North Qld Kangaroo's just an idea they have been everywhere else....
 
Grapevine talk - they want the seniors & juniors off Cazalies so Cairns can play in a state league - rather than in neafl.
 
all ok said:
Grapevine talk - they want the seniors & juniors off Cazalies so Cairns can play in a state league - rather than in neafl.
Click to expand...

All ok,

You might be better suited putting this grapevine information on the QAFL website, as I don't think too many NEAFL clubs administrators, Coaches, players or out of town supporters would be concerned about this possibility, apart from a great weekend holiday destination after picking up 4 easy points if a Cairns based side was to play within the NEAFL Competition.
 
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