Cricket at Metricon stadium

[hitthepost]

The whole idea was to not make it solely a 2nd Brisbane home ground, in preparation for possible expansion. Also Brisbane wouldn't want any less home games at the 'Gabba.
Even if they played a Heat away game there it'd still get the majority of the crowd's support.
Good thing is, they moved the game up there in a year where extra games were added so it's not a game that used to be in Melbourne. Like Adelaide'a home game in Alice came about when they went from four to five home games. Nobody missed out.

 

[Matchu]

The whole idea was to not make it solely a 2nd Brisbane home ground, in preparation for possible expansion. Also Brisbane wouldn't want any less home games at the 'Gabba.
Even if they played a Heat away game there it'd still get the majority of the crowd's support.
Good thing is, they moved the game up there in a year where extra games were added so it's not a game that used to be in Melbourne. Like Adelaide'a home game in Alice came about when they went from four to five home games. Nobody missed out.

You're right. Heat fans didn't have an opportunity to genuinely get mad about home games being played at Metricon because they never actually lost anything to begin with! Five home games at the Gabba last season and five home games at the Gabba this season. It would be a very different story if they had moved a Gabba game to Metricon.

The predicted larger crowd for tomorrow's game will likely show Cricket Australia that the larger market to tap into on the Gold Coast during the summer months is actually people from Melbourne and Sydney, not people from Brisbane. Playing games on the GC gives people in Victoria and New South Wales an excellent excuse to plan a holiday to the Gold Coast and I believe we'll have the analytics to back that up tomorrow (presuming the weather is kind). Not to mention the high percentage of people from Melbourne/Sydney already living on the Gold Coast who feel absolutely no connection to Brisbane sports teams but hold nostalgic connections to teams from their home state. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cricket Australia schedule less Heat games at Metricon going forward and more games involving teams based in Melbourne and Sydney.

There's a reason clubs like Collingwood, Richmond and Essendon pull bigger crowds at Metricon than the QClash.

 

[____]

Big bash started on Fox...

It did but it also got a LOT bigger once it got on FTA. First two seasons I had legitimate hopes that it would revert back to a state comp eventually, but after a few seasons of FTA I accepted it wasn't going to happen and eventually caved into picking a team.

The predicted larger crowd for tomorrow's game will likely show Cricket Australia that the larger market to tap into on the Gold Coast during the summer months is actually people from Melbourne and Sydney, not people from Brisbane. Playing games on the GC gives people in Victoria and New South Wales an excellent excuse to plan a holiday to the Gold Coast and I believe we'll have the analytics to back that up tomorrow (presuming the weather is kind). Not to mention the high percentage of people from Melbourne/Sydney already living on the Gold Coast who feel absolutely no connection to Brisbane sports teams but hold nostalgic connections to teams from their home state. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cricket Australia schedule less Heat games at Metricon going forward and more games involving teams based in Melbourne and Sydney.

There's a reason clubs like Collingwood, Richmond and Essendon pull bigger crowds at Metricon than the QClash.

That's pretty much what I tell my Victorian mates when I say the Suns will be fine in the long run (once the kids get older etc.). GC will work in the big bash in the shorter term purely because people don't have that same emotional attachment to their big bash teams like they would with their AFL or NRL teams and would be more likely to consider jumping ship

 

[Matchu]

That's pretty much what I tell my Victorian mates when I say the Suns will be fine in the long run (once the kids get older etc.). GC will work in the big bash in the shorter term purely because people don't have that same emotional attachment to their big bash teams like they would with their AFL or NRL teams and would be more likely to consider jumping ship

It can be difficult to explain the situation unless you've lived on or near the Gold Coast for an extended period. It is quite astounding how different the Gold Coast is to Brisbane, despite the two cities virtually neighbouring one another. The vast majority of people living in Brisbane are parochial when it comes to sports and support their own. It's simply not the case on the GC (at least not yet). I don't think it's a stretch to say most people living on the Gold Coast were born in another city/state and settled on the GC for 'the lifestyle'. Problem is, these people hold onto their preferences/bias and rarely make the switch to solely support the local team. Having said that, we are currently seeing the first wave of a new generation of kids living on the Gold Coast who don't know a time without the Suns. Those kids are the future of the Gold Coast Football Club.

I think the Suns have employed a smart strategy by creating strong links with popular summer sports - cricket and basketball. Gold Coast Basketball is based in the same building as the Suns' training/admin facility and we know top level cricket is currently in the process of returning to Carrara. This will naturally create opportunities to introduce kids from other sports to Aussie rules and the pool of talented youngsters available at the Suns' disposal will increase. Generally speaking, it's easier to convert a cricketer/basketballer to Aussie rules than a rugby/soccer player so it's a smart strategy. We've seen it in the past with Gold Coast basketball juniors like Kurt Tippett taking up footy late in life and carving out a pretty handy AFL career for a guy that first picked up a sherrin at 17. The clearer pathway that exists these days should result in more Kurt Tippetts coming through the system in the future. With almost exclusive access to the new world class sports precinct built for the Comm Games, the Suns now hold most of the keys on the Gold Coast in terms of resources. Now they just need to take advantage of what they have and create something special for a community that's been starved of success.

Back on topic - anyone want to hazard a guess for today's BBL crowd? The media have predicted 19k.

 

[SunsGal]

Where's our traditional storm from hell for tonight's game?

 

[robo_1]

Not a very big crowd


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Sunraysia]

It can be difficult to explain the situation unless you've lived on or near the Gold Coast for an extended period. It is quite astounding how different the Gold Coast is to Brisbane, despite the two cities virtually neighbouring one another. The vast majority of people living in Brisbane are parochial when it comes to sports and support their own. It's simply not the case on the GC (at least not yet). I don't think it's a stretch to say most people living on the Gold Coast were born in another city/state and settled on the GC for 'the lifestyle'. Problem is, these people hold onto their preferences/bias and rarely make the switch to solely support the local team. Having said that, we are currently seeing the first wave of a new generation of kids living on the Gold Coast who don't know a time without the Suns. Those kids are the future of the Gold Coast Football Club.

I think the Suns have employed a smart strategy by creating strong links with popular summer sports - cricket and basketball. Gold Coast Basketball is based in the same building as the Suns' training/admin facility and we know top level cricket is currently in the process of returning to Carrara. This will naturally create opportunities to introduce kids from other sports to Aussie rules and the pool of talented youngsters available at the Suns' disposal will increase. Generally speaking, it's easier to convert a cricketer/basketballer to Aussie rules than a rugby/soccer player so it's a smart strategy. We've seen it in the past with Gold Coast basketball juniors like Kurt Tippett taking up footy late in life and carving out a pretty handy AFL career for a guy that first picked up a sherrin at 17. The clearer pathway that exists these days should result in more Kurt Tippetts coming through the system in the future. With almost exclusive access to the new world class sports precinct built for the Comm Games, the Suns now hold most of the keys on the Gold Coast in terms of resources. Now they just need to take advantage of what they have and create something special for a community that's been starved of success.

Back on topic - anyone want to hazard a guess for today's BBL crowd? The media have predicted 19k.

Not a very big crowd


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Melbourne Media - BS'ing again. Why would a big GC crowd turn up for this ?
Most sport loving GC fans are up at the Brisbane International Tennis finals ( was up there earlier myself... )
Bad fixturing. That said, the New Years Day game was brilliant - good crowd, good match - family really enjoyed it .
And.... no coincidence - a Queensland team was playing

 

[Matchu]

Melbourne Media - BS'ing again. Why would a big GC crowd turn up for this ?
Most sport loving GC fans are up at the Brisbane International Tennis finals ( was up there earlier myself... )
Bad fixturing. That said, the New Years Day game was brilliant - good crowd, good match - family really enjoyed it .
And.... no coincidence - a Queensland team was playing

8156 at Metricon tonight.

I stand corrected. Bring back Lynnsanity and the Heat ASAP!

 

[GcSunsfan]

 

[GC2015]

Cricket Australia are looking after us again by giving us two Friday night games during school holidays. Also nice of them to give us a night game on NYD this year, instead of last year when it was during the day and quite warm. Fingers crossed there's no rain this time!

 

[SUNS]

They have to use the stadium for something when the SUNS move to Tassie

 

[SandyToes]

Cricket Australia are looking after us again by giving us two Friday night games during school holidays. Also nice of them to give us a night game on NYD this year, instead of last year when it was during the day and quite warm. Fingers crossed there's no rain this time!

Are there any BBL games not in school holidays?

 

[HereIam86]

Are there any BBL games not in school holidays?

Kids in QLD go back to school on January 28 the BBL season finished on January 27. The finals are from January 30 to February 8 so the finals take place not during the school holidays.

 

[SandyToes]

Kids in QLD go back to school on January 28 the BBL season finished on January 27. The finals are from January 30 to February 8 so the finals take place not during the school holidays.

Yeah but they're never going to play finals at Metricon- although it just might be the perfect neutral venue

 

[GC2015]

Are there any BBL games not in school holidays?

As already pointed out, school holidays are different in QLD. I think there used to be games played outside of the school holidays but Cricket Australia have changed their format for this upcoming season and will play a lot more double headers during the 2019-20 season. Either way, we've never hosted a Friday night fixture in any sport so it's historic that they've given us two this upcoming season.

 

[GC2015]

Queensland Bulls to play at Metricon Stadium

MORE good news for Gold Coast cricket fans, with Metricon Stadium set to play host to another match later this year.

Queensland Cricket has confirmed the Gold Coast venue will host a 50-overs match between the Queensland Bulls and Western Australia on Thursday October 31st, as part of the 2019-20 Sheffield Shield schedule.

Metricon has already been confirmed as the venue for three Big Bash League games over the summer.

...

We're creating further ties with Cricket QLD by hosting a Bulls match this summer. They won't pull a big crowd but bringing more cricket to the GC is a good thing.

 

[hitthepost]

Queensland Bulls to play at Metricon Stadium

We're creating further ties with Cricket QLD by hosting a Bulls match this summer. They won't pull a big crowd but bringing more cricket to the GC is a good thing.

50 over match as part of the Sheffield Shield?!

 

[GC2015]

50 over match as part of the Sheffield Shield?!

The game is coming up this Thursday. Then Metricon goes into music venue mode in preparation for the SandTunes festival a month later.

 

[hitthepost]

The game is coming up this Thursday. Then Metricon goes into music venue mode in preparation for the SandTunes festival a month later.

Since when has the Sheffield Shield hosted 50-over matches?

 

[GC2015]

Since when has the Sheffield Shield hosted 50-over matches?

I don't think it's a Sheffield Shield match. The Queensland Cricket website refers to it as a 'Marsh One-Day Cup' fixture. It was known as the JLT One-Day Cup last year.

Small overs suit the Gold Coast market anyway. 50 overs is even potentially too many to draw a decent crowd.

 

[hitthepost]

I don't think it's a Sheffield Shield match. The Queensland Cricket website refers to it as a 'Marsh One-Day Cup' fixture. It was known as the JLT One-Day Cup last year.

Small overs suit the Gold Coast market anyway. 50 overs is even potentially too many to draw a decent crowd.

The article quoted by you in post 391 says it's part of the Shield

 

[GcSunsfan]

 

[Jen2310]

Heat want to take over Gold Coast, and not let the coast get their own franchise.

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Heat general manager Andrew McShea said the franchise wanted to make the Gold Coast its second home.

“We’re certainly not there for the short-term – we see it as a medium to long-term plan,” he said.

“The participation levels in entry-level programs on the Gold Coast are up 25 per cent year-on-year. Junior male club cricket is up 20 per cent.

“We’ll sit down with the Suns halfway through next year and talk about what the future looks like, but we very much see it as a long-term play to continue to bring elite cricket to the Gold Coast.”

 

[GC2015]

Heat want to take over Gold Coast, and not let the coast get their own franchise.

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Not surprising to see the Heat want to take advantage of the sixth largest market in Australia. Very interesting to see junior male participation numbers on the GC are up 20 per cent when compared to last year. Hopefully Cricket Australia see those numbers and realise we deserve our own franchise. We know for sure that Tony Cochrane wants us to have our own franchise because that's financially better for us than having Brisbane play a couple of games here every summer. Baby steps, though.

 

[kreglze]

Need the audiences to turn up to the Heat games here to prove that GC deserves a BBL team.