Moved Thread Far North Queensland

[Tex Support]

Do you realise that Melbourne is the same distance from Brisbane that Townsville is?

They are going to struggle in NEAFL if they are granted a license so it's a long way off. The problem I also see it that teams don't want to play during the day as its too hot but it's really dewy even in Brisbane at night. Makes for a great home ground advantage though.

Yeah, I lived in Townsville for 7 years. Played footy there too. Night games are tricky sure, but day games are fine to play in IMO. Its not that big of a deal surely.

I dont think it'd be that challenging for a side like the Suns of Lions to start to make an imprint in Cairns, particularly with its AFL friendly attitude. Focus on the whole Queensland element, hold coaching clinics, maybe find another side to play annually up there, I dont know? It may already happen? Thats why I asked.

Seems like a good opportunity that someone will eventually look at.

 

[kaypee]

Yeah, I lived in Townsville for 7 years. Played footy there too. Night games are tricky sure, but day games are fine to play in IMO. Its not that big of a deal surely.

I dont think it'd be that challenging for a side like the Suns of Lions to start to make an imprint in Cairns, particularly with its AFL friendly attitude. Focus on the whole Queensland element, hold coaching clinics, maybe find another side to play annually up there, I dont know? It may already happen? Thats why I asked.

Seems like a good opportunity that someone will eventually look at.

It does. When I lived up there last, afl qld was the only sport that sent representatives to the cape communities. (Unbelievably given theyre league strongholds) I watched an afl game once on Thursday island where all the kids lined up at the centre bounce like it was a league start. They could till play though, I think the afl pulled a kid out of hopevale who showed promise but faded.

 

[MSB ROYS]

Yeah, I lived in Townsville for 7 years. Played footy there too. Night games are tricky sure, but day games are fine to play in IMO. Its not that big of a deal surely.

I dont think it'd be that challenging for a side like the Suns of Lions to start to make an imprint in Cairns, particularly with its AFL friendly attitude. Focus on the whole Queensland element, hold coaching clinics, maybe find another side to play annually up there, I dont know? It may already happen? Thats why I asked.

Seems like a good opportunity that someone will eventually look at.

No problem. Qlders are very pro-Qld teams so I think that most of these kids would support these teams (except if family influenece overrides). The Suns and Lions also played a NEAFL game in Mackay on Azaac Day this year, which seemed to be quite well supported.

 

[Tex Support]

No problem. Qlders are very pro-Qld teams so I think that most of these kids would support these teams (except if family influenece overrides). The Suns and Lions also played a NEAFL game in Mackay on Azaac Day this year, which seemed to be quite well supported.

Exactly the angle I'd be running with.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Tas and NT, you know, true Aussies Rules states

 

[00Stinger]

Is there any way of building or altering a stadium to include some form of cooling system - as they are doing with the World Cup football stadiums in Doha?

That could solve any potential heat and humidity issues.

Yep, all we need is the trillions of dollars of oil money that they have

 

[McCrann]

Tas and NT, you know, true Aussies Rules states

Mate, I think you'll find its called the Northern Territory. And no one lives there.

WA3 and TAS are the way to go.

 

[Martyn_30_]

Darwin gets 2 games a year too many as it is, playing a guaranteed 11 wet weather games a year doesn't make a lot of sense. North Queensland should never get a team there's no room to grow with the population they should focus more on the local comp.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Mate, I think you'll find its called the Northern Territory. And no one lives there.

WA3 and TAS are the way to go.

Although I think Perth could sustain a 3rd side and would be neat to see a greater sense of tribalism there, does the AFL really need to go there? The AFL has already won that territory. If they went to Perth, it's pretty much saying that they have given up on all other territories, that includes Tasmania, and are now just going to look after the big 5 markets. In that case... Perth City and South Sydney to be sides 19 and 20.

 

[CF]

lol @ Townsville. The only people there who would know what Aussie Rules is would be military personal from the footy states. You wouldn't even bother with them, they've got their Cowboys.

I agree, I've worked in Townsville a few times and they're absolutely mad about NRL. Just as mad as any Victorian town/suburb is mad about AFL.

 

[calyam]

Although it is a long way away, NZ will be the next expansion market. WA could easily support a third team but it is hard to see who would support them, I get the feeling that the state is largely locked up by WC and Fremantle. The small population and weather in NT would make that area problematic and Tasmania would work but the AFL seemingly has no interest.

Far North Queensland is a great market for GC or Brisbane to tap but I don't think they can support their own team. Population is too dispersed.

 

[The Blue Baggers]

tasmania is next.. once tas are in then look @ the next growth area...

 

[PrideOf]

Would love to see it.

Carn the Katters.

You know it makes sense.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Do you realise that Melbourne is the same distance from Brisbane that Townsville is?

They are going to struggle in NEAFL if they are granted a license so it's a long way off. The probelm I also see it that teams don't want to play during the day as its too hot but it's really dewy even in Brisbane at night. Makes for a great home ground advantage though.

lol, when I was living in Cairns, I'd have mates from Vic call me up and say, 'We're going to Brissie this weekend, you should drive down and we'll catch up'. I'd reply, 'Do you realise that Brissie is the halfway point between Cairns and Melbourne?'

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

It does. When I lived up there last, afl qld was the only sport that sent representatives to the cape communities. (Unbelievably given theyre league strongholds) I watched an afl game once on Thursday island where all the kids lined up at the centre bounce like it was a league start. They could till play though, I think the afl pulled a kid out of hopevale who showed promise but faded.

I remember when I was living there, that one of the Cairns teams used to fly a pair of brothers in from PNG each week to play. They weren't ex-pats either, were PNG natives, were meant to be very handy too. I never saw them play myself but used to read about them in the paper.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Tas and NT, you know, true Aussies Rules states

Both would stuggle to financially to field teams.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Although I think Perth could sustain a 3rd side and would be neat to see a greater sense of tribalism there, does the AFL really need to go there? The AFL has already won that territory. If they went to Perth, it's pretty much saying that they have given up on all other territories, that includes Tasmania, and are now just going to look after the big 5 markets. In that case... Perth City and South Sydney to be sides 19 and 20.

There was nothing to win in Perth, it was already won.

I honestly don't think there's anywhere left to expand to.

If you're talking FNQ as the OP is then it has to be Cairns. 100+k people. You wouldn't get people from anywhere else though. They would truly be on their own. If they had their own team in a national competition then that may be all they needed to get right behind it. Townsville have the Cowboys so that place is already locked up.

Cairns to Townsville approx. 400km so no-one will be travelling to watch a game.

Townsville to Mackay approx. 400km

Mackay to Rockhampton approx. 400km.

 

[kaypee]

I remember when I was living there, that one of the Cairns teams used to fly a pair of brothers in from PNG each week to play. They weren't ex-pats either, were PNG natives, were meant to be very handy too. I never saw them play myself but used to read about them in the paper.

I think cairns saints may have been doing something similar recently. What happened to mal michael's foot academy up in png?

 

[kaypee]

I remember when I was living there, that one of the Cairns teams used to fly a pair of brothers in from PNG each week to play. They weren't ex-pats either, were PNG natives, were meant to be very handy too. I never saw them play myself but used to read about them in the paper.

I think cairns saints may have been doing something similar recently. What happened to mal michael's foot academy up in png?

 

[bombers_suns]

Would love to see a team from NZ.

 

[kaypee]

Would love to see a team from NZ.

Why? It would be like that Singapore nbl team.

 

[kaypee]

Yeah, I lived in Townsville for 7 years. Played footy there too. Night games are tricky sure, but day games are fine to play in IMO. Its not that big of a deal surely.

I dont think it'd be that challenging for a side like the Suns of Lions to start to make an imprint in Cairns, particularly with its AFL friendly attitude. Focus on the whole Queensland element, hold coaching clinics, maybe find another side to play annually up there, I dont know? It may already happen? Thats why I asked.

Seems like a good opportunity that someone will eventually look at.

I remember I had a few training runs up there and one of the old stagers said the biggest differences for crumbers from down south was to get behind the contest because the ball would almost always slip through. They rove the back of the pack

 

[madmug]

Darwin gets 2 games a year too many as it is, playing a guaranteed 11 wet weather games a year doesn't make a lot of sense. North Queensland should never get a team there's no room to grow with the population they should focus more on the local comp.

The AFL season is co-insides with the northern Dry season. early & late season will be hot & sticky, otherwise its just bloody hot

 

[Colonial]

Nth Qld would have to be on the radar at some stage, though I couldn't see it before Canberra, Tassie and maybe a 3rd WA side. Probably along the same lines as a NZ side.

 

[dlanod]

Ex-Cairns resident of 13 years here.

The local AFL comp is pretty good, but most people follow either their ex-club (if they're from Victoria) or no one in particular when I used to live there. That may have changed now, with the Lions and Suns appearing on FTA live but back then Lions were playing a lot of Saturday games which got shown on a three+ hour delay so no one cared. I got to see more Dogs games than Lions because they played on Sunday arvos more often.

A local team would get a fair bit of support (the Taipans always did alright because they were the only national team in town. Even the local hockey team got crowds when there was a national hockey comp with a team up there) because the locals love their sport. The NAB Cup got thousands in driving rain and got thousands barely a few days after a cyclone came through. Having said that, I don't know that it'll be cost effective for them. The population is decent but massively spread out. People from Mackay aren't going to travel to Cairns for games (six hours), and even Townsville probably isn't (three hours). Cairns probably won't travel to Townsville (four hours) - after all plenty will never see a Cowboys game despite being huge fans.