AFL comes to Cairns

[Cairnsman]

Looking forward to this weeks game in Cairns between Richmond and GFC.

It's the last game of a 3 year contract Richmond has and I'm wondering if anyone has heard if another team has signed.

I'd be wrapped if it was the Saints. It is a good financial return and could be good for us while we are rebuilding.

For those that don't know the ground is the same dimensions as the MCG and the surface is one of the best in the country. The AFL players love playing on it.

It's a really awesome day because you get to watch AFL grade footy up very close and it's like the old days at the suburban grounds on a Saturday afternoon where you could hear the action loud and clear.

It gives you a real appreciation for the speed and force at which the players go. When there is body on body it sounds bloody hard.

A much different experience to watching at say the G or the dome.

I hope Abblet plays. I know it's not the Saints but the opportunity to watch a once in a generation player up close an personal is an opportunity not to be missed.

[#gosaintas]

Agree, would be great if the saints signed up for it. What a great winter weekend to have and a 3 year deal will bring in some cash while we rebuild.

[saintspremiers]

Why would we go there and NZ?

[BigMart]

I've got a better Idea

Better ground, not 100% humidity, only 45 minutes on the plane.... Big supporter base already there. York Park Launceston.

That's right, we gave that up because we couldn't win outside. Hawthorn now reap the benefit there.

[plugger66]

I've got a better Idea

Better ground, not 100% humidity, only 45 minutes on the plane.... Big supporter base already there. York Park Launceston.

That's right, we gave that up because we couldn't win outside. Hawthorn now reap the benefit there.

So its not a better idea because hawthorn already play there. You need to stop living in the past. I dont think we should play at Cairns or NZ but it seems to late for NZ.

[BigMart]

Predictable... I reckon?

[Cairnsman]

Cairns craps all over Tasmania in terms of an AFL destination. And the AFL potential is much greater in the far North than it is in Tasmania.

[joffaboy]

Why cant the AFL get the house full signs out when they go to Tassie?

If it is such a great AFL state you would think they would need a 30k seat stadium for the four games a year, but they seem to only get about half that.

Be better off building a new stadium in the West of Melbourne. Twice the population of Tasmania and the fastest growing region in Australia in terms of population.

[joffaboy]

Cairns craps all over Tasmania in terms of an AFL destination. And the AFL potential is much greater in the far North than it is in Tasmania.

Have to agree. Tassie unfortunately just doesn't cut it.

[gringo]

Cairns is beautiful but it's like playing in a sauna with the hose on. Should train there preseason instead of colorado.

[Cairnsman]

Cairns craps all over Tasmania in terms of an AFL destination. And the AFL potential is much greater in the far North than it is in Tasmania.

Have to agree. Tassie unfortunately just doesn't cut it.

I'm pushing for the Saints to take up the contract. The cash alone will be huge leg up and the Cairns contract is perfectly suited to a club like ours given our position in the equalisation cycle. We are mad if we don't jump at this. I'm contacting Michael now to see what the clubs position is.

interesting articles for anyone following the Cairns progress.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/0 ... -news.html

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/0 ... -news.html

[Cairnsman]

Cairns is beautiful but it's like playing in a sauna with the hose on. Should train there preseason instead of colorado.

Gringo not sure if you have ever been to Cairns before in July but I know for one that in the past week most people have been walking around with jumpers and jackets on. In the evenings in the past week - which incidentally is when the game will be played on Saturday - the temperatures have been hovering around the 10 degree mark.

[plugger66]

Cairns craps all over Tasmania in terms of an AFL destination. And the AFL potential is much greater in the far North than it is in Tasmania.

Have to agree. Tassie unfortunately just doesn't cut it.

I'm pushing for the Saints to take up the contract. The cash alone will be huge leg up and the Cairns contract is perfectly suited to a club like ours given our position in the equalisation cycle. We are mad if we don't jump at this. I'm contacting Michael now to see what the clubs position is.

interesting articles for anyone following the Cairns progress.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/0 ... -news.html

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/0 ... -news.html

Dont we have a contract with NZ next year for 2 home games. Please lets not lose another one.

[Cairnsman]

I'm pushing for the Saints to take up the contract. The cash alone will be huge leg up and the Cairns contract is perfectly suited to a club like ours given our position in the equalisation cycle. We are mad if we don't jump at this. I'm contacting Michael now to see what the clubs position is.

interesting articles for anyone following the Cairns progress.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/0 ... -news.html

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/0 ... -news.html

Dont we have a contract with NZ next year for 2 home games. Please lets not lose another one.

Do you have to lose a home game if you do a deal with the Queensland teams. Why can't it be a three way deal between the Saints, the AFL and one of the Queensland teams to play a game at Cazalys?

It will be as much about convincing or rewarding the Queensland teams to play a home game in Cairns and so for a Victorian team it could be a win-win as they have to travel at least once to Queensland in a season anyway.

Playing a game in Cairns is all about promoting the game in Queensland and the Queensland government and the AFL have just pumped millions into Cazaly's to upgrade the facilities and lights to AFL standard so I'd say that they will be looking for an ROI that surely hasn't been recovered in the term of the contract with Richmond.

I think I should be a commercial advisor to Netters!

[plugger66]

I'm pushing for the Saints to take up the contract. The cash alone will be huge leg up and the Cairns contract is perfectly suited to a club like ours given our position in the equalisation cycle. We are mad if we don't jump at this. I'm contacting Michael now to see what the clubs position is.

interesting articles for anyone following the Cairns progress.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/0 ... -news.html

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/0 ... -news.html

Dont we have a contract with NZ next year for 2 home games. Please lets not lose another one.

Do you have to lose a home game if you do a deal with the Queensland teams. Why can't it be a three way deal between the Saints, the AFL and one of the Queensland teams to play a game at Cazalys?

It will be as much about convincing or rewarding the Queensland teams to play a home game in Cairns and so for a Victorian team it could be a win-win as they have to travel at least once to Queensland in a season anyway.

Playing a game in Cairns is all about promoting the game in Queensland and the Queensland government and the AFL have just pumped millions into Cazaly's to upgrade the facilities and lights to AFL standard so I'd say that they will be looking for an ROI that surely hasn't been recovered in the term of the contract with Richmond.

I think I should be a commercial advisor to Netters![/quote]


Of course we have to lose a home game to play there.

[Cairnsman]

Dont we have a contract with NZ next year for 2 home games. Please lets not lose another one.

Do you have to lose a home game if you do a deal with the Queensland teams. Why can't it be a three way deal between the Saints, the AFL and one of the Queensland teams to play a game at Cazalys?

It will be as much about convincing or rewarding the Queensland teams to play a home game in Cairns and so for a Victorian team it could be a win-win as they have to travel at least once to Queensland in a season anyway.

Playing a game in Cairns is all about promoting the game in Queensland and the Queensland government and the AFL have just pumped millions into Cazaly's to upgrade the facilities and lights to AFL standard so I'd say that they will be looking for an ROI that surely hasn't been recovered in the term of the contract with Richmond.

I think I should be a commercial advisor to Netters!

Of course we have to lose a home game to play there.[/quote]

Why so?

[BigMart]

Yeah, AFL is booming business in Qld.

Joffa, which 30 000 seat stadium are you on about? Bellrieve? North Melbourne play there, they can't get 30 000 to a game in Melbourne vs another Melbourne club?!

We use to get near capacity at Aurora, Hawthorn get a good crowd.... Remembering that the opposition is usually Freo or Port..

Western Melbourne
Maybe as many migrants will go to the footy as GWS in West Sydney (2million) maybe we base StK over here and compete with Essendon and the Dogs.... Good Idea

Do you know what I love
This notion that population will bring support....

Melbourne Storm own a 3.5M city... Are probably (along with Geelong) the most successful club over a sustained period. How many Storm games have you attended?! They have niche support, not mass support. It would be foolish of the NRL to tamper with them... They are always three bad seasons from big trouble.

[plugger66]

Do you have to lose a home game if you do a deal with the Queensland teams. Why can't it be a three way deal between the Saints, the AFL and one of the Queensland teams to play a game at Cazalys?

It will be as much about convincing or rewarding the Queensland teams to play a home game in Cairns and so for a Victorian team it could be a win-win as they have to travel at least once to Queensland in a season anyway.

Playing a game in Cairns is all about promoting the game in Queensland and the Queensland government and the AFL have just pumped millions into Cazaly's to upgrade the facilities and lights to AFL standard so I'd say that they will be looking for an ROI that surely hasn't been recovered in the term of the contract with Richmond.

I think I should be a commercial advisor to Netters!

Of course we have to lose a home game to play there.

Why so?

Because there is no reason for the 2 queensland sides to 2 would want to give up their home ground when the AFL basically still look after them. If we want to play there we will need to give up our home ground. And the other thing is why would those 2 sides choose us if they for some reason did give up their home ground. Surely they would pick a popular side to play.

[Cairnsman]

Of course we have to lose a home game to play there.

Why so?

Because there is no reason for the 2 queensland sides to 2 would want to give up their home ground when the AFL basically still look after them. If we want to play there we will need to give up our home ground. And the other thing is why would those 2 sides choose us if they for some reason did give up their home ground. Surely they would pick a popular side to play.

I wouldn't mind betting that when it comes to the GCS they are compelled to jump when the AFL says so as they pretty much are a major shareholder in the club and in terms of home ground advantage the GCS have tried to make Cairns a home away from home and to a certain extent a lot of the Cairns community have adopted the GCS as their own especially because two of their stars are from Cairns which helps and also because the North is seen as a significant talent pool for GCS. You might have missed the point I made about the AFL have pumped a lot of money into Cairns and the North Queensland region so I don't see them walking away from it anytime soon. And as far as picking a popular side to play well that doesn't make sense considering the first deal was struck with Richmond who obviously have a big supporter base but the deal was suited to a club that was struggling financially and wasn't travelling so well on the field as well at the time. Did you read the article with Brendon Gale quoted in it?

[joffaboy]

Yeah, AFL is booming business in Qld.

Joffa, which 30 000 seat stadium are you on about? Bellrieve? North Melbourne play there, they can't get 30 000 to a game in Melbourne vs another Melbourne club?!

The play four games a year in Tassie and cant get them filled. How many games are played per week in Melbourne? If North was one of six teams in Melbourne do you think they would have small crowds

We use to get near capacity at Aurora, Hawthorn get a good crowd.... Remembering that the opposition is usually Freo or Port..

Regardless of the opposition the house ful should be out every single time. And the AFL are basically showing how important Tassie is by scheduling Freo and Port games there.

Western Melbourne
Maybe as many migrants will go to the footy as GWS in West Sydney (2million) maybe we base StK over here and compete with Essendon and the Dogs.... Good Idea

OK, I'll be racist as well. tasmania is full of Pommies who dont like AFL. There you go, my dumb generalisation matches your dumb generalisation.

And even before the huge growth the West of Melbourn had 200k more people than the whole of tasmania

Do you know what I love
This notion that population will bring support....

Well true. Tassie has 350k people, is supposedly an AFL state byut get 15k to AFL matches. I suppose that proves your point.

Melbourne Storm own a 3.5M city... Are probably (along with Geelong) the most successful club over a sustained period. How many Storm games have you attended?!

10-15

They have niche support, not mass support. It would be foolish of the NRL to tamper with them... They are always three bad seasons from big trouble.

So what? There is no RL base in Melbourne as there is an has been a fairly good AFL base in Queensland.

Lets face facts. Tassie is an AFL backwater when it comes to growth. It is a no go area. The west of Sydney and QLD are the growth areas. Hell as I stated even the West of Melbourne should be on the agenda before Tasmania

Tasmania couldn't even support a basketball team let alone an AFL team.

Cairns is a much better option, anybody who is unbiases and understand anything about membership and participation growth could see the advantages of NSW and Qld over a stagnant no growth area in Tasmania.

[BigMart]

People in Tassie a
Ready have their clubs, if they don't support North they will go and watch a team they support.... Clarence, Glenorchy etc...

Why would they go and support a team, they possibly hate... I wouldn't watch two teams I don't support.

Point 2 is correct, the AFL do shaft Tassie... It's costing them 100's of Millions in their two new money pits and Hawthorn and to a lesser extent North are laughing all the way to the bank.

Don't you get the point? Tasmanians already support AFL teams... And Local clubs... They are not all going to just turn up to a game (although some do) to watch to random teams they don't support play.... Many prefer to watch their own teams on TV, fly to Melbourne or watch their local team

I wouldn't watch nth melbourne play Freo if it was at the local park near my house.... They don't even have supporters in Melbourne. 15k in Tassie is only 5-10 less than they get in Melbourne.
GWS had 5000 at a game this year and 2500 tickets were given away...


Not sure how what I said is Racist, it's a pretty accurate observation. The fact you think that means you should reflect about why you came to that conclusion....
Tassie, full of Poms.... Yeah, that's accurate. I'm from down there, My in-laws are Poms. They are the only ones from My neck of the woods?... The Percentage of Poms (any Migrants) is lower in Tassie than any state capital.... GWS being the highest. Which is great for the western Sydney wanderes.

So many people in the west of Melbourne?? The media flooded by AFL... Only 30 mins from the Two big stadiums.... It's just a pity WB get 25k against another Melbourne based club??

Tassie doesn't need to 'grow' the support already exists.... It's not a 'growth area' it is an established market... Surely you knew that?

By the way
Tassie just smashed the NEAFL .... It's a pathetic state level standard... Why? Only victorian ex pats and <5% of native queenslander s play the game.

[Cairnsman]

I wouldn't watch nth melbourne play Freo if it was at the local park near my house

Gee I would. Probably one of the best ways to watch the highest grade of football up close and enjoy the experience in a completely different way to than watching AFL at a mega stadium like the MCG or the Hootchie.

You get a much better appreciation of the speed and hardness of the game when you can see it at eye level and also with the relative quietness of a local/regional ground.

[joffaboy]

BigMart, not saying Tassie ins't an AFL state, and some of you points are valid, however I think you make a case agaisnt yourself when you say Tasmanians have their own teams.

Valid and true. And this is a main sticking point. Tasmanians wouldn't flock to a new team when they are entrenched Hawk, Saints or Carlton supporters.

It is exactly as you say about the West of Melbourne. Everyone has their own team in the West of Melbourne and wouldn't suddenly start supporting "West Melbourne"

This is the issue.

Will have to agree to disagree. I believe the AFL have done their research and come to their own long term strategies and conclusions which can be seen.i.e GWS and GCS and some AFL matches at periphery venues in tassie, NT, and Northern Queensland.

[plugger66]

Why so?

Because there is no reason for the 2 queensland sides to 2 would want to give up their home ground when the AFL basically still look after them. If we want to play there we will need to give up our home ground. And the other thing is why would those 2 sides choose us if they for some reason did give up their home ground. Surely they would pick a popular side to play.

I wouldn't mind betting that when it comes to the GCS they are compelled to jump when the AFL says so as they pretty much are a major shareholder in the club and in terms of home ground advantage the GCS have tried to make Cairns a home away from home and to a certain extent a lot of the Cairns community have adopted the GCS as their own especially because two of their stars are from Cairns which helps and also because the North is seen as a significant talent pool for GCS. You might have missed the point I made about the AFL have pumped a lot of money into Cairns and the North Queensland region so I don't see them walking away from it anytime soon. And as far as picking a popular side to play well that doesn't make sense considering the first deal was struck with Richmond who obviously have a big supporter base but the deal was suited to a club that was struggling financially and wasn't travelling so well on the field as well at the time. Did you read the article with Brendon Gale quoted in it?

What has that got to do with why the GC would pick us to play. If the AFL are going to force GC to play in Cairns it also suggests they would want a popular club to play them. Its just common sense so the only way we could play there is if we gave up another home game.

[Cairnsman]

Because there is no reason for the 2 queensland sides to 2 would want to give up their home ground when the AFL basically still look after them. If we want to play there we will need to give up our home ground. And the other thing is why would those 2 sides choose us if they for some reason did give up their home ground. Surely they would pick a popular side to play.

I wouldn't mind betting that when it comes to the GCS they are compelled to jump when the AFL says so as they pretty much are a major shareholder in the club and in terms of home ground advantage the GCS have tried to make Cairns a home away from home and to a certain extent a lot of the Cairns community have adopted the GCS as their own especially because two of their stars are from Cairns which helps and also because the North is seen as a significant talent pool for GCS. You might have missed the point I made about the AFL have pumped a lot of money into Cairns and the North Queensland region so I don't see them walking away from it anytime soon. And as far as picking a popular side to play well that doesn't make sense considering the first deal was struck with Richmond who obviously have a big supporter base but the deal was suited to a club that was struggling financially and wasn't travelling so well on the field as well at the time. Did you read the article with Brendon Gale quoted in it?

What has that got to do with why the GC would pick us to play. If the AFL are going to force GC to play in Cairns it also suggests they would want a popular club to play them. Its just common sense so the only way we could play there is if we gave up another home game.

I didn't say it would be up to GCS to choose who they play in Cairns. In actual fact as far as I know the AFL can negotiate with any club they like to with regards to putting a match in Cairns and that is what is currently happening now. Forcing is such a harsh word, I prefer the term enticement as does the AFL I'm sure. And if you are talking about common sense then it makes dam good sense for the Saints to give up home games for an adequate financial return over the next few years. It has been a hugely successful contract for Richmond and has helped them trade out of debt.

Surely even someone as one-eyed as you can see the common sense or do you reckon it will be better for the Saints to play Gold Coast next year at the Hootchie in front of what will more than likely be a very small crowd on a very cold day. No Brainer in my eyes.