Metricon Stadium - In House Review

[IanRush]

Hi all,
I attended the Suns v Bombers game on Saturday night with the Mrs at Metricon. Some notes:

1. The Suns have no real local support, by that I mean, the Aussie Rules followers up north already have a team they follow, especially the expat Vic/Tas/SA natives now residing on the Gold Coast
2. The Suns fans were way outnumbered at Meticon on Saturday night, to the point that the crowd boos when the Suns score a goal, I am not sure if TV Microphones pick this up
3. Interestingly, the Southport Sharks (where I think the Riewoldt family have a link) sponsor the Suns, there is a lot of signage for the Sharks on the "non TV side" of the ground
4. I can see why the AFL and Mark Evans have a big job to do up north, the local real support for the Suns seems low.
5. Metricon is a great stadium, reminds me of Kardinia Park. Only gripe about Metricon is that you have to catch a bus from Broadbeach or Nerang to get there, due to limited parking
6. I can see why Campbell Brown, Karmichael Hunt and Co get into trouble on the Coast. Cashed up young men living a good life.
7. The Vic/TAS/SA expats living up north are more aligned to local footy clubs (when not attending a game featuring their 'original VFL/AFL team) on the Gold Coast such as Southport and Labrador, due to the anger that Suns Academy players dropping in and out of local footy teams upset the balance of the local QAFL teams.
8. The local QAFL teams such as Labrador and Southport have magnificent facilities, you can eat a good meal there and these clubs are run similar to "Leagues Clubs" in NSW.

Just thought I'd share those observations as it paints a different picture to what we hear in Melbourne.

[#gosaintas]

great

[stevie]

Southport have slowly become a club of shite the last few years. Arrogant officials at their junior games - in my son's under 10 game last week a kid punched one of ours and the dad said it was ok; the coach is an arsehole. The senior team play in the NEAFL and THEY pick the bones fomr the local clubs for some kind of rotating academy. Hardly any crowds go to watch them at home - most perps are in playing the pokies and eating lol

But you are right about Metricon - it is a great stadium to watch footy (except on afternoon games if you are in General admission wing area - the sun is shite lol). I only went to one game this year as I was on a budget for my upcoming Nepal trek plus the Saints didn't play up here.

[GregPackhamsHeadband]

I believe the AFL would've been far better off taking an existing entity such as the Southport Sharks and granting them a licence, as they did with Port Adelaide. The Sharks have over 60,000 members, I believe, meaning they already would've had a solid supporter base. Play out of a world class stadium in Metricon and you're half way there. Throw in the fact that the club would have a genuine connection and roots in the area and the picture is complete.

I think the problem with the Gold Coast in general for all sporting "franchises" that have started there is that they are all nomads, artificially created entities with no connection to the area and population. If they aren't successful on field, they wither and die. Soccer, Basketball and Rugby have all suffered the same fate. Most of the expats from Victoria already support someone else, with the Suns being no more than a casual curiosity.

The GWS is different in that they were starting in an entirely virgin market out west. It also helps greatly that they started winning consistently, relatively quickly. I think the AFL has blown it there, like so many before. It will be a Brisbane Bears like fiasco until they give it meaning.

[St Lenny]

As a local for the last 26 years, I can assure you that the locals have no interest in AFL. It is a rugby state and any suggestion to anything different is incorrect. I personally and my family still love our Saints and have no interest in any Interstate side that is the love child of the AFL. Don't agree that us expats are more aligned to a local club. Some do of coarse, but most don't. 2 teams will never survive up here, there is not enough interest. Metricon is a great Stadium. Tassie deserves a side more than Qld and NSW having 2 teams. Agree, license should have been given to Sharks or North should have taken up the offer.

[IanRush]

I believe the AFL would've been far better off taking an existing entity such as the Southport Sharks and granting them a licence, as they did with Port Adelaide. The Sharks have over 60,000 members, I believe, meaning they already would've had a solid supporter base. Play out of a world class stadium in Metricon and you're half way there. Throw in the fact that the club would have a genuine connection and roots in the area and the picture is complete.

I think the problem with the Gold Coast in general for all sporting "franchises" that have started there is that they are all nomads, artificially created entities with no connection to the area and population. If they aren't successful on field, they wither and die. Soccer, Basketball and Rugby have all suffered the same fate. Most of the expats from Victoria already support someone else, with the Suns being no more than a casual curiosity.

The GWS is different in that they were starting in an entirely virgin market out west. It also helps greatly that they started winning consistently, relatively quickly. I think the AFL has blown it there, like so many before. It will be a Brisbane Bears like fiasco until they give it meaning.

The move to get North up to the Gold Coast makes sense, after what I saw on Saturday night. The local latent support for the Suns seems light.

[Stephen Theodore]

As a local for the last 26 years, I can assure you that the locals have no interest in AFL. It is a rugby state and any suggestion to anything different is incorrect. I personally and my family still love our Saints and have no interest in any Interstate side that is the love child of the AFL. Don't agree that us expats are more aligned to a local club. Some do of coarse, but most don't. 2 teams will never survive up here, there is not enough interest. Metricon is a great Stadium. Tassie deserves a side more than Qld and NSW having 2 teams. Agree, license should have been given to Sharks or North should have taken up the offer.

Agree with two teams in Sth East Qld, will not work, and I think Leigh Matthews also touched on this point. There's just not enough support for the two teams, Lions in a city will attract a decent crowd when they are travelling ok, Suns will always be a novelty.

[spert]

Move the Suns up to Townsville and call them the NQ Suns?

[perfectionist]

Move the Suns to Tassie and call them the Moons.

[St Lenny]

More support on the GC than is Brisvagus. I know this flys in the face of the old Bears, but times change and everyone loves coming to the GC in winter for a break from the weather. You can't rely on the locals to be as committed as Victorians.

On a side note, we went to Melb for Rooeys last home game last week. So nice to be amongst footy culture. It non existent up here.

[wally]

Metricon is a good ground no doubt,seen 3 saints games there.
Brisbane Bears were no good down there at Carrara.
One thing also,the rugby league teams based on the coast have struggled, there's been 2 or 3
It appears to me that afl supporters in Qld are a bit fickle,dont understand the rules and are "fair weather fans"

[GregPackhamsHeadband]

They are a "walk up" kind of crowd, says Rocket. More like a walk away crowd by the looks of this year.

[St Lenny]

Metricon is a good ground no doubt,seen 3 saints games there.
Brisbane Bears were no good down there at Carrara.
One thing also,the rugby league teams based on the coast have struggled, there's been 2 or 3
It appears to me that afl supporters in Qld are a bit fickle,dont understand the rules and are "fair weather fans"

I always remember going to a game in Brisvagus many years ago before the Suns. It was during the time when the Lions won their 3 Premierships, and a guy asked me at half time when they swap ends.

[samuraisaint]

Well, both Queensland teams finish in pole position stone motherless bottom two positions, after being gifted countless concessions, and development funding. Brisbane are apparently the only side who have not even been in contention for the finals after the first month of a season since 2009 or something like that.
I can certainly see the Lions being given a priority pick after finishing in last place, and an early pick being gifted to the Suns after Ablett returns to Geelong, despite the fact that these things haven't worked before. Both of these sides have fantastic talent already. Lynch at the Suns and Hipwood at the Lions, are two absolute stars in the making.
I certainly hope that we are fixtured in to play both of these sides twice next year, because I can't see either of them improving in the short to medium term. This kind of fixturing could be the difference between us playing finals in 2018 and not.

[Toy Saint]

Metricon is a good ground no doubt,seen 3 saints games there.
Brisbane Bears were no good down there at Carrara.
One thing also,the rugby league teams based on the coast have struggled, there's been 2 or 3
It appears to me that afl supporters in Qld are a bit fickle,dont understand the rules and are "fair weather fans"

Well, I've only been following the Saints since 1960 and go to most games, and I'm afraid I don't seem to know the rules either..

[saintspremiers]

Gold Coast Scums had the lowest scoring shots in 51 years last night. What a gutless effort. Finey teed off big time this morning. What a joke of a club, they should just give up on them and relocate them and rebrand them as the Tassie Devils.