No more China games for Gold Coast, AFL coy on Brisbane-Collingwood marquee game

GOLD Coast got their wish and will not return to China next year but the AFL is remaining coy on the Lions’ ambition for an Easter Thursday grudge match against former captain Dayne Beams.

Gold Coast has played its last game in China. Picture: AAP

GOLD Coast got their wish and will not return to China next year but the AFL is remaining coy on the Lions’ ambition for an Easter Thursday grudge match against former captain Dayne Beams.

The league began a series of one-off fixture releases before next week’s official launch, with the announcement Port Adelaide would take on St Kilda in Shanghai for the next three years.

The Lions have requested an Easter Thursday clash with Collingwood at the Gabba.

They hoped the renewed interest in the resurgent Lions from across the league would convince the AFL to schedule a Gabba blockbuster in 2019 and Beams’ trade week defection to the Pies surely added to their case.

In addition to pulling out of China, the Suns are expected to shift their annual North Queensland match from Cairns to Townsville.

The Suns are set to post their first profit, believed to be close to $2 million, which has come from selling home games due to the unavailability of Metricon Stadium this season because of the Commonwealth Games.

Brisbane wants to face Dayne Beams and his new team Collingwood on Easter Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

Playing home games in China and Perth were big money spinners in 2018.

But the venue was a graveyard for the Suns, who barely troubled Port Adelaide in both their meetings at Jiangwan Stadium.

St Kilda will now cash-in on the Suns’ withdrawal from the Shanghai fixture and will be the home side against Port Adelaide for the next three years.

Next year’s match will be played on a Sunday in Round 11, with the AFL confirming the two sides will again have the bye the following week as they return to Australia.

The AFL’s general manager of clubs and broadcasting, Travis Auld, said the past two matches in China had been a commercial and broadcast success.

“To be able to commit to playing matches in Shanghai for at least the next three years will allow both clubs to develop long-term engagement strategies, both here in Australia and in China, while building on the growth achieved in having hosted previous matches in China,” he said.

The match will be broadcast live by Fox Footy.

Port Adelaide has won the two previous matches in China, beating Gold Coast comfortably on both occasions. Both matches drew crowds in excess of 10,000 people.