Brisbane Roar on the hunt for a boutique venue
A-League boss Greg O’Rourke has encouraged Brisbane Roar to play at least one home match away from Suncorp Stadium next season.
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A-League boss Greg O’Rourke has encouraged Brisbane Roar to play at least one home match away from Suncorp Stadium next season as part of a push for more games at boutique venues.
Details about the 2019-20 season remain unknown, with the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association calling for “an orderly transition” to an independent A-League.
Regardless, Football Federation Australia is working with chief executive officers from five A-League clubs to work out next season’s fixture make-up.
The Roar are next season set to play 13 home matches, the majority of which will be at Suncorp Stadium as part of their contract with the Milton venue.
But there’s no doubting the 52,5000-capacity stadium is far too big for the Roar.
Brisbane’s average home attendance this season is 10,396, with their past four Suncorp Stadium crowds failing to crack the 10,000 mark.
The Courier-Mail has learnt the Roar are keen to take at least one of their home games to a smaller venue next season.
It’s a move that has been applauded by O’Rourke, who has been heartened by the crowds and atmosphere generated this season at Sydney FC home matches at Jubilee Stadium and Leichhardt Oval.
“It’s a good idea,” O’Rourke told The Courier-Mail.
“If they can play one or two home matches at smaller stadiums, it’s shown that it’s good for the A-League.”
Redcliffe’s Dolphin Stadium, which has a capacity of about 12,000 and has hosted FFA Cup matches as well as a W-League semi-final, looms as an alternate home venue for the Roar.
Herston venue Ballymore, which has also hosted FFA Cup games and W-League finals, and has a capacity of about 18,000, is another option.
Meanwhile, such is the depleted state of the Roar’s defensive stocks , whiz-kid Isaack Powell has stayed in Brisbane rather than represent the Australian under-17 squad in a youth tournament in Turkey.
Powell was due to leave for Europe this week with a Joeys squad that also included Roar youth-team player Jordan Courtney-Perkins.
But the Roar asked Football Federation Australia if the 17-year-old left back – who last month became the youngest player to represent the club in an A-League match - could remain at home following further injury blows.
Central defender Luke DeVere (knee) and utility Dane Ingham (broken foot) have joined right back Jack Hingert (knee), left back Connor O’Toole (broken leg) and attacking midfielder Stefan Mauk (groin) as players who won’t be seen again this season.
Left back Jacob Alexander, who plays for Bentleigh Greens in the NPL Victoria competition, joined former Socceroos striker Eli Babalj in trialling with the Roar this week.
Brisbane are back in action next Friday night (MARCH 8) when they host Western Sydney Wanderers at Suncorp Stadium.
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