Inside the challenges of Gold Coast’s Aussie rules boom and the plans to navigate them

One local Aussie rules president fears someone could be hit by a car, such is the congestion trying to get to the oval. Inside the plan to manage the sport’s boom.

Aussie rules grounds across the Gold Coast are under the pump as player numbers skyrocket.

Aussie rules is booming in Queensland, so much so that it is tipped to soon overtake heartland state South Australia for participants.

But growth rarely comes without growing pains. So much so that one club president fears someone could be hit by a car, such is the congestion simply trying to get to the footy oval.

“It is literally tetris every weekend,” explains Burleigh Bombers president Jarrod Curtis.

“Parking has become more and more of a challenge. The problem that we’ve got is it’s at a point now where I’m frightened someone might get hit.

“Just due to the congestion that there is and the impatience people have trying to get to the venue or gain access to the venue.”

The Bombers have about 670 registered players across 39 teams, and just the one oval.

“When we have people parking on either side of Galeen Drive, it’s quite thin as you try and come in and out of there which is where our car park is,” Mr Curtis said.

“The AFL have recognised that we do have a problem and they’re doing their best but there’s only so much green space.

“We’re seeing a lot of people migrating into Burleigh, we just don’t have the right access.”

The Burleigh Bombers have 39 teams using just one oval. Picture: Supplied.

The Broadbeach Cats have also been squeezed by a similar player boom. Since junior president Jason Cunningham took over the role in 2018, player numbers at the club have doubled - and then some - from about 370 to 800. Women’s footy has been the greatest driving force, with 22 girls becoming 225 over the past seven years.

Mr Cunningham estimates 1000 people will traverse through the club’s ground on gameday.

“The big difference is instead of finishing at 3 o’clock we now finish at 6 o’clock, it’s very stretchy for the volunteers,” Mr Cunningham said.

The Cats have access to the adjacent Merrimac State High School carpark and ground which alleviates a portion of the stress, however parking can still be a major problem when they host carnival days at the school.

“They’re parked everywhere, they’re parked illegally as you drive into Dunlop Court where it’s very dangerous with cars going past,” Mr Cunningham said.

“AFL on the Gold Coast has gone mad.”

Speaking at the Gold Coast Bulletin’s Future Gold Coast roundtable event, Gold Coast Suns chief commercial officer Simons Fitzgibbon detailed how a new Aussie rules oval needed to be built every week nationwide to keep up with demand.

“We’ll soon overtake South Australia as an established football market and just through the growth of the game in Queensland, which is amazing,” he said.

“What we’re seeing is if you go out to any local football club on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday night, there’s probably the density of kids on the field.

“I’m sure it’s the same from the league point of view that the experience isn’t a great one either.

“So you’ve also got those competing priorities around, hey, it’s great to get them there and get them active and get them involved, but are we actually providing a good experience when doing that?”

Simon Fitzgibbon. Picture: Max O'Driscoll.

With green space limited, he said the solution lay in utilising school ovals.

“School’s traditionally finished at four o’clock in the afternoon, their fields lay idle after that,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

He noted that AFL Queensland had introduced an initiative of adding lights to school ovals so they can be used for training sessions on weekday evenings but also for games on the weekend.

Broadbeach already uses Merrimac’s oval for its under-8 to under-11 games on the weekend, and Burleigh is hopeful of having lights installed and gaining access to Miami State High and Marymount College to alleviate the strain.

Head of AFL Queensland Trisha Squires said that there had been a remarkable 52 per cent jump in participation across the Gold Coast since just 2019.

Head of AFL Queensland Trisha Squires.

She noted that in that time, goal posts had been installed at six new school ovals to try and facilitate the game’s boom.

“Our Gold Coast football clubs have delivered fantastic programs and pathways for participants that have contributed significantly to the growth of the game in the region,” Ms Squires said.

“AFL Queensland has a strong working relationship with the City of Gold Coast for facility planning and seasonal club operations.

“The need for more AFL ovals on the Gold Coast is critical. Currently, there is on average 442 participants per one oval on the Gold Coast, which is well over the average of 366 per oval across Southeast Queensland.

“We are keen to play a role in the solution and as such are working with the City of Gold Coast to develop innovative ways to alleviate this problem, including installing lights at school sites.”