From Pirates to Giants: junior AFL club name change kicks off bitter stoush as seniors sidelined in venue lease

A bitter stoush at a Logan Aussie Rules club over the lease of a new $11 million venue has signalled the end of one of the state’s most iconic junior football associations.

The Park Ridge Pirates senior AFC will keep its name but has not been included in talks for the lease of a new council AFL playing field, where the newly formed Greenbank Giants JAFC has already moved in. Image: Park Ridge Pirates AFC

A bitter stoush at a southside Aussie Rules club over the lease of a new $11 million venue has signalled the end of one of the state’s most iconic junior football associations.

Logan’s Park Ridge Pirates Junior Australian Football Club has ditched its legendary name of “Pirates” to split from the club and become the Greenbank Giants JAFC.

The split followed the club dividing into two entities in November 2022 to overcome insurance complications from trading as a junior club while operating two senior teams.

Under AFLQ licensing agreement rules a senior club cannot be insured under a junior entity.

The shock move will allow the breakaway Giants juniors to negotiate a Logan City Council lease at a new playing oval in Greenbank, about 10km from the club’s original base at Park Ridge State High.

But it will mean the newly rebranded senior club will remain at the high school under the name Park Ridge Pirates Australian Football Club after the council ruled it out as a party to lease the new venue.

Park Ridge Pirates AFC seniors will stay at the Park Ridge State High School while the junior club, which renamed itself Greenbank Giants, will move to the new council facility at Greenbank. Picture: Park Ridge Pirates

After the rift, the Park Ridge Juniors new management continued discussions with Logan council over leasing the new Greenbank facility, which opened in November and where the new junior club is already advertising as its new home.

Councillor Natalie Willcocks, who represents Greenbank and Park Ridge South, said the council was obligated to maintain lease discussions solely with the Park Ridge Pirates JAFC, despite its recent name change.

She said the council could not award a lease until it took possession of the site.

“The council cannot allocate a lease to a senior club that has only just been established, especially after all the discussions have been with the junior club,” she said.

“No lease has been awarded to any club, as yet, for the Everleigh AFL fields but the conversations however, have always been with Park Ridge Pirates JAFC.

“The council was not the one to split the club.”

Logan’s Natalie Willcocks at the opening of the Everleigh AFL playing field. Picture: Mirvac Photography By Brobes

Cr Willcocks said Australia Football League Queensland and the Park Ridge Pirates JAFC members were consulted about the Giants name change but the council was not involved.

The council’s stance drew criticism from Park Ridge Pirates AFC President Andy Colenso, a founding member of the original Pirates Junior AFC.

He said it was hypocritical for the council to discuss a lease with the Greenbank Giants, a club that only came into existence in December.

He also expressed concern that without the Everleigh playing field lease and the junior teams, the Pirates seniors would struggle to meet financial obligations including AFLQ fees of $25,000.

Park Ridge Pirates AFC president and founding member Andrew Colenso said it was sad the club split and the seniors had not been given the lease at the new grounds. Image: Park Ridge Pirates

“The council says it can’t award the lease to the Pirates Seniors because it was only formed a year ago and yet it can award the lease to the Greenbank Giants which only started in December,” Mr Colenso said.

“I’ve been overseeing the Pirates’ budget for 15 years before the split and it was my idea to approach Mirvac about leasing the playing fields for the whole Pirates club.

“The juniors only have four teams which will not be an efficient and effective use of the new venue, which does not include change rooms or a canteen.

“The seniors club is a lot more expensive to fund because the club sells alcohol and has to have a liquor licence and the canteen is a major venture we have to run when the seniors play on a Saturday.

“We have to pay for trainers, coaches and medical equipment for seniors — not juniors — and so the majority of the club’s sponsorship and fundraising is centred around the seniors.

“The juniors do not need that level of spending and all this does is signal the end of the Park Ridge club.”

AFLQ and the Greenbank Giants both chose not to comment leaving the community and stakeholders anxiously awaiting the resolution of the bitter stoush.

Originally published as From Pirates to Giants: junior AFL club name change kicks off bitter stoush as seniors sidelined in venue lease