Gold Coast QAFL clubs react to QAFL expansion

GOLD Coast QAFL clubs reacted to AFL Queensland’s moves to expand the competition they have dominated in recent years.

QAFL Austrailan rules game between Surfers Paradise and Morningside at Sir Bruce Small Park on Saturday. Surfers Paradise's Myles Jewell. Picture: Jerad Williams

GOLD Coast QAFL clubs have welcomed AFL Queensland’s moves to expand the competition they have dominated in recent years.

AFLQ have confirmed the QAFL will expand to 11 teams in 2021, with the Noosa Tigers and the newly established Redland Victoria Point Sharks joining the league.

Surfers Paradise senior coach Brad Moore said it would improve the quality of the league, something the 2019 premiers would relish.

“It’s great for Queensland football,” Moore said.“It means the competition is only going to be stronger and it’s going to be tougher to win. It’s a challenging task and one we look forward to.”

The number of teams means there will likely be more byes, something Moore said would be needed if officials opt for a 20-game regular season before finals.“Now that there could be so many games then a bye could be helpful through the course of the season,” Moore said.

“We just need to look at how we structure the byes. The way the AFL does it, with multiple teams having a bye in the same week looks like a better way to do it.”

Broadbeach Cats coach Craig O’Brien backed Moore in declaring the move was the right one.

“It’s a great idea. I have a close relationship with a lot of people at Noosa and they are a great club,” O’Brien said.

“They have been a powerhouse up north for quite a while now.”

After appearing in the last four Division 1 Hart Sport Cup grand finals and being crowned back to back premiers in 2019 and 2020, Noosa have positioned themselves extremely well to make a seamless transition into the State’s premier men’s competition.

On hand at the Noosa foreshore today for the announcement, the new Head of AFL Queensland, Trisha Squires, said the addition of two new clubs would only further strengthen the QAFL competition.

“It’s fantastic that we have clubs aspiring to play at the highest possible level and Noosa are testament to that,” Squires said.

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“Noosa have worked diligently for several years to develop a playing list capable of competing at the highest level.

“Their promotion creates a clear male youth talent pathway at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast as well as opening up pathway opportunities for those living in the Fraser Coast and Wide Bay regions,” Squires added.

Noosa president, Rod Purves, said the club’s elevation to QAFL was the result of a lot of hard work by many over a sustained period.

“We have been building towards this step for several years now and it’s incredibly rewarding for the hard work of so many volunteers at the club.“We have tremendous community support and this step up will further enhance our standing locally,” Purves said.

Having competed in the NEAFL competition since 2011, the Redland Bombers have joined forces with the Victoria Point Sharks to form the Redland-Victoria Point Sharks.

“We certainly applaud both the Redland Bombers and the Victoria Point Sharks for coming together to ensure there is an opportunity for players in the Redland Coast region to play State League footy.” Squires said.

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“Mergers are never easy, even more so in such a short period of time, however both clubs have had a strong relationship in recent times and have put their region first and we are extremely confident they will become a club the Redland Coast community embraces."

Redland-Victoria Point Sharks spokesman, Nic Aldridge said with a population base of 160,000 both clubs were committed to providing a talent pathway for those living in the Redland Coast shire.

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“As clubs we have a role to play in our local community in providing opportunities for our aspiring talent and strong junior base, and this move certainly achieves that objective.

“Our playing list is excited at the challenge and opportunity that playing in the QAFL presents,” Aldridge said.