Gold Coast Suns reveal plans to develop a second oval that can host AFLW games
The Gold Coast Suns have revealed development plans for one of its training ovals that will give the club two elite playing venues that can host games.
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THE Gold Coast Suns have plans to turn one of its training ovals into an elite AFLW training facility with grandstands so it can host AFLW games at the ground.
The Suns have three ovals at their disposal, with the club’s womens team currently using Metricon Stadium for home games during the AFLW season.
Gold Coast revamped part of it’s training and administration centre to build change rooms for the female players have now revealed plans to upgrade the western oval, located directly in front of it’s headquarters, that can cater for their games in the next two years.
“We have got some really big plans to take the number two oval and turn that into an AFLW elite training facility with grandstands so we can have AFLW games hosted at our site at Carrara,” Suns chairman Tony Cochrane said.
“We want to create some big opportunities there. We have a world class hub going on there now and we have been the catalyst for that hub.
“We want to build on that and make sure the women get everything to the same standard asd the men.”
The revelations come as Gold Coast’s premier sporting identities believe the city can rise from the ashes of COVID to become a capital for sports events and the biggest contributor of elite female athletes.
Cochrane, declared the city’s ability to house the majority of the AFL’s teams throughout COVID in 2020, using the infrastructure developed for the successful 2018 Commonwealth Games, expertise from city leaders and accommodation in the tourist hot spot, put the city on the map of sporting bodies.
“I have a great saying that I borrowed from Winston Churchill which is never waste a crisis,” Cochrane said.
“It speaks to how sport can have an amazing impact on the economy if it’s well run well.
“There is no question we were the big beneficiaries of the AFL season.
“Aside from the obvious financial benefit, the secondary benefit, which is just as important, is it enabled the whole of the AFL system to look at the huge success and huge growth and opportunity the Gold Coast Suns have created out of Metricon Stadium and our facilities.”
The Suns and NRL club Gold Coast Titans generate well over $30 million per year for the Gold Coast economy with interstate fans flocking to the city and the A-League club Brisbane Roar have recently become the third national team to house their headquarters in the city.
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Sport Gold Coast chairman Geoff Smith said the city could become the home of women’s sport in Australia.
“We need to aim to make it the home of women’s sport,” Smith said.
“The Gold Coast has a lot of women’s world champions and we need to promote them.”
The Suns are at the forefront of the push into women’s sport, introducing an AFLW side in 2020 as Queensland pushed towards 88,0000 female players.
“Women’s sport is finally getting its fair time in the spotlight and it certainly deserves that,” Cochrane said.
“There is no question from the start we have made we can grow it and I’m sure it will be the catalyst for other female sports to try and emulate the success the AFLW has had.”
Smith said the focus of females in sport made up one of the four pillars Moncrief MP Angie Bell came up with as part of the ‘Reimagine Gold Coast’ campaign, with fragmentation, facitliies and funding the other elements.
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The task force was designed to improve collaboration between sporting groups and provide an avenue for greater revenue streams to help the city reach its sport objectives.
The group are expecting to host a forum early in 2021, focusing on the creation of a citywide strategic plan for sport on the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast already hosts sport events that attracts national and international attention, including the Gold Coast 600 Supercars race that could be raced under lights for the first time in 2021.
The event already generates around $55 million for the economy and is forecasted to add another $25 million once moved into the night.
The Gold Coast Turf Club is the home of the Magic Millions, a carnival attracting international thoroughbred buyers and a $10 million race day.
The GCTC are on the cusp of launching a $38 million revamp, including upgrades to stabling, the training track, installation of a tunnel and upgrade to the course proper.
The synthetic track be started around midway through 2021, the same time as the stabling, before the tunnel is completed.
The course proper will be done in 2022 and in 2023 lights will be installed for night racing, with the work expected to generate a 25 per cent increase in revenue on the $170.2 million already generated for Gold Coast and Beaudesert.
Hotels and resorts including Mantra at Southport Sharks, Royal Pines and KDV Sport remain a key part of the city’s ability to host major sports events.
Sharks CEO Dean Bowtell, who had AFL club Geelong hub with the club, said they now had a proven track record that will enable them to attract more elite sporting franchises.
“What we did with the hotel was try to not only provide another form of income for the club long term, but also dovetail into the city’s sport’s tourism strategy,” Bowtell said.
“What we have achieved as a city through the Commonwealth Games and what we have done with the AFL has put us in good stead.
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The Gold Coast has long attempted to parlay the success of the Commonwealth Games into being seen as a major events city.
Just weeks before COVID-19 hit, the city scored a coup in securing an exhibition game between the Brisbane Roar and UK Premier League side Westham United.
This event was cancelled at the height of the pandemic.
It is understood Gold Coast and state political leaders are keep to bid for another game of the same caliber once border closures become a thing of the past.
A key component of the Gold Coast City Council’s future plans to attract more sporting events is the creation of a boutique stadium which will have a capacity of 8000-10,000 people.
Council is considering three locations all near the light rail, including land at Miami and Southport.
Mayor Tom Tate said it was critical to plan for the post-COVID world when the city would again host major events and its population again grows.
“Planning ahead for a population exceeding one million people is the key and our population growth targets are likely to rapidly increase as more people see the value of living, working and raising a family on the coast,” he said.
“Like all major infrastructure, we need to plan ahead and a report is due before Council that will give councillors greater insight into possible locations and possible public-private funding models for this stadium.
“While I can’t comment on details, I know the success of any stadium will be in its connectivity to public transport and its functionality.
“The world’s best multipurpose stadiums can reconfigure their floor plans, roofing, sound, lighting and capacity to suit whatever event is on. That’s where we need to set the bar – to have the latest in technology and at a minimum, to be the best boutique stadium in Australia.’’
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