Cairns AFL: Footy faces unprecedented growth in Far North thanks to women’s comp
Close to 4000 pumped-up AFL fans are set to pack out Cazalys on Sunday in what the sport’s heavyweights say is just a glimpse into the boom the code is going through in the Far North.
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CLOSE to 4000 pumped-up AFL fans are set to pack out Cazalys stadium on Sunday in what the sport’s heavyweights say is just a glimpse into the boom the code is going through in the Far North.
While the region has long been rugby league heartland, and will likely remain so for years to come, the AFL is undergoing an unprecedented growth in the region, spurred on by a burgeoning national women’s competition.
A hot Brisbane Lions team has a top-four finish in its sights and local AFL officials believe if the game against the Sydney Swans on Sunday night was being played without COVID restrictions, they could have “absolutely” packed Cazalys to its 13,500 capacity.
The sport’s most recent state figures show total participation rates jumped 45 per cent between 2014 and 2019 in Cairns, with a massive 234 per cent in the women’s game.
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All six Cairns clubs now have a women’s team and talks continue to propel Port Douglas into that competition in the future.
AFL Queensland boss Dean Warren rated the Cairns competition the strongest outside the southeast corner and the women’s game in particular was experiencing “exponential” growth.
“Certainly in the last decade the growth in junior club numbers has been really, really strong,” he said.
“As an AFL industry we’re very much about equality and inclusion … whether you’re a male or female player.”
Local AFL authorities did not want to suggest their growth had come at the cost of rugby league and Mr Warren said sports had always been able to “coexist” well in Cairns.
But despite a request to the Queensland Rugby League regarding its 2019 numbers, they were unwilling to disclose them.
The number of registered AFL players for 2019 is 2069.
The most recent figures issued for 2018 recorded a total of 5249 registered rugby league players in the Far North.
AFL Cairns operations manager Craig Lees said the foundations for the sport’s popularity were laid in FNQ more than two decades ago, largely by the Brisbane Lions.
“They obviously spent a long time in Cairns promoting the game in the ’90s and 2000s and had a legacy of creating fans,” he said.
“We know our product is very, very good and parents come back because they’ve had a good experience.
“And footy is far more accessible now. Five or six years ago you’d have to go to the pub to watch a game but, with the Lions and the Suns doing well, there are a lot more games on free-to-air.”
Mr Lees said the direct pathways into top flight competitions now available for both men and women also made AFL an even more attractive prospect.
Victoria’s loss has become Cairns’ gain during COVID and Mr Lees said the community had relished its doses of professional sport, highlighted by the huge interest in all four AFL games played at Cazalys.
“Seeing so many kids (at the games) in (club) jumpers has been great,” he said.
The sport’s bosses had nothing but praise for both the city and the venue for its hosting, Mr Lees said.
CAIRNS AFL STALWART HAS LIONS FANDOM IN BLOOD
There are few AFL fans in Cairns as diehard as Ralph James, who was born and bred into supporting the Brisbane Lions back when they were still the Fitzroy Lions.
Mr James, 81, is a life member of the Lions and dedicated supporter of local AFL, acting as timekeeper for the Tigers, for whom he used to play back in the day.
His father was Shady James, who played for the Fitzroy Lions in the 1940s.
Mr James, also known as “Shady Jr”, said he was practically bred into football.
“As long as I can remember I’ve been a Fitzroy Lions supporter, and when they amalgamated with the Brisbane Bears, I fell in with them,” he said.
“Living so far away from Brisbane and Sydney, I don’t get to see them play as many games as I’d like to see when I moved up here.”
Mr James has bought two tickets to the Lions match against the Swans at Cazalys.
“I only get to catch the games on TV, I’ve made a couple of trips down to Brisbane to see them, but I haven’t seen them play live in years,” he said.
“I was happy when I heard they’d be coming up here, especially when I got a ticket to see them.
“I’ve got a young brother in Sydney that barracks for the Sydney ‘Swines’ — I bait him all the time, have a bit of friendly banter. I’m looking forward to getting on the phone with him about it.
“I’m just hoping for a good game of football, I hope the weather stays nice and the Lions have a win.”
SEDUCED BY THE SHERRIN
TOTAL participation in the Cairns region has shown significant growth since 2014, growing by 45 per cent, with female participation up by 234 per cent.
Club/Auskick participation has shown substantial growth since 2014, with male and female participation growing by 30 per cent and 95 per cent respectively.
The percentage growth in male participation is the highest of any region.
Junior and senior age cohorts have also grown significantly, increasing by 51 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.
AFL figures for registered players in 2019 show 1200 junior boys and 500 girls. In the senior game, there were 692 men and 237 women.
Originally published as Cairns AFL: Footy faces unprecedented growth in Far North thanks to women’s comp