Collingwood, Carlton warming as logical choices for Cairns hub
Two big Victorian clubs are shaping as ideal candidates to relocate to the AFL’s new mini hub in North Queensland, which is expected to host at least three matches.
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Collingwood and Carlton are among the sides in the mix to be part of a new hub in Cairns, with at least three AFL games set to be played in the North Queensland city later this season.
While the AFL is yet to make any firm decision on which two teams will form the new hub, the Magpies and Blues shape as prime candidates for what is expected to be a three-to-four week stay in Cairns.
Collingwood and Carlton will have both already completed trips to Perth before the next block of fixtures starts in Round 13 and will still need to play each other.
Both teams will also still need to play games against Gold Coast Suns, who have a strong supporter base in Cairns.
The region forms part of the Suns’ Academy zone and Gold Coast has built membership in the region, having played eight games in Cairns since 2011.
Hawthorn — which also would have completed a trip to Perth and will still need to face the Suns — is another team which could be strongly considered for the move North.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed the league had come to an agreement with the Queensland government to play “some games” in Cairns.
“It’ll be in the next tranche of games, but we haven’t worked out which teams,” McLachlan said on Radio 3AW.
“We’ve played games up there before and there’s a surprisingly great depth of support for AFL up there and it’s a good thing for footy.”
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The Queensland government confirmed the deal struck would see two teams relocate to Cairns for “three to four weeks”, which would help fill hotel rooms and boost the hard-hit tourism region’s economy.
“It’s a great football area, we’ve got a good venue up there and we’ve got an opportunity to promote football in the regions … to take the game to people up there,” McLachlan said.
The league is preparing to stage 33 games in 20 days starting from next Wednesday, McLachlan saying how it plays out to determine whether the AFL would consider a second batch of compressed games after round 12.
“I don’t think we’ll ‘have’ to do it, it’s something that may happen if clubs and players and broadcasters and supporters think it’s been successful,” he said.
“We’ve got this compression now, and we’re rolling with taking opportunities to play the games, and there’s an appetite to do it. We’ll look at how it goes and make the decision after that.
“It’s pretty unprecedented in our game and certainly in world sport, and will people get sick of it, how is everyone going to hold up ... it’s part of the fascination of this season, the attrition and it’s going to be part of the story and we’ll see how we go.”
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has also been open in her hope for the sunshine state to host the Grand Final, but McLachlan maintained that it is contracted to be held at the MCG no decision on moving it would be made until it had to be.
“If it’s not there, then obviously Queensland is a fabulous option,” he said.
“We can all speculate ... but until it’s certain, we’ll make a decision when we know more.
“I haven’t thought about process or priorities - we’re focused on getting this home and away season away. We’ve got a contract with the MCG and if it changes, we’ll be ready.”
HOW WILL FANS REACT TO NEW FOOTY PLAN
-Rebecca Williams
AFL broadcasters are backing footy-mad fans to lap up 33 games of football in the next 20 days as part of the league’s unprecedented fixture cram.
Fox Footy and Channel 7 were not concerned about the potential for viewer burnout with matches scheduled every day between rounds nine and 12 from next Wednesday.
But both networks said it was too early to suggest whether the new-look fixture, which will feature night-time double headers on Monday (Round 11), Wednesday (Round 10), Thursday (Round 10) and Friday nights (Round 9), was potentially a glimpse into the viewing future.
The first of the night-time double-headers will start on the Friday of Round 9 after the Carlton-Hawthorn match at Optus Stadium was shifted from its original Thursday night timeslot.
That match will now be played before the Essendon-Brisbane game at Metricon Stadium.
Channel 7 Melbourne managing director Lewis Martin described this season as an “epic adventure” for supporters and did not think there was a danger of footy fatigue from three weeks’ straight of games.
“We’re all pretty match fit, dealing with whatever comes next,” Martin said.
“Footy fans have got an insatiable appetite for footy and I think where everyone is getting on board for the whole adventure of this season.
“There is a shared sense of what’s going to happen next and how is my club going to deal with it? That’s what is going to happen over the next four weeks.”
Channel 7 will broadcast next Wednesday’s clash between Western Bulldogs and Richmond at Metricon Stadium, but will largely keep its regular Thursday-Sunday broadcast slots with Fox Footy picking up the additional mid-week games.
In a marathon production effort, Fox Footy expects to broadcast more than 120 hours of live content between games and regular shows in the condensed fixture.
“We are going to be doing, on our quick count on it, with all our games and shows, we are going to be doing just over 120 hours of TV in those days,” Fox Footy general manager Michael Neill said.
“So it’s about six hours a day of live footy coverage, be it games or shows.
“It’s a big number and it’s an undertaking we have never done anything like it before and we just can’t wait to get started.
“It’s a huge responsibility to give fans the coverage of all these games and when you are doing 33 games in 20 days it’s going to be non-stop.”
Neill said Fox Footy would closely watch how the feast of football is received by fans to see if the addition of more mid-week games could be a success in the future.
“It’s certainly great to try things and see how they go,” Neill said.
“We love to try things. At Fox Footy we are always trying to look at different ways to do things and different ways to bring the game to fans and different ways to talk about the game, so we are open to any opportunity to try something new and see how it goes and see what resonates with the public.”
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Martin expected next Wednesday’s clash to kick off the marathon month of football to be a big night for the network.
“Certainly launching 20 days of footy on the Wednesday night will be a very big night of telly for us,” Martin said.
“Wednesday nights are very rare and we have only done them with Anzac Eve when Anzac Day is on a Thursday. So it is a really unique night.”