Brisbane locks in Easter Thursday fixtures for next three years, two of them against Collingwood
With Brisbane climbing up the ladder and crowds flocking back to the Gabba, the AFL has rewarded the Lions with a string of blockbusters over the next three seasons. See the full details here.
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Brisbane has secured a financial windfall of about $1.2 million over the next three years, with the State Government striking a deal with the AFL to lock away the Easter Thursday clash at the Gabba.
Major drawcard Collingwood will be the opponent for the next two years, while 2022 will see one of the other big clubs head north.
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In 2022, Easter coincides with Anzac Day, where the Pies have a long-standing annual showdown with Essendon on the MCG.
The Lions played the Pies at Easter this year in front of almost 35,000 – banking about $400,000 for the game which will deliver the club’s first end-of-season profit since 2007.
The average profit for a home game is about $30,000.
Locking the fixture away for multiple years is a reward for Brisbane’s ability to sell out the Gabba three times this season after the full-house sign was also put up in Round 22 against Geelong and last week’s qualifying final against the Tigers.
Lions CEO Greg Swann said the AFL’s commitment wasn’t only a reward for the club but also for the fans who voted with their feet this season by shattering longstanding crowd records.
“We believe we have been rewarded after producing a successful year on and off the field with growth in membership, crowd attendance and making our first AFL finals series in a decade,’’ he said.
“(Coach) Chris Fagan has his men playing an exciting brand of footy that will light up the Gabba and TV screens each Easter for the next three years.’’
Tourism Minister Kate Jones will officially announce the deal on Friday.
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Jones, who was at the Gabba last Saturday to watch the qualifying final loss to Richmond in front of the ground’s biggest AFL crowd, said the Lions had become a major tourism drawcard.
“We work hard to secure footy games that we know will draw huge crowds and generate a great return for local businesses in Queensland,” she said.
“The Pies love to fly north for the winter – we proved that earlier this year.
“That’s why we’ve worked closely with the AFL, and with both clubs, to get this deal over the line.”
Jones said Queensland’s share of the domestic tourism visitor market was growing faster than NSW and Victoria – with major events helping to deliver a strong windfall for Sunshine State operators.
“When it comes to major events, Queensland is kicking goals. Earlier this year we used this fixture to successfully market Queensland in Victoria – one of our key source markets,” she said.
“Off the back of this deal, we’ll run another marketing campaign in Melbourne to showcase the amazing tourism experiences on offer here. Huge events like this give people a reason to travel.’’
Originally published as Brisbane locks in Easter Thursday fixtures for next three years, two of them against Collingwood
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