AFL enthusiasts pour into Alice Springs to see Melbourne take on Port Adelaide

AFL enthusiasts in Alice Springs are looking forward excitedly to seeing reigning premiers Melbourne take on Port Adelaide at Traeger Park on Sunday.

AFL enthusiasts in Alice Springs are looking forward excitedly to seeing reigning premiers Melbourne take on Port Adelaide at Traeger Park on Sunday.

Port Adelaide supporter and Red Centre local Neil Gurney said that the event will be great for the local economy.

“We don’t get a lot of real good things so when you get an event like this people tend to support it,” he said.

“I think there will be a lot of people coming from interstate, both Adelaide and Melbourne, so hopefully they stay and make a bit of a holiday out of it.”

Mr Gurney also said that the colder weather in town will not faze enthusiasts who want to go out and see the game.

“The league have got it right in that it’s 2.50 in the afternoon, which is a fairly nice sunny time,” he said.

Port Adelaide supporter David Roberts said that he travelled interstate to watch the game.

“The game is why I’m here,” Mr Roberts said.

“We try and go to one interstate game a year.”

Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford said earlier this month that the game was “huge” for the economy and that the Red Centre was “almost at no vacancy right across the town”.

This game will be the third AFL match to be hosted by the Territory this year, after the Gold Coast Suns took on Hawthorn and North Melbourne earlier in the season.