AFL Cairns starts search for more sporting fixtures for Cazalys following Premier, Steven Miles’ decision to ditch Gabba rebuild

The state government’s scrapped $1bn Gabba redevelopment may have thrown AFL Cairns’ plans to secure Brisbane Lions games into turmoil. Read about the venue’s fight for more top flight sporting fixtures.

The Brisbane Lions run onto the field ahead of their clash with the Sydney Swans at Cazalys Stadium in 2020. Picture: Ian Hitchcock

The state government’s scrapped $1bn Gabba redevelopment has thrown AFL Cairns’ plans to secure Brisbane Lions games into turmoil.

But the league’s boss Craig Lees has vowed to fight for more top flight sporting fixtures in the near future.

Cazalys Stadium appeared destined to become a home-away-from-home for the Lions with upgrades to the Vulture St venue originally slated to start in late 2025 ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

The works also promised to bring domestic and international cricket fixtures to the region with tentative talks with Queensland Cricket (QC) and Cricket Australia (CA) having already started.

But following Premier Steven Miles’ decision to endorse a $1.6bn upgrade of the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC) for the Games, Mr Lees said AFL Cairns had been forced to start searching for other entertainment to bring to the city.

“It’s frustrating because we’re trying to plan what the next 5-10 years look like,” Mr Lees said.

“We had one more year and then displaced content would have needed somewhere to go in 2026.

“We had already gone to all the stakeholders to say, ‘What do you need from us?’”

The Brisbane Lions have a long history of playing in Cairns having hosted pre-season games in the past and even playing for premiership points in 2020. (Ian Hitchcock)

The likely loss of sporting fixtures would be just another blow for the Far North which has been promised precious little out of the Brisbane games, Advance Cairns chair Nick Trompf said.

“This was going to be one of the upsides out of it all because there weren’t going to be a lot of direct benefits,” Mr Trompf said.

“AFL is a fast-growing sport and this region is much closer to a 50-50 split than your rugby league heartlands like Townsville.

“There’s a strong following and when AFL games are held here, they’re always well attended.”

AFL Cairns general manager, Craig Lees at Cazalys Stadium in Westcourt. Picture: Brendan Radke

Still, six months spent forging relationships with CA, QC and the Lions in anticipation of the Gabba rebuild may not go to waste, Mr Lees said.

“If there are opportunities to pick up content, we’re interested,” he said. “We just need to see where the dominoes fall.”

Mr Trompf said Cairns footy fans would likely be forced to wait until at least October before any new deals emerge.

“In footy parlance, the ball is very much up in the air and won’t become clearer until after the state election,” he said.

The Brisbane Lions and St Kilda Saints in a round 1 clash of the NAB Cup at Cazalys, Cairns in 2007.

Mr Lees said work with consultancy agency, the COHA Group to develop a masterplan would help secure the stadium’s future for the next 20 years.

“That will help us advocate for funding and events,” he said.

“The more we can bring to Cairns, the better it is for the community. This stadium master plan will work in line with the (Cairns) council’s growth plans and we need to make sure this stadium grows with the region.”

Extending its partnership with Hawthorn after securing an AFLW fixture held last October was a priority, Mr Lees said.

“(Tourism and Sports Minister) Michael Healy is a great supporter of what we do.

“We also have a great relationship with Hawthorn and are working with the state government, AFLW and council to secure a deal for the future.”

Luring more events to the Far North remained a priority, Member for Barron River, Craig Crawford said.

“We’re in talks with the AFL and Cricket Australia, and will continue to advocate for more top tier sporting events at Cazalys Stadium and for the people of Cairns,” Mr Crawford said.

Cazalys will host world-class motocross athletes as part of the Freestyle Kings event next month.

Originally published as AFL Cairns starts search for more sporting fixtures for Cazalys following Premier, Steven Miles’ decision to ditch Gabba rebuild