‘We want them to play in front of home crowds made up of friends, family and countrymen’: NT to launch new bid for own AFL team

The Northern Territory will launch a bold bid to establish an AFL team when the league grants its next licence.

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THE Northern Territory will on Friday launch a bold bid to establish an AFL team when the league grants its next licence.

The team would be based in Darwin, with plans already drawn up for a new stadium to be built in the city’s CBD. Games would also be played in Alice Springs, with options for matches in Townsville and Cairns also being considered.

AFLNT chairman Sean Bowden said the bid was about activating and nurturing the talent in the Northern Territory – particularly in remote Indigenous communities – and inspiring those players towards an AFL career.

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“You look at players like (Michael) ‘Mago’ McLean, Maurice Rioli, Mick Long and Andy McLeod, who had to travel 4000km away from home to the freezing cold in Melbourne to get their chance,” he said. “We want to give those kids who grow up in the Northern Territory the same opportunities that exist for kids who grows up in Sandringham or Sturt. We want them to play in front of home crowds made up of friends, family and countrymen.”

AFLNT chairman Sean Bowden. Picture: Felicity Elliott /AFLNT Media.

The bid is based on a feasibility study, obtained by News Corp, which argues a side based in the NT would have huge social and economic benefits, particularly for Aboriginal people. While consultant Bastion EBA concluded the NT’s small population and subsequent lack of football-related revenues meant a team could not be established under a traditional model, it put forward the case for an “unconventional model”.

“(It) emphasises social impact as the core objective of the team, which would be unprecedented in Australian, and potentially global professional sport,” the report says. The consultants say the value of that social benefit could be as great as $462 million, pointing to improved health, education and crime reduction outcomes.

The bid has the backing of the NT Labor government, which funded the feasibility study. Chief Minister Michael Gunner said it was important the Territory was ready when a licence became available.

Territory football product Cyril Rioli. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images

“Territorians love their footy and we produce some of the AFL’s most exciting players, who have been lighting up the competition for years,” he said. “We deserve our own team. The social benefits of having a team in the NT would be significant for the Territory and the sport.”

The consultants estimate the initial capital expenditure required for the team at $76.5 million, assuming games are played at an upgraded TIO Stadium. This increases to $290 million if a new stadium is built. The annual operating cost is estimated at $45 million, with a predicted revenue of $30 million, leaving a $15 million shortfall. But the consultants argue the social impact of the team would negate the funding shortfall.

Territory football star Andrew McLeod. Picture: Sarah Reed

“From Bastion’s research, the AFL would be making history in Australian sport by investing in a team that holds social impact as a primary objective,” the report says.

The consultants recommend a joint funding model with support from the federal and Northern Territory governments, Aboriginal Land Councils and private enterprise, including sponsorship from resources companies.

The bid’s backers are also pointing to the potential economic benefits, particularly in tourism, with plans being considered for marquee Dreamtime games in Darwin and Alice Springs.