A repeat of this year’s highly successful Dreamtime Game in Darwin on the NT’s wish list

Another Dreamtime Game in between a three-match premiership series in Darwin and a Heart of the Nation match in Alice Springs on the AFLNT’s wish list in 2021

Indigenous culture and the importance of Australian football to Territorians are important tools in the Territory’s bid to get another Richmond v Essendon Dreamtime Game at Darwin’s TIO Stadium. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

THE Northern Territory is pushing hard to host a record four AFL games in 2021 — three in Darwin centred around another Dreamtime Game and one in Alice Springs.

AFLNT officials are also in discussions with the AFL to bring the Gold Coast Suns back to Darwin for a two-week playing stint.

Back-to-back Suns premiership games will be separated by a repeat of this year’s highly successful Dreamtime Game between premiers Richmond and Essendon.

Alice Springs is also in line to host the Melbourne Football Club in another Heart of the Nation premiership game at TIO Traeger Park.

AFLNT board chairman Sean Bowden said his organisation would again target the Sir Doug Nichols Round, traditionally played in late May or early June across the country, as the dates for the AFL trilogy.

Bowden knows the Melbourne Cricket Ground will both hands up to host the Dreamtime Game after the COVID-19 pandemic forced it out of Victoria this year.

“We believe the success of this year’s game at TIO Stadium between Richmond and Essendon and the integrity it brought in terms of indigenous culture and meaning of the Sir Doug Nichols Round gives us a big shot at this,’’ he told the NT News.

“We know the AFL was impressed with the way we staged this year’s Dreamtime Game and the amount of indigenous culture we provided.

“I can say (CEO) Gillon McLachlan was a big supporter of the project when Darwin was first announced as a potential venue and even more happy with its eventual success.

“Richard Fejo’s superb welcome to country address gripped the entire nation and set the scene for what we believe was the best delivery of the Dreamtime Game

“And this time we’ll do it even better by including Michael Long’s vision of a weekend celebration of football together with traditional Aboriginal dancing and music.’’

Bowden also wants the Suns to be closely involved in any three-game series in Darwin, even to the point of repeating back-to-back games like the AFL side with the Suns-Carlton game on Friday night and the Dreamtime Game 24 hours later.

‘We’re confident the AFL knows Australian football is a big part of our social fabric and its importance to Territorians,’’ he added.

“It’s also why we want to work closely with Gold Coast on this project, because they are big supporters of Territory football through their chief executive Mark Evans and his staff.

The 2021 AFL draw will be a complicated process, with blocks of four games envisaged because of the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

The AFL has told the clubs it may not release the 2021 fixture until at least February, with this season’s four-round rolling schedule a strong favourite for a repeat run.