Richmond and Essendon AFL legend Kevin Sheedy backs Cairns as a future destination for the top level

AFL legend Kevin Sheedy has backed both Cairns and Darwin as ideal homes for future AFL clubs. Find out why he’s on board.

Kevin Sheedy and James Hird with the 2000 premiership cup at the Essendon family day at Windy Hill. Digital Image.

AFL legend Kevin Sheedy has backed Northern Australia as an ideal region for a top-level expansion club.

Sheedy, who spoke ahead of a sportsman's night with AFL Cairns club Manunda Hawks, said the old rugby league/Aussie rules divide needed to be broken down.

“Everywhere is an AFL part of the world, let’s reset the map,” he said.

“It’s going to come down to population and money to some degree, you see half a million people in Tasmania still deciding whether they want a roof on top of their ground.

“Whether we end up with 20 or 22 AFL clubs, I think it’s only a matter of time before we end up with a team (in Cairns) and a team in Darwin.

“It may not be in my lifetime, but it’ll happen.”

Cairns Aussie rules export Che Cockatoo-Collins playing for Essendon.

Sheedy said growing the game in regional Queensland had been crucial to the development of the sport and would continue to be well into the future.

“You just never know where the great players are going to come from,” he said.

“One of my champion players Leon Baker came from up here and helped me to win my first ever premiership as a coach.

“We also had Che Cockatoo-Collins play for us, he was a terrific player and was really part of that beginning phase of Indigenous players starting to come through.

“Along with the likes of Michael Long and Gavin Wanganeen, he was the start of the recruitment of 400 or so Indigenous players that had since been drafted.

“Only 25 Indigenous boys played in the VFL before them. They were incredibly influential to opening up the game to that community.”

Originally published as Richmond and Essendon AFL legend Kevin Sheedy backs Cairns as a future destination for the top level