Cairns push to become the third Queensland team in the AFL closer than ever

Queensland would become the first state to be the home of three elite Aussie rules football clubs outside of Victoria under an ambitious proposal to make Cairns the centrepoint of the next AFL expansion club.

Queensland would become the first state to be the home of three elite Aussie rules football clubs outside of Victoria under an ambitious proposal to make Cairns the centrepoint of the next AFL expansion club.

With the growth of junior participation across Queensland overtaking Victoria and South Australia in 2023, a potential third Queensland team is more prominent than ever.

North Queensland could be the next area the AFL will look to tap into, with the base of the new side located in Cairns.

Darwin is likely to throw their name up in a push to get the first AFL side in the Top End.

Since the 2011 AFL season, apart from 2019, Cairns has hosted an AFL game, which also included the Covid hub in 2020.

Tom Campbell of the Saints contests the ball with Sam Hayes of the Power during the round seven AFL match between the St Kilda Saints and the Port Adelaide Power at Cazalys Stadium on April 30, 2022 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

AFL Cairns general manager Craig Lees said the region was more than capable of servicing an AFL club.

“Cairns has the sustainability to be able to house an AFL club, with also having one of the best grounds available to them,” Lees said.

“We are probably better suited than Darwin due to our potential growth that has been shared by the council of what Cairns will look like by 2032.

“And with the Gabba going offline in 2026, we will be pushing very hard to get Brisbane games up here.

“So we can bring that type of content to Cairns but also we have the capability to be able to do that week-in, week-out with our own team.”

Tasmania is set to come into the competition in 2028, which will leave every round with a bye.

In 2021, former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire explained on Footy Classified the AFL media rights currently run until 2031 and the AFL could profit up to as much as $20m more if the 20th side was brought in at the same time as Tasmania.

It will have to learn from the mistakes they made when they brought in the Gold Coast Suns (2011) and then the Greater Western Sydney Giants (2012).

With the Suns coming into the league in 2011, it left an uneven amount of teams, causing a bye every weekend, thus costing the AFL money every week.

Recently released population growth statistics released by Cairns Regional Council show the greater Cairns region – from Mission Beach to Port Douglas – is expected to top 300,000 people by 2031, with city itself housing 205,000 by 2031.

While the Northern Territory is forecast to reach a population of 270,000 people by that time, that figure also includes the population of Alice Springs.

The council was contacted about a potential AFL licence and told the Cairns Post that if the AFL thinks there is a future for an AFL team in Cairns, they would want to see the plan.

TTNQ have also backed Cairns placing a bid for when the AFL announce the 20th licence, highlighting how big it would grow the tourism, retail and hotel industry in the Far North.

Mr McGuire pushed the idea of a North Queensland-Darwin side back in 2021 on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.

“The natural home for me is Darwin and Far North Queensland. Call them the Crocodiles,” McGuire said.

“Billions of dollars of sporting infrastructure is going into the Olympics in Queensland.

“It will give Indigenous boys and girls opportunity to play professional sport. What momentum for the game and Indigenous health for boys and girls in their own backyard.”

McGuire also explained how a 20th side would bring in more money for the AFL courtesy of an expanded TV rights package, with an extra game per week able to be sold to broadcasters.

As it did with Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, the draft order will likely fall in Cairns’ favour, having eight of the top 10 picks.

Action from the AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and the North Melbourne Kangaroos, held at Cazalys Stadium, Cairns. North Melbourne's Ryan Clarke. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

Cairns is already one of the leading feeders into the Gold Coast Academy, six players from the 2022 season that played for Cairns clubs made the move south.

Along with 12 others in the men’s and women's competitions who have gone on to get state league contracts for season 2023.

Lees said he would still want to keep that connection with the Suns Academy.

“We want all our young guns to get the opportunity to play at the highest level so of course we would keep that opportunity alive,” Lees said.

“Queensland is going to over take South Australia in participation numbers this year.

“That to me sounds like we need to make sure all our young talent coming through get the best opportunity.”

Originally published as Cairns push to become the third Queensland team in the AFL closer than ever