SUNS’ STADIUM WOES OPEN DOOR FOR TASSIE TEAM
Stadium woes may open door for Tassie
A CRIPPLING stadium deal threatens the future of the Gold Coast Suns — and could open the door for a possible Tasmanian team to enter the competition.
AFL’s embattled Gold Coast Suns have admitted they will not survive unless the Queensland Government slashes the exorbitant stadium fees that are crippling the state’s biggest sporting clubs.
The AFL has broadcast deals to provide nine games a week, so cannot drop under-18 teams, and if a licence became available Tasmania has long been promised to be “the next cab off the rank” to use former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou’s famous line. For the first time Suns officials privately believe Tasmania is a real threat to their licence.
NRL club the Gold Coast Titans are weighing up their long-term tenancy at Robina because of Stadiums Queensland hiring fees, which soared to $1.3 million last year.
The shockwaves have been felt by the Titans’ major competitor on the Gold Coast, with Suns chairman Tony Cochrane conceding for the first time that the cost of playing at Metricon Stadium could bankrupt the club.
A News Corporation investigation revealed the Suns’ perilous financial position and Cochrane fears expensive SQ hiring fees could drive the final nail into the club’s coffin.
“Certainly we as a club take our responsibility to the community seriously and these [stadium] costs are a massive burden to our club, which are not sustainable,” Cochrane said. “The Gold Coast Suns welcome the Premier’s initiative to find real solutions to this ongoing issue.”
Attendances across the major football codes last year was 3.99 million. In the LNP’s last full year in power in 2013-14, that figure was 4.46 million. It means almost half a million fans have collectively deserted Queensland sporting outfits the Broncos, Titans, Cowboys, Lions, Suns, Reds and Roar in five years.
The clubs are particularly concerned at the rising cost of ticket prices because of the Queensland Government imposing a ticketing levy for game-day public transport services. Incredibly, Suns research shows almost 50 per cent of their supporters are paying a levy on a government publictransport service they don’t use.
LNP leader Deb Frecklington yesterday fired a broadside at the Premier and Stadiums Queensland.
“The Premier and her ministers are trying to dodge the blame for this debacle. Who are they kidding?” she said.
“What on earth has the Sports Minister been discussing with Stadiums Queensland if not this [the hiring-fees issue]? The buck stops with Annastacia Palaszczuk and her ministers.”