Cairns must fight to get sporting chance
Far North in danger of becoming real wasteland for top competition
CAIRNS is in danger of becoming irrelevant in the national sporting landscape.
In 2019, there are no AFL matches or practice matches scheduled to be played at Cazalys Stadium.
Barlow Park will also be devoid of an NRL match. There’s a chance of a trial game to be played here, but the odds are lengthening each day.
The demise of Cairns FC means it’s highly unlikely an FFA Cup match will return to the city – disappointing after the success of the Sydney FC match here just months ago.
Barring a miracle, 2019 is looking rather bleak if you are a Far North Queenslander that loves your sport.
It will be a stark contrast from this year when Cairns played host to the Commonwealth Games, AFL and NRL contests, the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, and an FFA Cup match against an ALeague side.
You could also squeeze last December’s Sheffield Shield clash between Queensland and South Australia on to the list.
The Australian swim teams will make a return next year, but there’s not much else to look forward to, unless you are a fan of the Targa series.
It is extremely disappointing considering the success of this year. With a federal election around the corner and Cairns needing important What do you think of this? @mattnicholls29 and tell us what you think funding for sports infrastructure, it will be a hard case to pitch if Cairns can’t keep attracting top-level sport.
Whether you like sport or not, these events bring money to the region. Supporters fly in, stay in the city, visit the reef, buy meals, fill their cars with petrol and generally boost the local economy.
Cairns mayor Bob Manning is a big supporter of the Taipans, so he must know how important it is to have the city in the national sporting landscape. It would be great to see more leadership from the council in attracting top-level sport to the Far North.
An AFL and NRL match should be at the top of the wish list. Now that Cairns FC is no longer around, perhaps make a pitch for an A-League game to be played here. A match between the Roar and Western Sydney Wanderers would surely put bums on seats.
And next there’s the Big Bash. It’s great there’s a WBBL game being played here in December, but Cairns should be aiming for a BBL clash between the Brisbane Heat and the Hobart Hurricanes.
It’s a sure way to win votes and a sure way to keep Cairns on the national sporting map.