FOOTY FUMBLE
Less than a week after the NRL announced there wouldn’t be a match in Cairns next year the...
FAR NORTH sports fans have been dealt yet another blow with Cairns to miss out on an AFL match of any kind when the the league’s 2019 fixture is released later this week.
For the first time since 2011, an elite game of AFL will not be played at Cazalys Stadium after a deal could not be struck with a club to move a home game north to Cairns. Rival cities Townsville and Mackay will instead host matches, with our nearest neighbours hosting their first premierhship clash either next year or in 2020, while a preseason clash will be held at Riverway Stadium in March.
CAIRNS’ Cazalys Stadium is set to be a glaring omission from the AFL’s 2019 fixtures when they are released later this week.
For the first time since 2011, an elite game of AFL will not be played in the Far North of Queensland after a deal could not be struck with a club to move a home game to Cairns.
An AFL official yesterday confirmed it was going to be sad news for Far North footy fans when the draw was finally released.
After originally having longer-term deals with Richmond and the Western Bulldogs, AFL Cairns has survived on one-year deals the past two years, with the Gold Coast Suns moving a game north in 2018, as Metricon Stadium was unavailable due to the Commonwealth Games.
As part of the deal to bring the 2018 game to Cairns, the agreement with the State Government and the AFL included Townsville hosting its firstever official AFL game in 2019 or 2020, with the Suns to play a home game at Riverway Stadium next season.
AFL Cairns officials yesterday said they could not comment on missing out on a game in 2019 until the draw was officially revealed, which is expected to happen tomorrow.
Just last month, AFL Cairns boss Gary Young remained hopeful a new deal for AFL games at Cazalys Stadium from 2019 would be struck, despite no “specific” discussions taking place in the months leading in.
With Cazalys Stadium to miss out on an AFL game, a preseason game could have been a substitute but when the JLT fixtures were announced yesterday, Cairns again missed out.
Instead, the Western Bulldogs head north to Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay to tackle the Gold Coast Suns on Sunday, March 3.
Gold Coast Suns acting chief executive Andrew Thomas said he was excited to see the Suns presence in Mackay increase.
“We are incredibly fortunate to be kicking off our 2019 campaign against the Western Bulldogs at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay,” Thomas said. “This will be the second time the club has played a JLT Community Series game in Mackay.”