TIME TO SWOOP
TEAMS IN AFL MIX:
ESSENDON and the West Coast Eagles are the latest teams linked to Cairns’ Cazalys Stadium, as the AFL prepares to announce the final block of fixtures to complete the 2020 home-and-away season.
Cairns has known for several weeks that as many as four games and two teams “hubbing” in the region are on the cards.
But, who the teams will be and when the games are to be played are yet to be revealed.
The AFL is set to officially confirm FNQ’s games and teams, likely later this week, with reports out of Melbourne suggesting the Bombers are set to fly north.
It has been noted in Western Australia over the weekend that the Eagles, could play one of the Cairns games.
As reported last week, the Gold Coast Suns are a big chance to play an “away” game in Cairns in the coming weeks, while the Brisbane Lions have also expressed interest in travelling to Cazalys Stadium.
Cairns’ games are set to be played in early September with a pre-finals blitz of contests. It has been a merry-go-round for weeks of who may or may not be coming, with as many as six teams thrown up as potentials.
AFL Cairns boss Gary Young is looking forward to some certainty later this week.
“We have heard Hawthorn, Carlton and just the other day I heard North Melbourne, but we just do not know as it has been changing so often,” Young said, with a laugh.
“We think the two Queensland teams will probably play a game up here, you can understand why both the Lions and Suns want to play a game up here – they both have supporters in town and it spreads the love, from their perspective.
“It would make logical sense, fly the teams up in the morning if they are based in the southeast, play against the two hub teams potentially.”
West Coast has remaining games to be played against the Western Bulldogs, Richmond, Essendon and North Melbourne.
With the Bombers linked to FNQ, there seems a strong chance they will meet the Eagles at Cazalys Stadium.
AFL fixtures boss Travis Auld plans to release the next piece in the 2020 fixture puzzle after Round 12, which ends on Monday, August 17.
It has been reported the Bombers are a chance to head to Cairns along with another side to be temporarily based there, with rival teams flying in and out of north Queensland.
“We think we can have two teams up there in Cairns for maybe 30 days and play a few games,” Auld said.
“Ideally you would find two clubs who haven’t played each other.
“There is still a bit of work to do to sort through it, but it would take a bit of pressure off the Gold Coast facilities.”
It was reported in Perth that the Eagles are likely to be heading to Cairns, for at least one game.