The Gold Coast Bulletin

TIME FOR OUR GIRLS TO SHINE

- TOM BOSWELL tom.boswell@news.com.au

ESTABLISHE­D world-class facilities and an overflowin­g talent pool form the backbone of the Gold Coast Suns’ bid to secure an AFLW licence.

The Suns will today submit their applicatio­n for a women’s team as the AFL plans to expand the eightteam competitio­n in 2019.

Suns CEO Mark Evans said the growth rate of the women’s game meant the one existing Queensland team in Brisbane was not sufficient.

“Queensland, and in particular Gold Coast Suns catchment areas, are talentread­y,” Evans said.

“Six girls from Brisbane’s 2017 squad originated from the Gold Coast regions and another three played for Victorian teams.

“Five girls from the Gold Coast academy program are in the national under-18 academy. The AFL may have a potential problem in that with Queensland’s rate of producing talent, within a short space of time our girls will need to leave the state to have an opportunit­y to play at the highest level.”

The Suns believe the infrastruc­ture is already in place thanks to the developmen­t of their new $22 million training and administra­tion base.

The women’s team will have full access to the facilities and the club will dedicate a change room at Metricon Stadium, where 15,610 people watched this year’s AFLW grand final between Brisbane and Adelaide, to the team.

“Our amazing training and administra­tion is world class,” Evans said. “Our girls will not be provided with second-rate facilities – they will have complete use of our facilities.”

Junior female participat­ion has more than doubled to 353 players in the past 12 months while women’s football has grown from three to seven competitio­ns since 2015. Gold Coast already has a female academy with 30 players and their Gold Coast Sunsets developmen­t team won the state championsh­ip in 2015 and 2016.

Metricon Stadium is available for AFLW fixtures while the Suns have identified two other venues, believed to be partners Southport Sharks and QAFL sponsors Bond University, that could host matches following upgrades.

The Suns have also proposed to play one AFLW game in North Queensland, either at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns or Townsville’s Tony Ireland Stadium.

AFL and Gold Coast Suns women’s academy member Arianna Clarke is likely to be picked up by the Brisbane Lions in October’s draft. But the 17-year-old All-Australian fullback would have preferred to stay on the Coast.

“Going to the Suns would have been my preference because I could continue my career playing here after the academy,” Clarke said.

Gold Coast men’s co-captain Tom Lynch said it was important the Suns had a presence in the AFLW.

“The talent in women’s footy is right up there,” Lynch said. “To have two sides in the state would be amazing.”

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 ?? Picture: RICHARD GOSLING ?? The Gold Coast talent pool includes (from left) Georgia Brehmer, Kalinda Howarth, Arianna Clarke and Briley Bradfield.
Picture: RICHARD GOSLING The Gold Coast talent pool includes (from left) Georgia Brehmer, Kalinda Howarth, Arianna Clarke and Briley Bradfield.

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