Suns up for Cairns
THE Suns will hit the road right from the start of 2018, with Gold Coast locked into an opening round fixture in Cairns against Kangaroos.
The annual match in Far North Queensland has previously been held in the middle of the season but Cazalys Stadium will be front and centre as a season starter.
Metricon Stadium is unavailable due to the Commonwealth Games, opening the door for the March 24 contest.
The Suns have been the away team in the annual Cairns match since 2011 with Richmond hosting between 2011 and 2013 before the Western Bulldogs were at “home” there from 2014 to 2017.
AFL general manager of clubs and broadcasting, Travis Auld, believes Aussie rules footy is thriving in the north.
“North Queensland has produced current AFL players in Charlie Dixon, Jarrod Harbrow and Jack Bowes and the AFL hopes that bringing matches to the region will continue to inspire both female and male players,” he said.
“As in previous years, the AFL has worked closely with the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland, Cairns Regional Council and AFL Cairns to secure the city the premiership match and once again we thank them for their continued support.”
Suns chief executive Mark Evans said the club was looking forward to starting their 2018 season in the region of their talent academy.
“A Round 1 game in Cairns presents a wonderful opportunity to showcase the region ahead of what is always a much-anticipated opening round,” Evans said.
“We have established significant support in Cairns and throughout North Queensland. We are committed to developing our game throughout the region, which is also a key recruitment catchment for the Suns Talent Academy.”
The Cairns match will kick off on March 24 at 6.25pm.