Home is where start is

THE Gold Coast Suns will make themselves right at home in Brisbane and Perth for games early in the 2018 AFL season as they hit the road to cope with the Commonwealth Games.

Suns officials and the AFL have confirmed the club will play a home game at the Gabba – Brisbane’s home ground – and the new Perth Stadium.

Gold Coast will host the Fremantle Dockers in Perth in Round 3 on Saturday, April 7.

The game at the Gabba will be against Melbourne on Saturday, May 12, in Round 8.

The AFL had already confirmed the Suns would have a Round 1 game against North Melbourne in Cairns and take part in a Round 9 game against Port Adelaide in China.

After the game in Shanghai, the Suns will play seven games at Metricon Stadium.

Suns chief executive Mark Evans said the club needed to be creative with their four “home” matches away while the Carrara venue was used for the Commonwealth Games.

“We are in a unique circumstance with Metricon Stadium not available until early June. Working with the AFL we have managed to secure seven home games at Metricon Stadium in the back half of the season,” Evans said.

“We acknowledge this is unique but with the understanding and support of the football department we will take the challenge on.”

Suns coach Stuart Dew said the playing group would embrace the challenge.

“There is no doubt that the start of the season will have its challenges,” he said.

“If we are to become the team we want to be in the future we are going to have to overcome challenges.”