Healthy results put Coast in lead for AFL hub
GOLD Coast’s access to a trio of training grounds next to Metricon Stadium and the easing of Queensland state restrictions have put it in the box seat to be the base of one of the AFL’s three hubs to restart football.
Suns chief executive Mark Evans yesterday said southeast Queensland ticked every box for a quarantine hub, given excellent weather, multiple grounds with broadcastquality lights and low coronavirus positives.
The league will announce its return-to-play protocols on May 11, with News Corp revealing last week a return to footy as early as June 21 is a realistic chance.
The Gabba and Metricon Stadium would share the workload of six teams playing every five days, with the AFL understood to need two AFL venues with broadcast-quality lights.
It is yet to be seen how much the lack of a second current AFL venue in Perth and South Australia counts against those states.
Metricon also has three AFL-standard training grounds adjoining the stadium and resorts including Royal Pines and the Mercure Resort within minutes of the stadium.
It means the state perfectly fits the criteria for a hub where AFL teams would start preseason under heavy quarantine conditions that could ease as the community infections rate drops.
After only three new positives and 103 total live coronavirus cases, Queensland
Premier shopping services.
Evans said while the league would make its own decision, southeast Queensland made plenty of sense as a destination. The AFL’s players are broadly supportive of the hubs and returning to football but will be canvassed this week about the details.
Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday allowed for non-essential