The Gold Coast Bulletin

HIGH FIVE METRICON’S PACKED HOUSE

Home side in mission to down Eagles at Metricon

- ELIZA REILLY AND SHAYNE HOPE

THE national AFL spotlight will land on Gold Coast next month with five teams and seven games at Metricon Stadium during the first four weeks of the restarted AFL season.

The Gold Coast Suns will feature in three of those seven games, including the club’s first clash since the season was paused in March when they play the West Coast Eagles in Round 2 on Saturday, June 13.

The Eagles, Fremantle Dockers, Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows have all been forced to relocate to the Coast for at least the first month of revised fixtures due to border restrictio­ns.

THE national AFL spotlight will be on the Gold Coast next month with seven games to be played at Metricon Stadium during the first four weeks of the restarted 2020 AFL season.

The Gold Coast Suns will feature in three of those seven games, including the club’s first clash since the season was paused in March when they play the West Coast Eagles in Round 2 on Saturday, June 13.

The Eagles, Fremantle Dockers, Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows have all been forced to relocate to the Coast for at least the first month of revised fixtures due to border restrictio­ns. Having played Port Adelaide in Round 1, the Suns will face West Coast, Adelaide and Fremantle at home before travelling to Victoria to face Geelong in Round 5.

The next month of AFL fixtures will be released in coming weeks.

Suns CEO Mark Evans said the release of the fixtures had created plenty of excitement.

“We can’t wait to restart our 2020 season at Metricon Stadium against the 2018 premiers the West Coast Eagles – it’s a great challenge and we will be ready for it,” Evans said.

“To have Metricon Stadium host seven AFL games in the first four weeks – and be the home base for four interstate clubs – is fantastic economical­ly and from a tourism promotions

perspectiv­e for the Gold Coast.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the South Australian and Western Australian AFL clubs to our beautiful home on the Gold Coast in the coming weeks.”

The AFL has announced a series of heavyweigh­t Thursday and Friday night fixtures, in a bid to start the season again with a bang.

Richmond and Collingwoo­d will kick off the stalled season on Thursday, June 11 and each play three times in featured timeslots over the opening four weeks of the restart.

The first week of the rebooted campaign includes Geelong hosting bitter rivals Hawthorn under lights on the Friday and a showdown in Adelaide the following evening.

 ?? Picture: AAP IMAGE/DARREN ENGLAND ?? Will Brodie and the Suns will have plenty of house guests when the AFL season resumes.
Picture: AAP IMAGE/DARREN ENGLAND Will Brodie and the Suns will have plenty of house guests when the AFL season resumes.

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