City primed to host double footy feast
NRL and AFL officials are confident they can coexist in one of the biggest sporting weekends in Townsville history, with the Gold Coast Suns and St Kilda to clash at Riverway Stadium the day after a Cowboys home game.
After staging pre- season matches for the past six years the city will host its first- ever AFL premiership game on the afternoon of Saturday, June 15, with the Cowboys due to take on Wests Tigers at 1300SMILES Stadium the night before.
But AFL regional manager for Townsville Kath Newman said the city was big enough to handle both and urged travelling fans to take advantage of a unique chance to support both codes.
“We welcome anyone coming into our region and supporting sport in general,” Newman said at yesterday’s official announcement.
“( We’d love to) get people to come to the Cowboys on a Friday night, hang around and spend a night in Townsville then come to the AFL.”
Cairns has staged a Suns game for the past eight years but, this year’s round one clash with North Melbourne was the sole time it was a Gold Coast home fixture.
Asked if he felt any sympathy for our northern neighbour, acting Townsville mayor Russ Cook joked: “No sympathy whatsoever.”
“I think Townsville deserves it, we’re the sporting capital of northern Australia.”
“We’re hoping people from north, south and west will come into Townsville, as they do for Cowboys games.”
The Riverway Stadium is renowned as one of the best in the country, but the venue badly requires a lighting upgrade if it is to expand its opportunities to host marquee AFL and cricket games.
Cr Cook said lighting was an issue which continued to be investigated by the council.
Newman said it was up to fans to vote with their feet to prove Townsville deserved to host a match long term.
“The Suns have a commitment to North Queensland including Cairns and Mackay, where they’re having a JLT ( pre- season) game there,” Newman said. “If Townsville shows we want it then we’d love to have it back.”