GC BID TO POACH
BROWNLOWS
FIRST it was the Logies.
Now the Gold Coast is eyeing off another of Melbourne’s most prestigious events – the Brownlow Medal.
Star Gold Coast Casino, the home of the Logies since 2018, is keen to work with the State Government to bring the AFL’s night of nights to the Glitter Strip in what would be another coup over bitter rivals Crown.
With Melbourne’s coronavirus crisis spiralling out of control, all 10 Victorian AFL clubs are already resigned to spending the rest of the season in Queensland, with support building for the onceunthinkable prospect of a Gabba grand final.
A Gold Coast Brownlow would be the perfect opening to a Queensland grand final week, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk already declaring her support for the proposal.
Star Gold Coast would be the likely host of any Glitter Strip Brownlow – which would deliver a timely coup to the city’s events calendar after the cancellation of the Logies due to coronavirus earlier this year.
Crown hosted the Logies until the event moved to the Gold Coast and has been entrenched as the host of the Brownlow, one of the most glamorous events in Australian sport.
Losing a second highprofile event to rivals Star would be a bitter blow.
A Star spokesman said there was exciting potential for the Gold Coast to stage the Brownlow.
“The Star is proud of its track record of working with the Queensland Government to bring major events to the Gold Coast,” he said.
“It is a well-proven model, which saw us on board as the first major partner of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and then becoming the new home for TV’s night of nights, the Logies.
“Melbourne had the Logies under lock and key until we hosted them at the Star Gold Coast for the first time in 2018.
“We’ve helped government make the Gold Coast home to some of this country’s major events and we’d be keen to add the Brownlow Medal to that list.”
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate also said it would be a fantastic coup to lure the Brownlow out of Melbourne for only the second time in its long history.
“We love a good party here on the Gold Coast and the Logies have already shown we can do the glitz and glamour as well as anyone,” he said.
“AFL’s night of nights would be right at home here.
“After all, we will be hosting the players and the games – so why not throw in the Brownlow as well?”