Officials punting on entry to NTFL

AFL Cairns officials have held preliminary discussions about including a Far North-based team in the Northern Territory Football League competition.

AFL Northern Territory CEO Stuart Totham is aware of the advances from Cairns that have progressed over the last few months.

The NTFL is a summertime competition, with the potential Cairns team being made up of the best players from the AFL Cairns competition, as well as a handful of interstate recruits to improve the quality in the side, to play in the AFL Cairns offseason.

AFL Cairns have previously outlined plans to try and join an expanded NEAFL, with the potential NTFL move putting those plans in some doubt.

NTFL premiership coach Rick Nolan brought up the potential of expansion from Queensland up over the weekend.

“It is a fair way from happening but the wheels are in motion,” Nolan said.

“The Cairns Football League are trying to join the NTFL as early as next season.

“There (are) no talks between the two parties but on the Cairns side of things, there are pretty advanced.

“There are some very good football brains on the Cairns side of things.

“It needs to be a five-year plan,” Nolan said.

The idea behind the potential Cairns team in the NTFL would be another pathway for talented Far North footballers who are not quite up to standard to play for the Gold Coast Suns in the NEAFL, but still want to advance their careers.

The NTFL have shown over the past decade they do not have much interest in expansion, with the Alice Springs Redtails winning several trial matches in the 2012-13 NTFL season, before their entry was knocked back.

The move would need to be ticked off and help funded by AFL headquarters out of Melbourne.

AFL Cairns operations manager Craig Lees said talks were ongoing between all parties.

“We are always looking at opportunities where we can improve the standard of footy in Cairns,” Lees said.

“We are about providing pathways for our juniors and improving the standard of the local competition.

“We have looked at the model of the NEAFL in the past and the NTFL is now being explored, but all in all we want to put Cairns footballers in the highest level they can get too in their careers.”

Cairns footballers Ezekiel Frank and Kye Chapple, among others, are regulars in the NTFL competition.

THE CAIRNS FOOTBALL LEAGUE ARE TRYING TO JOIN THE NTFL AS EARLY AS NEXT SEASON. IT NEEDS TO BE A FIVE-YEAR PLAN. PREMIERSHIP COACH RICK NOLAN

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