Talks to kill Suns contract

Coast club bleeding $2m a year on stadium deal

A LONG-TERM stadium lease deal the Gold Coast Suns say is costing them $2 million a year could be dumped as the State Government tries to resolve a looming mutiny among the city’s national football codes.

A source close to talks between the frustrated Suns and government-backed Stadiums Queensland, which manages the venues and pricing, said the only way to fix the AFL club’s lease problems at Carrara’s Metricon Stadium was for the government to terminate the contract.

“I have no doubt it is the way it is heading because it is the only way to resolve it,” the source said.

Another source close to the Suns said a real scenario was the club abandoning Metricon Stadium if exorbitant stadium hiring costs did not change.

“If the State Government don’t do something, what the Gold Coast will end up with is a $220 million white elephant because the Suns would have to move elsewhere like Southport Sharks and sell off five or six home games to outside venues a year,’’ the source said.

“That is going to become the reality. And the Suns are the only sporting team which can rent Metricon so if they were to go, who else is going to rent it out?”

The Bulletin understands other avenues for cutting stadium costs could include reducing police and transport fees.

At Robina, the city’s other national sporting franchise, the Gold Coast Titans, hire Cbus Stadium on a game-by-game basis because of an ongoing leasing argument with Stadiums Queensland.

Club bosses have repeatedly pointed out the costs are about $500,000 more than other NRL sides pay for similar facilities.

Estimates provided by the Suns to the Bulletin are that each home game at Carrara now incurs an average $200,000 loss — about half of what it costs the Suns to host a home game. With 11-12 home games a season, it racks up almost $2 million annually in losses for the club.

The long-term lease was signed 10 years ago by then AFL chief operating officer and now CEO Gillon McLachlan. Sources say at the time it was anticipated the stadium would be used 24 times a year.

The AFL’s Metricon deal has another 12 years to run.

Suns chairman Tony Cochrane said he could not comment on claims about quitting Metricon.

But he admitted: “We can’t sustain the huge losses racked up year after year on the stadium. The review is looking into it but to the best of my knowledge the review hasn’t fixed the problem.”

Mr Cochrane said hopes were high of attracting cricket fixtures to the ground to help fill up the annual calendar after Cricket Australia revealed a T20 international with South Africa would be played at Metricon this year.

Mr Cochrane said if the stadium cost burden was eased it could easily host three to four quality cricket fixtures a season, such as Big Bash, and it would help the club “enormously”.

Mr Cochrane said a new independent report by consultancy Street Ryan showed visiting AFL teams Geelong, Richmond and Collingwood attracted 4000-plus interstate fans and over a season the fixtures pumped $29m into the city economy.

“The State Government should be more sensible and come out with a fee structure that encourages stadium usage.”

Sports Minister Mick de Brenni said his objective was to keep the teams in the state.

“All stadium hire arrangements are commercial in confidence. However, as I’ve said before my goal is to see more sport, more often here in Queensland.”