AFL stakeholders advance stadium plans in Cairns and Darwin

AFL proponents in northern Australia are backing a $300 million stadium in Darwin and ongoing upgrades to Cairns’ Cazalys Stadium.

Cairns’ major sporting venue is set to receive significant upgrades worth hundreds of thousands of dollars following a deal to bring an AFL game to Far North Queensland this year.

Beyond that, AFL Cairns Managing Director Gary Young says refurbishments to Cazalys Stadium will be aimed toward landing sports and training camps if Brisbane is awarded the summer Olympic Games in 2032.

As reported by The Cairns Post, Young flagged AFL Cairns’ intentions to upgrade Cazalys Stadium, if a long-term deal to bring AFL games to the region can be struck.

With the AFL’s annual game in the Chinese city of Shanghai again cancelled for 2021, St Kilda and Adelaide will instead be playing their regular season fixture in Cairns.

With this one-off fixture prompting upgrades at Cazalys Stadium, Young sees that a longer term deal with an AFL club will prompt further venue upgrades.

Young told The Cairns Post before Christmas “I think we can use this as a catalyst, the AFL and Tourism Events Queensland are treating us seriously, as is the council about AFL continuing in Cairns.

“It is great for our profile and it will work in well with the Olympic bid, going with venue improvement.

“I think we are starting to build a case for expanding the capabilities of the stadium.

“We start to bring the whole thing together, AFL, maybe the Olympics, the Elton John concert we had, we have proven we can handle these things, and we were set to have international cricket up here before that fell over.”

In Darwin, AFLNT and local business groups have presented plans for a $300 million, 25,000-seat sports stadium with views of Frances Bay and Darwin Harbour.

To be located on McMinn Street near the centre of the city, AFLNT Chairman Sean Bowden has said that such a development “will make Darwin a true capital city”.

As reported by NT News, AFLNT has already gained in-principle support from the Darwin major business group, Chamber of Commerce and Australian Hotels Association of the NT.

Aiming construction to begin within five years, Bowden told the NT News “it’s a stadium that will be for the community and at the same time, a facility that we’re engaging with architects, project managers and the NT Government to secure and develop to a major level.

With costings and financial backing to be revealed during the first half of the year, Bowden added “right now we think the project and all it embraces can help drive the NT through the economic issues created by the pandemic, so now is the time to move.

“It will make Darwin … aplace that is truly liveable for the people and with the same opportunities as the other major cities. Our vision for the stadium also includes South east Asia and India for events like the Indian Premier League, their under-23 cricket league and soccer (football) throughout Asia.”

Images: Cairns’ Cazalys Stadium (top) and the 2018 concept for is upgrade (below).