THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3 2020 SPORT 43 Gabba final big boost to AFL in QLD Historic night for GF BRISBANE Lions captain Dayne Zorko says an AFL SAM LANDSBERGER Grand Final at the Gabba is the ideal platform to entice more THE AFL’s decision to Queensland juniors to play stage a historic night Grand Aussie rules. Final in Brisbane on Octo- With the Gabba expected to ber 24 could pave the way be confirmed as the venue for for a spectacular event this year’s AFL decider, Zorko under lights at the MCG predicted a surge in interest in next year. the sport in a rugby league- The league confirmed dominated state. footy’s worst-kept secret on “When I was a kid coming Wednesday when the up at school, I would have been Gabba was locked in to one of maybe four in the entire host the blockbuster as a school that played AFL (or) thank you to the Queens- that even followed AFL,” land government for saving Zorko told SEN. the season. “Now the fact that the city It will be the first time in of Brisbane will get the Grand VFL-AFL history the Final, I think there’s a real op- Grand Final has been portunity to grow the game staged outside of Victoria significantly up here. or at night. “My little fella’s going to hit The league is still to lock school next year, and I’m hop- in the starting time but AFL ing by the time he finishes boss Gillon McLachlan said school, he’s not the only one the first bounce will be at playing AFL and there’s about 6.30pm (5.30pm Queens- a couple of hundred that are land time) at the earliest. doing it.” The Grand Final will fol- Zorko said interest had al- low a twilight running of ready grown in the sport the 100th Cox Plate at thanks to that large number of Moonee Valley in a magi- matches that had been played cal day of Australian sport. at the Gabba and Gold Coast Members from compet- venue Metricon Stadium this ing clubs will be allocated season. an equal split of tickets. Ca- “Even the (crowd) numbers pacity is capped at 30,000. for two interstate teams play- Adelaide Oval has been ing at Metricon, playing at the placed on standby should a Gabba … I think that just COVID-19 outbreak in A historic night AFL Grand Final has been confirmed for the Gabba in October. All that remains is which teams will play. shows how much the game has Queensland force the game grown in southeast Queens- to be moved. president Gerry Eeman said the Grand Final has been ex- which effectively killed its Brownlow Medal and votes land in the past three or four McLachlan said the the grand final should return tended by one year, to 2058, bid. “They’ve got the toughest were loaded on to Tuesday’s months,” he said. timeslot was “independent” to its usual timeslot in 2021. as compensation for losing borders in the country,” Mc- chartered flights to the Gold Zorko also believed that in- to future years, but de- “Fans recognise that noth- 2020. Lachlan said. Coast. The cup will go on a terstate teams being based in clared the experiment ing about this season is normal, The ‘G will also receive “To play any finals there, regional tour of Queensland Queensland this year would would deliver valuable so many will accept the new extra home-and-way games including the Grand Final, as the league hopes to grow help the Lions and the Gold feedback. start time as a one-off,” he said. in the next two years while would have to be a seven-day the game in NRL heartland. Coast Suns attract players “Clearly people will “But polls consistently show Melbourne will host the next hard quarantine before we McLachlan hopes the one- from all over Australia. have a look at it,” McLach- that at least two in three AFL two national drafts. could play the game.” off Gabba decider leaves a “Sixteen of the 18 AFL lan said from the AFL’s fans prefer a day Grand Final. McLachlan said Western This year’s Brownlow “legacy” in the sunshine state. teams have had the oppor- quarantine hub on the “We’d like to think that Australia’s government was Medal will be a “hybrid” Queensland Premier An- tunity to stay here for a large Gold Coast. once football returns to a typi- unable to commit to a Grand event. A function is likely to nastacia Palaszczuk would period of time, experience the “It won’t be so foreign cal season, the Grand Final will Final crowd of 60,000 at be staged in Queensland al- not be drawn on the finan- weather, experience the (going forward), and you’ll revert to its traditional day Optus Stadium. though players still in the cials of the bid but admitted grounds, so I can’t see why this get a chance to debate it on time slot unless AFL fans are He said premier Mark premiership hunt must at- the Grand Final was estimat- couldn’t help ... make it entic- its merits afterwards.” won over by the later timeslot.” McGowan was “unapologet- tend virtually. ed to inject $18 million into ing for players to want to move AFL Fans Association The MCG’s contract to host ic” about WA’s hard borders, The premiership cup, the state’s economy. and play up here,” he said. On sale now! * BONUS WITH SEPTEMBER*Lindt Excellence 100g block with the September 2020ISSUE issue of delicious. 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