Two things stand between the Gold Coast and its new AFL team – a 25,000-seat stadium and the mountain of money needed to build it.
Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke has urged the AFL to seek alternate investors after what he says is a lukewarm response from the Queensland government.
The AFL needs to jointly raise $180 million from the state, federal and local governments for its new stadium at Carrara, generally understood to be the sticking point for the GC17 bid.
Clarke denies the future of the club depends on the Queensland government, but believes the AFL needs to look elsewhere if the stadium is to be built without further hurdles.
“I’ve said from the start you can’t rely on the state government for a major contribution,” said Clarke, who has already publicly put forward $20 million from council coffers.
“They’re not going to make any more stadiums.
“They’re running their own race on this issue.”
Clarke has so far been the only party willing to vent his frustrations at the on-going delays associated with the GC17 bid, with GC17 chairman John Witheriff standing by the AFL.
“It hasn’t made any difference to us in the practical sense, although that being said, it would be nice to know there is a licence,” he said.
Initially, a decision was expected in October 2008, then by December, before the latest postponement at the AFL Commission’s meeting earlier this month.
Clarke said he started getting frustrated back in December, claiming time was running out for the club.
“I’m not saying kick the state government out (of negotiations), if they want to contribute that’s fine, but the AFL needs to come up with a plan B so we can go ahead no matter what.”
It is not the first time the state government has thrown a spanner in the works – it initially planned to abide by a previous contract that ruled a second AFL club would have its home games held at the Gabba until 2015.
The AFL, state and federal governments are still engaged in protracted talks about funding, but have sworn a vow of silence about the progress of the negotiations.
While the global financial downturn has contributed to the AFL’s indecision, some sporting sources on the Gold Coast believe now is not the right time for a new football team.
The Gold Coast Football Club is otherwise on track to compete in the TAC Cup beginning in March.
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
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March 2nd 2009 @ 8:50am
Sam said | March 2nd 2009 @ 8:50am | Report comment
I think you will find if an AFL team EVER plays out of West Sydney they will play out of the Sydney Showground at Olympic Park. Pretty much stands adjacent to ANZ Stadium and as easy to get to. Problem is ANZ is too big and the Blacktown venue is too small. Sydney Showground seats 20,000.
The Blacktown facility was more of a statement, and a silly one at that. The AFL support in the West is in the white collar Hills district, not the blue collar Blacktown area. Infact Blacktown residents would be quite hostile towards it. It is rugby league territory, with football being the most played sport there. Yes Michael C there is more to the area than just rugby league and football as some people would follow AFL within the area, but I guess there are traditions in West Sydney just like there are in Melbourne.
March 2nd 2009 @ 9:27am
Pippinu said | March 2nd 2009 @ 9:27am | Report comment
I’m not sure if I have ever mentioned this before, but over a 130 year period, if you were to check the books of the VFA/VFL/AFL you would find that the government has never provided any of these organisations a single cracker, with the exception of a recent indigenous youth program worth some $450,000 per annum.
Related to this, about two years ago when the then Howard government was in its final throes, it decided to earn some quick political points by bagging the AFL’s “soft” stance on drugs in the Cousin matter.
So that little Minister with the squeaky, whining voice, visited Demetriou at Jolimont, and explained to them that if the AFL didn’t toughen their stance on drugs, they would withdraw all current government funding from the AFL.
The AFL responded in this way, in no particular order:
1. They should read the AFL’s policy first because they clearly didn’t know it.
2. The AFL only received $450,000 per annum from the Federal Government for an indigenous program (a pittance compared to what Government provides other sports).
3. They should just shut the f@rk up because they were an embarrassment to their party, and that they would call them and let them know if there were any further developments.
Needless to say, the AFL never heard boo again from governement on this matter. Whether the $450,000 program is still there or not, I do not know, but seeing we have so many experts on government funding (who regularly display a lot of ignorance on the subject), I will leave it to them to work that one out, personally, I’m not interested enough to check – it was a pittance 2 years ago, and it remains a pittance today.
March 2nd 2009 @ 2:29pm
Michael C said | March 2nd 2009 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
Sam -
the AFL has also invested in Campbelltown and Blacktown with indigenous footy academies – - this at least isn’t just a poorly thought out PR exercise, as, the AFL are involved with a large number of such academies under the CLontarf banner throughout WA and NT. And it’s a successful and expanding program………….and, basically about the sum total of AFL fed govt funding is in relation to such programs!!!
Hostile -
hostility must be a Sydney thing?? What, are we to expect drive by shootings and fire bombings of the venue? or just snarly glares as people drive past??
Gee, too bad for those people who have been enslaved for so long to either not using their hands or to not kick balls and never the twain shall meet…….some of ‘em might actually find they enjoy playing the game and using their god given abilities. But, no doubt the ‘hostility’ will scare them off and the nay sayers be proven correct.
Sounds like sporting monopoly via vigilantism to me.
March 2nd 2009 @ 3:03pm
Sam said | March 2nd 2009 @ 3:03pm | Report comment
Geez Michael C you must have a bad image of the Western Suburbs of Sydney. Drive by shooting and bombings. It aint all that bad. We do have some nice national parks and an amazing Olympic complex. Third largest regional economy in Oz and the most multi-cultural region as well. But I understand what you are saying…
It seems to me that Mebourne seems to get very good crowds to all its sporting teams, except for Melbourne Storm. Could there be a bit of hostility in that considering where the rugby league heartland lies… Considering Storm have played amazing rugby league for the past 3 years and only managed to average 12,000. Shame on Melbourne. At least Swans get well supported in Sydney. I have also never seen so much paranoia from the AFL media over the ‘sockah’ somehow one day taking over. So I guess the hostility isn’t all one way is it…
March 2nd 2009 @ 3:33pm
Michael C said | March 2nd 2009 @ 3:33pm | Report comment
Sam -
remember with Storm, they get pretty good crowds by Sydney standards. And ARE directly against AFL unlike Victory. Also, Storm often get scheduled as night matches at OP – - it’s cold and open, the Eastern stand is wide open to cold southerlys blowing in over the river. The new stadium should get a more consistant attendance from the rusted supporters and draw a few more tyre kickers and the like (and AFL fans whose team has bottomed out…….I reckon Storm have dined off Richmond supporters for a few years!!)
I reckon people in Sydney had an unreal expectation of RL in Melb. After an 80K plus crowd for a SoO in around ’94 or so, the next couple fell away to about 30K. That was the novelty value expired even at SoO level. A transplanted NRL team with all the lads from QLD and NSW – - and 10 years on, with 2 premierships, including one almost immediately. Perhaps too much success too soon? Perhaps not enough (i.e. zero) Victorian representation.
Even the Swans in Sydney have always had a number of NSW lads. Even at the outset, Dennis Carroll was from Albury!! (that counts doesn’t it??) Is there a Storm boy from wodonga??
It’s not hostility. There’s no hostility. There’s also stuff all grass roots.
actually hostility is perhaps more at the nature of the NRL, privately owned and Americanised ‘glitz’ with cheerleaders and fire works.
- – - –
the ‘paranoia’ re AFL media, there were some dodgey articles on all fronts out of the recent Telstra Dome double booking – - and amazingly there were efforts to portray the AFL as either evil or losing??? I think there’s some agenda driven reporting there – - even if just to stir up people blogging in/commenting on stories etc on the websites.
The people on the ground couldn’t give a toss about it.
I wonder how much the people on the ground in West Sydney are slightly different to what the media and NRL try to portray. i.e. the NRL and NRL media seemed to be really building the ‘turf war’ story last year, and a reason for the ‘heartland’ to join up as club members like never before during the centenary season………did that have the desired effect?
It’s all just media posturing – - I reckon the people on the ground can think for themselves……if given the chance.
March 2nd 2009 @ 4:20pm
Simmo said | March 2nd 2009 @ 4:20pm | Report comment
What will happen if the people of West Sydney are allowed to think for themselves?
March 2nd 2009 @ 4:22pm
Koala Bear said | March 2nd 2009 @ 4:22pm | Report comment
Well I think its a damn shame
why can’t the AFL put up the cash from the sale of Waverley… ? it seems to pay for every other venture put forward… Even the 100% ownership of Docklands, whenever, at the cut price mates rates of $30m, which cost the builders $460m in 2000 to build…
Yep, Queensland are broke and looking at a $1.6b deficit.. Anyways I will be out there watching the Titans and the GCUFC in 2009/10
~~~~~~~~
KB
March 2nd 2009 @ 4:25pm
Sam said | March 2nd 2009 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
Simmo
We can’t do much worse than all those peroxide blonde bimbo’s and a-listers that hang out in the Eastern Suburbs
March 2nd 2009 @ 4:28pm
Sam said | March 2nd 2009 @ 4:28pm | Report comment
Michael C
“It’s all just media posturing – - I reckon the people on the ground can think for themselves……if given the chance.”
And that coming from an AFL loving Melburnian
March 2nd 2009 @ 4:41pm
beaver fever said | March 2nd 2009 @ 4:41pm | Report comment
“Anyways I will be out there watching the Titans and the GCUFC in 2009/10 “..By KB
I get the distinct impression that unless you buy a membership for your keyboard as well that you won’t be going anywhere. : )