The bid for the 17th AFL licence is up and running and GC17 is the group in charge of proving to the football world that the Gold Coast Football Club will become a financially secure, well supported, and community centred club.
Their website is a simple yet effective creation focused on achieving the goals set out by the AFL:
1. The club must ensure that they have 20,000 committed supporters on the Gold Coast by the end of six months.
2. They must sign up 111 businesses that are committed to supporting the club and making it a success.
As the club will be community driven, they must also involve the Gold Coast community in the decision making process. So, GC17 must:
3. Discuss the club name, colours, jumper and values in order to identify with the community, and show that the club is one for all Gold Coasters.
4. Involve itself in the community thorough both community work and social inclusion exercises.
To achieve these goals the club must appoint:
5. A competent management capable of carrying out these goals
6. People who will work with other football organisations like AFLQ to build a competitive team.
The main question on everyone’s lips is, will it work? Will this club be seen by the community as their very own. The AFL will be hoping so.
The Gold Coast is a fast growing area, identified by sports organisations like the NRL (Gold Coast Titans), NBL (Gold Coast Blaze), FFA (Gold Coast Galaxy) as well as the AFL.
The name of the club is yet to be decided. Suggestions include the Sharks, Dolphins and Stingrays. Whatever the name, the AFL will be pushing to make it a success.
Gold Coast FC will be the only one of these new clubs not privately owned, an issue that the AFL will surely let the Gold Coast community know.
There are, however, major stumbling blocks for the new team. The biggest is where the club will play.
The AFL wants to play games at a redeveloped Carrara stadium. But the Queensland government says the club must play all home games at the Gabba until 2015, as stated in an official contract which includes a $40 million get-out clause. How can the team wriggle out of this one?
Some say the AFL should offer the government several blockbuster games at the Gabba for the next few years. Others have suggested spreading the 50 games lost to the Gabba out over the next 10 years.
It has also been said that the AFL should pay the get-out clause and redevelop Carrara stadium themselves at a cost of over $200 million.
Six months are counting down, then three years are counting down until the Gold Coast has a football team to call their own.
Simon
Guest
I think the people of the Gold Coast with their avalanche of crickets just answered your question.
Michael C
Guest
WIth Southport Sharks ON SIDE, and presumably the rest of the AFLQ ON SIDE, they should stand as good a chance as anything or anybody. Good luck to them. I notice that of the 20,000 required - that they seem to be soliciting via the website, that I for example could sign up. And, fair enough, I might indicate that I want to purchase a season 1 membership ticket. Perhaps if in 5 months time they are struggling to get over the line - - then, there'll be a 'charity' push by those willing to buy a membership for year 1 (only, perhaps) - just to see it get over the line.