History of Australian rules football on the Gold Coast
Australian rules football on the
History
Gold Coast Australian Football League
On 18 May 1961 the
The season was temporarily interrupted when a Gold Coast representative side was scheduled to play the Royal Australian Navy team in Palm Beach on 16 August. The Gold Coast team, who were captained by Southport player Ken McDonald, beat the Navy side by 5 points. In August Ipswich had entered the Gold Coast Australian Football League and matches between the three clubs occurred. An inter-district game between Southport and the Ipswich Football Club was scheduled on 25 September at Labrador Sports Ground and was considered the first Gold Coast Australian Football League Grand Final. Southport would claim victory by 13 points to win their first premiership.
Senior football on the Gold Coast became stagnant in 1962 as the Southport Magpies struggled to find any local opposition. The Central Football club had rebranded to Coolangatta at the beginning of the season but faltered and become the Currumbin Australian Football Club by the end of the season. Southport was largely instrumental in the creation of the Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club but the club also failed to become resourceful enough to compete. In an attempt to grow the code, Southport scheduled several showcase matches against Brisbane-based QANFL clubs Enoggera, Mayne, Morningside and University. A junior competition was also started in 1962 and in a stark difference to the senior competition the junior and schools competition enjoyed immense success. The junior competition was such a success that the local paper the South Coast Bulletin would often report on junior matches rather than senior matches. With only two senior clubs based on the Gold Coast, the GCAFL Grand Final was contested between Southport and Currumbin with the Magpies claiming their second consecutive premiership by 53 points.
Premiers
Gold Coast AFL (1961-1996) / AFLQ - Gold Coast Division (1997-1999)
- 1961: Southport
- 1962: Southport
- 1963: Surfers Paradise
- 1964: Southport
- 1965: Palm Beach/Currumbin
- 1966: Southport
- 1967: Surfers Paradise
- 1968: Surfers Paradise
- 1969: Surfers Paradise
- 1970: Labrador
- 1971: Palm Beach/Currumbin
- 1972: Surfers Paradise
- 1973: Palm Beach/Currumbin
- 1974: Surfers Paradise
- 1975: Southport
- 1976: Southport
- 1977: Southport
- 1978: Coolangatta
- 1979: Southport
- 1980: Southport
- 1981: Coolangatta
- 1982: Coolangatta
- 1983: Coolangatta
- 1984: Surfers Paradise
- 1985: Palm Beach/Currumbin
- 1986: Labrador
- 1987: Broadbeach
- 1988: Coolangatta
- 1989: Coolangatta
- 1990: Surfers Paradise
- 1991: Labrador
- 1992: Surfers Paradise
- 1993: Labrador
- 1994: Labrador
- 1995: Palm Beach/Currumbin
- 1996: Broadbeach
- 1997: Palm Beach/Currumbin
- 1998: Surfers Paradise
- 1999: Palm Beach Currumbin
Southport accepted into the QAFL
Following a year and a half of applications, Southport would be accepted into the
The following season saw Southport struggle to hold on to their premiership players from the previous year and would only retain eleven for the 1984 season. Troubles would transfer to their on field performances as the team lost their first four games of the season. Following a match against Coorparoo in which future VFL player Jason Dunstall starred, the Sharks would win twelve consecutive matches before being eliminated by Morningside in the preliminary final. Once again determined to prove to the Brisbane clubs that Gold Coast football was not a joke, the Sharks would set their eyes on premiership glory again in 1985. Throughout the home and away season the Sharks would only be defeated two times and would reach the Grand Final with a 27-point victory over Mayne in the Major Semifinal. Two weeks later the Sharks would again face Mayne in the Grand Final and with a minute to go, Southport full-forward Glen Middlemiss would kick a goal that would seal a three-point victory. The Sharks would also do the QAFL sweep that season with their reserves and colts teams claiming their respective premierships as well as the senior team winning the midweek Championship.
Southport began the 1986 season with a bang by signing Brownlow Medal winning ruckman Gary Dempsey in an attempt to cover some of the players they had lost. The move would prove successful with the Sharks reaching a second consecutive Grand Final. Despite defeating Coorparoo by 98 points two weeks prior to the Grand Final, the Sharks would fall in the premiership decider by ten points. Unbeknownst to the Sharks, the Gold Coast was about to receive its own VFL football club in 1987.
Bears based at Carrara
In 1986 the
The
The Fitzroy Lions would win the encounter by fifteen points. In 1989 the Brisbane Bears and the Albert Shire Council signed off on a 30-year lease for the ground with an option for a further 10 years. Later that year on 15 July the Bears hosted the first ever night match at Carrara against the Geelong Cats in front of a then record crowd of 18,198.
Bears move and the impact
Insufficient public transport to and from the stadium, as well as the poor on field performance of the
Sharks bid to enter the AFL
Although interest in the sport had waned on the Gold Coast during the years the Bears were based at Carrara, the
In 1996 the Southport Sharks began bidding for acceptance into the
GCAFL absorbed by QAFL
Following the 1996 GCAFL season the league was absorbed by the QAFL state league and created a Gold Coast division for the clubs. In 2000 the Gold Coast division was abolished and teams were assigned to different QAFL divisions according to the strength of each club. Broadbeach and Labrador were admitted into the top division while Burleigh, Coolangatta-Tweed Heads, Palm Beach Currumbin and Surfers Paradise were placed in the second division. Although other Gold Coast clubs had joined the QAFL the Southport Sharks would continue to prove themselves as the Gold Coast's powerhouse club with five consecutive QAFL Grand Final showings between 2004 and 2008, claiming premierships in 2005, 2006 and 2008.[8]
AFL push for Gold Coast team
By 2004 the city of the Gold Coast had become the sixth most populated city in Australia and had begun to attract the attention of sports leagues around the country. The Southport Sharks continued to bid for a place in the AFL and in August 2004 it was revealed the Sharks attempted to lure the Melbourne Football Club to move to the Gold Coast permanently.[9] The bids would be unsuccessful but a surprise crowd of 16,591 at Carrara to a pre-season match between the Brisbane Lions and Essendon prompted the Australian Football League to act. The AFL scheduled one pre-season match as well as two home and away fixtures at Carrara Stadium in 2006, two of which involved the Brisbane Lions.[10]
The three scheduled games in 2006 would be considered a success which would lead to the North Melbourne Football Club signing a three-year deal to play ten home games at Carrara between 2007 and 2009.[11] Following another successful season of Australian rules football at Carrara, the AFL offered a $100 million package to the North Melbourne Football Club to move to the Gold Coast permanently. With relocation looking likely, James Brayshaw began campaigning for the president position with the slogan 'Keep North at North'.[12] On 7 December 2007 the newly appointed Kangaroos chairman James Brayshaw announced the club would not be moving to the Gold Coast permanently and would continue to be based out of Melbourne.
In January 2008, it was reported that the AFL officially registered the name Gold Coast Football Club Ltd with the
In July AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou made a surprise visit to the Gold Coast in an attempt to help the GC17 bid team gain corporate support.[16] In August 2008 the GC17 bid team hired former West Coast Eagles captain Guy McKenna to be the inaugural coach of the team as well as former Brisbane Lions players Shaun Hart and Marcus Ashcroft as assistants.[17] The deadline for the team to reach the AFL requirements occurred in October 2008 and the GC17 bid fulfilled all the criteria.
The last hurdle the GC17 bid team faced would come down to whether the Queensland Labor Party would be re-elected in the 2009 state election. With 42,000 supporters signed up and 110 sponsors already committed, the final roadblock would involve the Queensland Labor Party's $60 million redevelopment of Carrara Stadium that would occur if they won the election.[18][19][20] The Queensland Labor Party would win the 2009 election and in doing so secured the AFL license for the GC17 bid team.[21] On 31 March 2009 AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou announced that the Gold Coast bid team had been granted an AFL license to enter the league in 2011 and become the seventeenth team.[22]
Gold Coast Football Club
Following the announcement that the GC17 bid team had been granted an AFL license, it was revealed the new team would be called the
During the 2009 off season the Gold Coast Football Club would make major inroads by signing Geelong Cats premiership play Nathan Ablett,[25] former North Melbourne player Daniel Harris and former Collingwood duo Danny Stanley and Sam Iles.[26] The team was also allowed to sign up to twelve 17-year-old players from around the country. On 22 July 2010 it was revealed during a Rise Up function at the Southport Sharks that the new Gold Coast AFL team would be known as the Gold Coast Suns. The club's guernsey and song were also revealed on the night.[27] The club's 2010 VFL season would prove to be not as successful as the season before, only recording five wins and finishing tenth on the ladder. Meanwhile, in the QAFL the Labrador Tigers reached the Grand Final, the first Gold Coast team to do outside of Southport. The Tigers would lose the final by 22 points.[28]
On 17 August 2010 it was revealed the Gold Coast Suns had signed their first AFL contracted player in the form of
In the Suns second AFL season the club would go on a fifteen match losing streak to begin the season with many media outlets putting it down to the second year blues.[33][34] The losing streak was snapped with a goal after the siren victory against Richmond in Cairns.[35] The team would then finish the season off strongly with two home wins against Greater Western Sydney and Carlton. They would finish the year with the same record of 3-19, finishing second last on the ladder.
Gold Coast Australian Football League Clubs
Gold Coast Australian Football Clubs
Current Clubs
Football Club | Nickname | Colors | Founded | Location | Ground | Current Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold Coast (R) |
Suns | 2008 | Carrara | Carrara Stadium | VFL | |
Gold Coast (S) |
Suns | 2011 | Carrara | Carrara Stadium | AFL | |
Broadbeach | Cats | 1971 | Mermaid Waters | H & A Oval |
QAFL | |
Labrador | Tigers | 1964 | Labrador | Cooke-Murphy Oval | QAFL | |
Southport | Sharks | 1961 | Southport | Frankhauser Reserve | VFL | |
Burleigh | Bombers | c. 1979 | Burleigh Waters | Bill Godfrey Oval | QFA Division 1 | |
Coolangatta Tweed Heads | Blues | 1962 | Coolangatta |
Len Peak Oval | QFA Division 2 | |
Palm Beach Currumbin | Lions | 1961 | Palm Beach | Salk Oval | QAFL | |
Surfers Paradise | Demons | 1962 | Benowa | Sir Bruce Small Park | QAFL | |
Robina | Roos | 1995 | Robina | Scottsdale Drive | QFA Division 2 | |
Carrara | Saints | 2012 | Carrara | Alan Neilsen Oval | QFA Division 2 | |
Coomera | Magpies | 2009 | Coomera | Coomera Sports Park | QFA Division 2 | |
Bond Uni. | Bullsharks | 1987 | Robina | Scottsdale Drive | QFA Division 2 | |
Ormeau | Bulldogs | 2009 | Ormeau | Ormeau Sports Park | QFA Division 3 |
- (S) = Seniors
- (R) = Reserves
Former Clubs
Gold Coast Australian Football Club | Colors | Founded | Location | Ground | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beenleigh Buffaloes [note 1] | 1997 | Beenleigh | Dauth Park | QFA Division 1 |
- Notes
- Logan City Council.
Grounds
Carrara Stadium
In early 1987, Brisbane Bears financial backer Christopher Skase, would fund a redevelopment of Carrara Stadium to feature makeshift stands. In 1989 Skase would orchestrate the installment of $6 million flood lights in order to allow the Bears to host night games. The Bears announced in late 1992 that they would be moving away from Carrara permanently, instead opting for the Gabba in Brisbane.
Australian rules football would not return at a professional level until 2006 when 8,258 fans saw the
Over these years Carrara Stadium also played host to several
List of VFL/AFL games played at Carrara
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Rivalries
QClash
The QClash is the name for a rivalry between the Gold Coast Suns and the Brisbane Lions that began in the 2011 AFL season. On May 7, 2011 the Gold Coast won the first QClash played at the Gabba by eight points. The Lions would even the score in the second QClash, again played at the Gabba. In 2012 Brisbane would get the better of the Gold Coast in both QClashes. The ledger between the two clubs currently stands at 3–1 in favour of Brisbane.
Broadbeach vs Southport
The most intense rivalry in local Queensland football exists between the neighbouring clubs in the form of the
Notable AFL players from the Gold Coast
Junior Gold Coast Clubs
Club | Suburb | Ground |
---|---|---|
Beaudesert Brumbies | Beaudesert | Field of Dreams |
Broadbeach Cats | Mermaid Waters | H & A Oval
|
Burleigh Bombers | Burleigh Waters | Bill Godfrey Oval |
Carrara Saints | Carrara | Alan Neilsen Oval |
Coolangatta Tweed Heads Blues | Coolangatta |
Lean Peak Oval |
Coomera Magpies | Coomera | Coomera Sports Park |
Fassifern Falcons | Fassifern Valley | Kalbar Showgrounds |
Labrador Tigers | Labrador | Cooke-Murphy Oval |
Mudgeeraba Spartans | Mudgeeraba | Somerset College sports oval |
Ormeau Bulldogs | Ormeau | Ormeau Sports Park |
Pacific Pines Power | Pacific Pines | Gum Park |
Palm Beach Currumbin Lions | Palm Beach | Salk Oval |
Southport Sharks | Southport | Fankhauser Reserve |
Surfers Paradise Demons | Benowa | Sir Bruce Small Park |
Tamborine Hawks | Mount Tamborine | - |
See also
References
- ^ "Gold Coast gets AFL licence". www.abc.net.au. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- ^ "Southport Sharks come a long way". Gold Coast Bulletin. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ "1983 was the year the Mighty Magpies transformed into the Super Sharks". southportsharks.com.au. 5 February 2011.
- ^ Smart, Nick (27 May 2011). "No longer a white elephant". Gold Coast Bulletin.
- ^ Houghton, Des (2 August 2010). "Breaking the curse of Carrara". Courier Mail.
- ^ Sydney Swans CEO Andrew Ireland: A Life in Footy
- ^ "Southport Sharks circle the big time in the AFL". Courier Mail. 15 March 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
- ^ "Sharks skipper hungry for premiership". Gold Coast Bulletin. 11 September 2010.
- ^ "Demons' Gold Coast link prods league to act". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 August 2004. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ "Lions heading back to Carrara". ABC news. 29 September 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ "Move north not on Kangaroos' radar". ABC News. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2006.
- ^ "James Brayshaw North Melbourne's putting president". Herald Sun. 16 June 2012.
- ^ "ASIC Free Company Name Search". ASIC. Retrieved 7 September 2008.
- ^ "ASIC Free Company Name Search". ASIC. Retrieved 7 September 2008.
- ^ "Count me in, Vossy tells GC17". Gold Coast Bulletin. 15 May 2008.
- ^ "AFL boss drops in to drum up support GC17". Gold Coast Bulletin.
- ^ "Guy McKenna named Gold Coast AFL coach". Sydney Morning Herald. 13 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008.
- ^ "GC17 calls for end to uncertainty". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 February 2009.
- ^ "It's Labor or bust to bring AFL to Coast". Gold Coast Bulletin. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
- ^ "GC17 now very, very close to licence win". Gold Coast Bulletin. 18 March 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- ^ "Gold Coast AFL club buoyed by Labor win". Sydney Morning Herald. 22 March 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
- ^ "Gold Coast granted AFL licence". Sydney Morning Herald. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
- ^ "Karmichael Hunt to depart Brisbane Broncos and join AFL in code switch". Foxsports Australia. 29 July 2009.
- ^ "Geelong Falcons shatter GCFC dream". Gold Coast Bulletin. 14 September 2009.
- ^ "Nathan Ablett signs with the Gold Coast". Herald Sun. 5 November 2009.
- ^ "Nathan Ablett in for Gold Coast". Herald Sun. 9 April 2010.
- ^ "Gold Coast Suns unveiled ahead of AFL debut". Courier Mail. 23 July 2010.
- ^ "Morningside wins QAFL grand final with late surge". Courier Mail. 20 September 2010.
- ^ "Nathan Bock confirms Gold Coast move". Herald Sun. 17 August 2010.
- ^ "Geelong star Gary Ablett to sign five-year deal with Gold Coast Suns". Courier Mail. 29 September 2010.
- ^ "Carlton eclipses Gold Coast Suns in 119-point romp". Herald Sun. 2 April 2011.
- ^ "Power burnt by Suns". Sydney Morning Herald. 24 April 2011.
- ^ "Gold Coast Suns in danger of 'second-year blues' in 2012". Herald Sun. 16 March 2012.
- ^ "Gold Coast Suns' warm glow is fading fast". Courier Mail. 13 June 2012.
- ^ "Gold Coast's Karmichael Hunt kicks a goal after the siren to put Richmond's finals hopes in turmoil". News.com.au. 15 June 2012.
- ^ "Canberra kicks in $36m for Coast AFL stadium". Gold Coast Bulletin. 7 May 2009.