THE Gold Coast will host two AFL home-and-away matches next season- but Launceston's Aurora Stadium is also set to host another Hawthorn game.
It has been strongly tipped Hawthorn will increase its two-game Tasmanian venture to three next season while its home ground, the MCG, is out of action hosting the Commonwealth Games.
Tasmanian Sport and Recreation Minister Jim Cox said the State Government, which underwrites the Hawks games at $350,000 each, was confident the scheduled Gold Coast Carrara matches would not be at Tasmania's expense.
"The AFL has already confirmed at least one extra match at York Park [Aurora Stadium] next year,'' Mr Cox said yesterday.
"We're aggressively pursuing at least one further match again and we're working closely with the AFL. We congratulate Carrara for securing two matches.
"But the Commonwealth Games will disrupt six AFL rounds at the MCG and there are still several matches up for grabs that Tasmania seeks.''
AFL broadcasting, strategy and major projects general manager Ben Buckley said an announcement on Tasmanian games would be made in mid-June.
The AFL said that provided necessary refurbishment works were completed on Carrara stadium's dressing rooms, playing surface and floodlights, two premiership season and two pre-season matches would be scheduled.
The AFL, in its long-term strategic outlook, last year publicly identified the Gold Coast and west Sydney as regions that would be pursued for club relocations.
But the AFL always intended to schedule major matches at the venue in this decade. It will seek to schedule home-and-away games at Carrara beyond 2006.
MCG co-tenants Hawthorn and Melbourne are favoured to be listed as the "home'' team in the early-premiership season matches next year, with Richmond also a possibility.
Hawks chief executive Ian Robson has been discussing the Carrara option for several months with the AFL and Southport Sharks, the massively profitable Gold Coast club that has been seeking regular AFL matches since 1996.
"As one of the principally affected clubs in the MCG unavailability, our discussions have consistently had Carrara as an option, and we are delighted to see the AFL's statement of intent on that issue,'' Robson said.
Demons chief executive Steve Harris said his club was considering substantial proposals to play a match next year in Launceston, Cairns, the Gold Coast as well as other options.
"The final decision rests with the AFL, but the reality is we face the prospect of one or two games needing to be transferred, and if that is the case then we will look for the optimum financial benefit,'' Harris said.
By: BRETT STUBBS
Last Modified on 25/05/2005 11:45