7th December, 2010 (Daily Mercury by Charlie Payne)
MACKAY'S Harrup Park is being groomed as a future venue for an AFL NAB Cup match.
While it may not happen for several seasons, new Mackay AFL chairman Rohan Howie said yesterday talks had been ongoing for some time about the possibility of the ground hosting one of the pre-season matches, or a practice match.
Cairns will host an AFL premiership match next season between the new Gold Coast team, the Suns, and Richmond.
“It's a massive coup for North Queensland football to have that, and it's a game that's been pencilled in for the next three years,” Howie said.
“We would at least set ourselves for a NAB Cup match.
“A lot of things have to happen here at Harrup Park in terms of facilities, but that is our ultimate goal.
“The Cowboys get big crowds when they play their annual matches here and I'm sure we would too.”
Harrup Park will be the venue for next season's Mackay AFL finals series, and plans are being made to stage the annual City-Country match there on Anzac Day.
“It will involve the best 40 players in the league and Harrup Park is an ideal location as the club is the host to the Mackay sub-branch of the RSL,” Howie said.
“We'll have the bugler playing and the National Anthem; if I was a player I'd be pumped having all the old Diggers watching on.”
Howie, who was a player, junior coach and committee member for North Mackay Saints, was elected president to succeed Steven Pel at the Mackay AFL annual general meeting last week.
He said a highlight of the coming season would be the introduction of the seventh senior club to the Mackay competition, the Andergrove Kangaroos.
While several clubs, including Bakers Creek and Moranbah, struggled to be competitive last season, Howie said he was keen to work closer with the junior committee to build numbers of players coming through to the seniors.
“We want all seven clubs to be competitive, that is the goal,” he said.
“We want everyone to be competing for finals places and try to eliminate those 20 to 30 goal games.”
Juniors president Col Johnson said there was an enthusiasm about the junior clubs which he hoped would be infectious for the seniors this season.
He said while it wasn't the job of the league to set up junior teams for the clubs, it was hoped to get involved with Bakers Creek to get juniors started there this season.
Regional development manager David Harding is also working to get under-9 and under-11 teams set up at Moranbah.
Josie Rogers was returned as secretary at the AGM, and a treasurer is yet to be appointed.
Board members include Greg Clark, Ian Draper, Steve Johnson and Col Johnson.
Last Modified on 02/12/2011 16:03