MEDIA RELEASE FROM AFL QUEENSLAND
The North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) today released the fixture for season 2013 which will feature an historic Anzac day match in Mackay between reigning NEAFL premiers the Brisbane Lions reserves and the Gold Coast SUNS reserves.
The match will take place at Harrup Park following the annual City V Country clash.
AFL Queensland CEO Michael Conlan said the match would add to what was already a major local event.
"AFL has a significant connection with our armed services as a celebration of our Australian culture and has been played by our troops across the globe for over 100 years," said Conlan.
"The Mackay AFL Community has created a fantastic event to honour the ANZAC tradition and we want to build on that in 2013 with the support of the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast SUNS."
Conlan said the NEAFL match was one of several major events scheduled for North Queensland in the coming year.
"AFL is experiencing strong growth in North Queensland and we are excited to be bringing premier events to the region," said Conlan.
In addition to the NEAFL ANZAC day clash, 2013 will see the Gold Coast SUNS play their AFL NAB Cup match against the Kangaroos in Townsville, while Cairns will again host the Richmond Vs Gold Coast SUNS clash as well as the AFL National Women’s Championships.
About NEAFL
The North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) is the second-tier league introduced in 2011 which built upon the AFL Canberra and AFL Queensland state leagues and took the top division senior teams from QLD, NSW, ACT and NT.
Games are played in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Darwin, Alice Springs and regional areas.
Reserve sides from the four AFL clubs in those states—Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast SUNS, Sydney Swans and the Greater Western Sydney Giants—also field teams in the league, providing terrific opportunities for clubs to rise to a high standard of football.
Game Structure
The NEAFL consists of two conferences: the Northern Conference (QLD & NT teams) and the Eastern Conference (NSW & ACT teams).
For the majority of the year, teams play other teams within their respective conferences.
However, the key point of difference between other state leagues and the NEAFL is that all teams play cross-conference games and travel interstate.
Teams within each conference still compete for awards and premiership success within their own conference, but the winner of each conference then goes on to play in the NEAFL Grand Final.
www.neafl.com.au
Last Modified on 06/03/2013 11:21