Thousands of AFL fans piled into TIO Stadium to watch Gold Coast Suns take on Western Bulldogs this weekend. Check out all the pics.
Jed Anderson’s family were overjoyed to see their AFL star play in Gold Coast colours on Territory soil in the first match of a Darwin-based doubleheader.
Anderson’s kids Elijah, Jasiah and Katerinah along with his partner Nicky were among the first to make their way to TIO Stadium on Saturday to cheer on their hero.
And they were particularly ecstatic as he ran out on the field for the Suns VFL side shouting “come on Jed” each time he got his hands on the ball.
They weren’t the only ones celebrating the Suns against the Western Bulldogs with friends, family and former club mates turned out to spur on the growing contingent of Territory players in the side.
Johnathan Sattler used to play with current Suns and former Wanderers players Joel Jeffrey and Lloyd Johnston and was looking forward to seeing them both take the field.
“I played with Joel for about eight years before he got here,” Mr Sattler said.
“And I came here early to see the little nephew Lloyd play in the VFL as well, so came down to support him.
“I’m really proud of them actually, it’s really good and I’m actually shocked to see so many of them in the team, it’s great for them.”
There were also plenty of Bulldogs supporters making the trip down early including the Grosser family, with Elizabeth Grosser the granddaughter of Footscray great Herb Henderson.
Her husband Scott Grosser said they had been lifelong supporters of the club, a support they continued to hold 18 years after moving to the Top End.
“We’ve always been Bulldogs supporters,” he said.
“It’s always good to see them come up here, particularly with the family connections we have with the club.
“Obviously the Suns are supposed to be our home team, but everyone up here just wants to see a bit of AFL action.”
GOLD COAST VS BULLDOGS GALLERY
Everything you need to know about Suns vs Bulldogs
Thousands of footy fans are expected to pile into TIO Stadium tonight when the Gold Coast Suns take on Western Bulldogs in the first match of their Darwin doubleheader.
The match comes as the first of two Darwin-hosted matches for 2023 with the Suns hoping to continue their winning record in the NT.
The Suns are expected to have a large Territory supporter base with eight players having connections to the NT including Malcolm Rosas, Joel Jeffrey and Ben Long.
The Bonson and Ah Mat gates will both open from 2.30pm with a history-making VFL match between the Suns and Footscray launching festivities from 3pm.
Tickets for the big match will be available at both gates, though punters are encouraged to purchase tickets online from ticket master.
The scoreboard gate opens from 5pm with the big match set to take place from 6.55pm.
Dedicated event buses will run to and from TIO Stadium from Darwin, Stuart Park, Casuarina, Palmerston, and Humpty Doo via Coolalinga.
Major Events Minister Paul Kirby said the two matches would be a perfect opportunity for Territorians to witness sport played at the highest level.
“Bringing elite sport to the NT is not only an opportunity for Territorians to see professional sporting events in their backyard – it also lures people to the Territory,” he said.
“Die-hard fans will travel here to enjoy two games of back-to-back footy, and take the opportunity to experience our unique tourism offerings.”
Our snappers will be at the game so be sure to check back here later on to see if you got spotted among the action.
Originally published as All the fans at the Gold Coast’s face-off against Western Bulldogs