AFL games could be played in the Red Centre if the NT is awarded a big league licence, the taskforce has revealed.
AFLNT chairman Sean Bowden told SEN earlier this week in an “ideal” world the Territory would enter the competition “shortly behind” the Tasmanian team’s 2028 debut.
It comes as the taskforce’s strategic business case and social impact study are due to be finalised by June 30.
While Bowden stressed the taskforce’s work was still very much in its infancy, he revealed AFL games could be played in Central Australia, or in Perth, early in the season to avoid Darwin’s oppressive heat and humidity.
Sean Bowden wants Australian football to remain at the forefront of Territory lives. Picture: Felicity Elliott /AFLNT Media.
“It’s probably the first 4-5 games, and that’s where we’re thinking about Alice Springs, we’re thinking about other venues in the north,” Bowden said.
“But we’re not getting ahead of ourselves, these are the things we’re thinking about.
“We’re patient and we’re not going to rush at this, but we want to be certain.
“So when the opportunity does come we can put our hand up.”
Meanwhile, Bowden said he could envisage the Territory public providing input on the club’s mascot, with fire – considering strong links to Indigenous culture – a potentially strong contender.
He also said the community could have input into the team’s colours, considering red, black and yellow “seems to work pretty well up here”.
Bowden disputed suggestions an NT team would not have a strong supporter base, with one in five Territorians involved in local football.
“We’ve got 50,000 participants in football in a population of 260,000,” Bowden said.
“It’s a big number.
“The Northern Territory is a natural football jurisdiction, it’s in everyone’s blood up here.
“We’ll have a lot of interest and we draw a little bit more widely … the NT community does reach east and west.”
However, he said the tyranny of distance was a potential issue and the Territory was sometimes “out of sight out of mind” for people down south.
“We have to have a really compelling narrative,” he said, with the taskforce needing to work on the issue of player retention.
“The four hours to Darwin is a lot further than the hour to Tasmania.
“The challenge of distance, that is in people’s minds.
“I think we’ve got something special up here.”
Stuart Tottham, Nigel Browne and Sean Bowden at the proposed Stadium site on McMinn St. Picture: Glenn Campbell
However, Bowden echoed comments made by taskforce member Lewis Martin who said he would stress to fellow members: “You’re not outback you’re out front.”
Bowden said the awarding of a 19th licence to Tasmania would embolden the taskforce’s work, with its two key documents “taking a strong shape”.
He said the economic situation of the Territory was similar to that in Tasmania, and would be looking for government support built off a “commercial basis”.
“There’s a lot of big companies which operate up here,” he said.