1
00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,719
Speaker 1: Now we know the Northern Territory is going to host

2
00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,840
Speaker 1: two games of AFL next year. The schedule was released

3
00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,280
Speaker 1: yesterday and the Gold Coast are going to be taking

4
00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,960
Speaker 1: on Hawthorne at TiO Stadium at Marara in round eleven.

5
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,560
Speaker 1: And joining us on the line to talk more about

6
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,960
Speaker 1: that is the Gold Coast Sun CEO Mark Evans.

7
00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,800
Speaker 2: Good morning, Hey, good morning. It was great news yesterday.

8
00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,080
Speaker 2: The second year of our partnership with the AFL NT

9
00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,519
Speaker 2: and the NT government. So we got Carton up there

10
00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,080
Speaker 2: last year as part of that dream time weekend and

11
00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:38,279
Speaker 2: sug Nichols round and really please the AFL have given

12
00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,080
Speaker 2: us another blockbuster against Hawthorne, so it should be terrific.

13
00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,199
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's going to be great, and I know that

14
00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,000
Speaker 1: there's we still don't know exactly what date it's going

15
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,720
Speaker 1: to be, but there's still a lot of uncertainty when

16
00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,440
Speaker 1: we look at the AFL next year when it comes

17
00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,040
Speaker 1: to COVID, isn't there. Well.

18
00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,080
Speaker 2: I think we're planning for the best possible season we

19
00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,279
Speaker 2: can get as a fly and fly out picture of it.

20
00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,839
Speaker 2: As you know, we have to stay pretty carefully attuned

21
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,200
Speaker 2: to what's happening in various states and governments. But at

22
00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,640
Speaker 2: this stage it looks like we're going to get a

23
00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,080
Speaker 2: marquee time slot in the first weekend of Doug Nichols

24
00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,200
Speaker 2: Round and then the Alice Springs will be in the

25
00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,440
Speaker 2: match will be in the second weekend of to Doug

26
00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,000
Speaker 2: Nichols Round. So a great chance to showcase the territory.

27
00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,280
Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, and we love our footy up here as

28
00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,039
Speaker 1: you know, and it's going to be you know, it's

29
00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,039
Speaker 1: going to be wonderful to have the Suns back. How

30
00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,160
Speaker 1: important is it as well, do you think in terms

31
00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,920
Speaker 1: of you know, coming to the territory and really building

32
00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,960
Speaker 1: on those relationships with the young territori ins here and

33
00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:43,400
Speaker 1: that development side of the sport.

34
00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,440
Speaker 2: That's crucial to what we're doing. So we're in partnership

35
00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,560
Speaker 2: to grow talent of both boys and girls in the

36
00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,080
Speaker 2: territory and that's coming along quite nicely. Only into our

37
00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,000
Speaker 2: second year, so still plenty of work to do, but

38
00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,040
Speaker 2: looking like we can build a good base of players

39
00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:05,240
Speaker 2: coming through in to AFL and AFL W competitions. And

40
00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,760
Speaker 2: the best thing for me is the year in year out,

41
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,040
Speaker 2: when we keep coming back to the territory, people will

42
00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,679
Speaker 2: really appreciate that relationship and friendship. And while they might

43
00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,840
Speaker 2: be barracking for Hawthorne, if the Hawthorne supporters, it might

44
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,760
Speaker 2: be that we get all the essendance supporters might follow

45
00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:23,399
Speaker 2: the Gold Coast Sons as their second team.

46
00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, and that's the you know, that's the great thing,

47
00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,080
Speaker 1: isn't it. I think when you sort of team up

48
00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,920
Speaker 1: with a place like the Northern Territory, or partner up

49
00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:33,880
Speaker 1: with a place like the Northern Territory, and then you've

50
00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:38,119
Speaker 1: got I understand, five Territorians on your AFL and AFL

51
00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,760
Speaker 1: w liss, it's pretty easy. If even if the Suns

52
00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,200
Speaker 1: aren't your first team, then they will become the team

53
00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,880
Speaker 1: that you barracked for when yours isn't playing.

54
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:50,800
Speaker 2: I think that's right. And if we could get either

55
00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,399
Speaker 2: Joel Jeffries or Lord Maley Roses into the team that week,

56
00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,520
Speaker 2: if they're going well enough to get selected, could you

57
00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,560
Speaker 2: imagine them playing in front of a home crowd, so

58
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,560
Speaker 2: certainly pick up all of the neutral supporters.

59
00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,800
Speaker 1: In that case, Yeah, one hundred percent. And Mark, you

60
00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,000
Speaker 1: know we spoke before about obviously getting out, you know,

61
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,760
Speaker 1: to see school kids and sort of building those those

62
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,560
Speaker 1: partnerships with the community. Do you spend much time when

63
00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:18,840
Speaker 1: you're here as well heading out to some of the

64
00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,800
Speaker 1: indigenous communities as well.

65
00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,640
Speaker 2: In year one, we obviously had all of the COVID

66
00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,720
Speaker 2: nineteen restrictions, so our players weren't allowed to get out.

67
00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:33,360
Speaker 2: We fly into Darwin and basically bunk it down and

68
00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,360
Speaker 2: then fly out again. But across the course of the

69
00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,360
Speaker 2: year we've managed to do some things and to get

70
00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,560
Speaker 2: out in the schools. We got five thousand pairs of

71
00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,680
Speaker 2: boots donated by New Balance that have been distributed through

72
00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,880
Speaker 2: North queens and the territory and there's the opportunity, I

73
00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,560
Speaker 2: think for us to build some good school programs and

74
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,360
Speaker 2: good community programs in the year ahead.

75
00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,000
Speaker 1: I reckon the last time we spoke, you told me

76
00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,840
Speaker 1: about those boots going out to North Queensland kids and

77
00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:01,240
Speaker 1: all so to territory keys.

78
00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:02,040
Speaker 2: How did that all go?

79
00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:03,760
Speaker 1: Did it roll out quite nicely?

80
00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, we've left it in the hands of afln T

81
00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:10,880
Speaker 2: because if you look for the Gold Coast sons to

82
00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,280
Speaker 2: work out how and where they should go. But I

83
00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,520
Speaker 2: believe they're taking them out to all of their community

84
00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,040
Speaker 2: programs and you'll see lots of kids running around of

85
00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,160
Speaker 2: those boots across the next year.

86
00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,880
Speaker 1: I think, Yeah, I reckon. That's a fantastic initiative. It

87
00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:25,679
Speaker 1: sounds like a really wonderful thing today.

88
00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been really well received and hats off the

89
00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:33,560
Speaker 2: New Balance for doing it as part of a kickoff

90
00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:38,480
Speaker 2: with their Sons partnership. But we're also developing a schools

91
00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:43,039
Speaker 2: based program and because of COVID nineteen, we're putting lots

92
00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,120
Speaker 2: of things together online and looking at the ways that

93
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,040
Speaker 2: you can build resilience and school retention and things like that.

94
00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,840
Speaker 2: So I would expect that we'll roll that out through

95
00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:53,240
Speaker 2: the NT this year as well.

96
00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,880
Speaker 1: Good stuff. Well, I tell you what, we're all going

97
00:04:55,920 --> 00:05:01,080
Speaker 1: to be excited about these games having the Suns back

98
00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,479
Speaker 1: for next year, and I'm sure you guys are feeling

99
00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,359
Speaker 1: the same about coming back to the territory.

100
00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're looking forward to it. Everybody, have a great

101
00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,440
Speaker 2: Christmas and if you've got an interest in the Suns,

102
00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,839
Speaker 2: then please look out for a Territory Sons membership next

103
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,840
Speaker 2: year and we'll build the friendship and the partnership in

104
00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:18,479
Speaker 2: the years ahead.

105
00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,800
Speaker 1: Oh good stuff. Gold Co Sons CEO Mark Evans, thanks

106
00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:24,159
Speaker 1: so much for your time this morning.

107
00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,039
Speaker 2: Thanks again to you thank you, and yeah.

108
00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:30,800
Speaker 1: It is wonderful. I think we all love having the

109
00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,839
Speaker 1: footy here in the territory. Whether whether you're an AFL

110
00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,080
Speaker 1: supporter or an NRL supporter, there is no doubt that

111
00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:41,160
Speaker 1: it is absolutely wonderful having the football happening here in

112
00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,320
Speaker 1: the territory and that is going to be a wonderful

113
00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:43,679
Speaker 1: round