1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: It's almost twenty minutes after ten o'clock eight nine four 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: one one o four nine if you'd like to chat 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: with us now we know that the establishment of a 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: Northern Territory AFL Team, it's taken another step forward with 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: the appointment of a territory AFL team task Force. And 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: joining me on the line right now one are the 7 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: people from that task force. Mister Sean Bowden, who is 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: indeed the chair of AFL here in the Northern Territory 9 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: and the co chair of the task force. Good morning 10 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 1: to you. 11 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 2: Sean, Yeah, good morning Cody, Sean. 12 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: This seems to be a great step in the right direction. 13 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: What exactly is the task force sort of going to 14 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: be doing in terms of trying to set up this 15 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: AFL team for the territory. 16 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 2: In general, Cody, The task force will be working through 17 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: a business plan to establish the fundamental for how the 18 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 2: team might work in the Northern Territory. We're going to 19 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 2: follow on from a free to ability study that was 20 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: done by the Bastion Group that has been made whilely 21 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: vailable to people, and we've now got to do the 22 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 2: hard work and put the put the basis together to 23 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: show that the Northern territory, AFL teams feasible, and. 24 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: I'm assuming that you know that the finances do have 25 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: a big part to play, and the feasibility of the 26 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: team is obviously going to be an enormous lynchpin in 27 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: terms of this team getting off the board or off 28 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: the ground, I should say, But there's lots of other 29 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: factors that come into play as well, isn't there, Like 30 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: when you talk about the community and the impact that 31 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: an AFL team here in the territory would actually have 32 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: on the community. 33 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 2: No, absolutely, and we'll be pursuing what we've been calling 34 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 2: an unconventional model where we do focus on the social 35 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: impact of the team. And we've seen throughout the territory 36 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: that where footage play and it's so loved throughout the territory, 37 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 2: throughout every part of the territory, football is just a 38 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: big part of people's lives and kids in the communities 39 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 2: and in the towns and cities, they look up to 40 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 2: the IFL stars, they look up to people who who've 41 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 2: done their best, and they want to participate, and so 42 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 2: it's a really critical activation that we think can play 43 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: a role in with the other great work that's done 44 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 2: by NGOs and government out in the bush and to 45 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: really try and give a bit of an uplift and 46 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 2: to make it a part of part of life and 47 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 2: build pathways for people from the bush. But Codie, we 48 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: shouldn't forget that an AFL team in the Northern Turkey 49 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 2: has been estimated to bring to add one hundred and 50 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 2: fifty million a year to the Turjury's GDP. So the 51 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 2: Basting Report had a good look at that as well. 52 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 2: So there are some gaps in the business model that 53 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,519 Speaker 2: we have to look at filling. We haven't haven't got 54 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 2: the straight line yet, but if we can pull this off, 55 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 2: we've got a very strong social dividend and we think 56 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 2: a very strong economic dividend as well. 57 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: Sean, what are some of those gaps, like, what are 58 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: some of those areas that we really need to fill 59 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: in order to get this off the ground and make 60 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: sure it's viable and really make it an asset to 61 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: the ritory. 62 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 2: I think the biggest thing is for us to drill 63 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: down to how AFL team is actually going to run 64 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 2: and function in the Northern ursion In Darwin. We're bringing 65 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: in fifty elite athletes, so the team's established and we 66 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,519 Speaker 2: get the mandate, and that's a long way off what 67 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: should add, But say the day comes we've got fifty 68 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 2: elite athletes in Bowen, we've got to be able to 69 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 2: cater to that. Then there's all the support personnel, there's 70 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 2: all the other opportunities that come around with an AFL team. 71 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 2: We'll be bringing people in and out. Of course of 72 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 2: the urnach. We're playing here every second week or probably 73 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 2: two weeks in a row. You might find it this 74 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 2: weeks lined up. That's going to see. Like if you 75 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 2: take the information I've picked up from the Richmond Football 76 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: Club and some of the other major football clubs, between 77 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: three and four thousand individuals will follow Richmond, for example, 78 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: into State. So we've got to be able to cater 79 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 2: for that as well enormous influx of people that might 80 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: come into Darwin. So there's those things. We've got to 81 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 2: make sure that the as of are here. I've got 82 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 2: a lifestyle as well. They've got to know what they're 83 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: here for. And I think again that's where the facial 84 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,679 Speaker 2: dividend comes in. I think a lot of the players 85 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 2: would really enjoy making that contribution to society, if I 86 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,679 Speaker 2: could put it that way, getting out there and really 87 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 2: getting their hands dirty, trying to inspire young Territorians, showing 88 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: them that it's feasible. Yeah, I mean we've got fifteen 89 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: people played. Fifteen Territorians played in the last round of 90 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 2: the AFL. I think the number is this year, so 91 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: we've already got our players going through. So you know, 92 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 2: we'll be looking to supercharge that now. 93 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: I know, like I grew up in North Queenslane when 94 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: the Cowboys were established many years ago, and what it 95 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: does for you know, what it does for a location 96 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: like North Queenslan would be I'm assuming very similar to 97 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: what it would do for a place like the Northern 98 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: Territory to be an enormous th for the Northern Territory Sean. 99 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: There's been discussion about, you know, about a stadium being 100 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: built and a team in the past, but in terms 101 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: of where they'd play and the facilities and what we 102 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: would also need to go along with this team, how 103 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: would it all sort of how would it happen and 104 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: how soon could it happen. 105 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 2: We see it as a territory team that draws from 106 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 2: the north, so I'd like just to spread our wings 107 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 2: out to the east and the west of Keynes and 108 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 2: to Broome and Kanana and those places. But fundamentally it'll 109 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 2: be a territory team. In terms of a stadium, I 110 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 2: think logic says that will need to look very closely 111 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: at the new stadium. The IFL is very particular about 112 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 2: its brand and the conditions that its players are playing, 113 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 2: and I think there's a lot else that goes with 114 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 2: that stadium. But if you have as a foundation an 115 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 2: AFL team that's playing between twelve and fourteen matches say 116 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: a year there, well that's a very good start in 117 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 2: terms of building. And then, like you say, Katie, just 118 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 2: the pride and the livability of having this sort of 119 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 2: activity in the town. I mean, we do lose our 120 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 2: young people here in Darlen. They do gravitate South. They 121 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 2: gravitate not just for the mcgs and the Adelaide ovals 122 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 2: and the Optice ovles in first, but that's a big 123 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 2: part of it, and we don't have that to offer 124 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: people there. So I think there's also a divid end 125 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 2: in keeping our young people here, young adults, making it 126 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 2: livable for people who come up to Darwin, they might 127 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 2: find that suddenly this is a reason another reason to 128 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 2: stay rather than do their two or three years and 129 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 2: move back down south. So there's a lot of factors. 130 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 2: We're going to take them all into account. We've going 131 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 2: to try and put them in put them in careful 132 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 2: orders so that the public of the Northern Territory can 133 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 2: really see this and ultimately make their own decision whether 134 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 2: they the public want to really get behind this. 135 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: So Sean like, how soon would we be expecting or 136 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: would we be hoping to have a team in the 137 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: AFL if everything goes well and it is viable and 138 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,559 Speaker 1: you do this feasibility study and see that it could 139 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: work for the territory. 140 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,559 Speaker 2: The Tasmanians have done us a great favor, Tody. They've 141 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 2: led this out and they've worked really hard to press 142 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 2: for their own team. And there's a lot of common 143 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 2: sense in two teams because that evens up the drawer 144 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 2: and evens up the competition. So it could be sooner 145 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 2: than we think, but we're aiming our eyes on a 146 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 2: ten year horizon, though if it could happen earlier, we'd 147 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 2: really welcome that. 148 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: Well, I tell you what, Shawn I reckon, there'll be 149 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: plenty of AFL fans who are very excited, you know, 150 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: even like I just sort of think for everybody within 151 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: the community. It is something to be really proud of 152 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: when you do have a team in the AFL. I've 153 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: seen it myself in the likes of North Queensland in 154 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: the NRL, and I really hope that we're able to 155 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: make this happen their same Cody. 156 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 2: So we've got a lot of hard work to do 157 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 2: and we'll get that done and look forward to speaking 158 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 2: to you and your listeners again. 159 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: So it sounds good. Thanks mate, We appreciate your time. 160 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: Twice in one week. Thank you.