1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,520
Speaker 1: As I said, the Northern Territories AFL season, Well, it

2
00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,280
Speaker 1: might be over that any sports fans would know that

3
00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,880
Speaker 1: the AFL season is absolutely in full swing and the

4
00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,879
Speaker 1: Northern Territory is set to experience some of the country's

5
00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:15,120
Speaker 1: biggest games this May. We know the Gold Coast Suns

6
00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,479
Speaker 1: are going to be taking on North Melbourne on the

7
00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:19,880
Speaker 1: eleventh of May and then the Gold Coast Sun's taking

8
00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,280
Speaker 1: on Geelong on the sixteenth of May. And joining us

9
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:28,960
Speaker 1: on the line is AFL int CEO Sam Gibson. Good morning, Sam,

10
00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,480
Speaker 1: let me try that again, my bad operator era Good

11
00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:38,720
Speaker 1: morning Sam morning, Sorry mate, I've forgotten to actually turn

12
00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,479
Speaker 1: your mic up. Now. There is heaps coming up this

13
00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,279
Speaker 1: month when it comes to foot, he talk us through

14
00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:45,760
Speaker 1: the games that we've got happening.

15
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,080
Speaker 2: Yes, obviously a big month of forty. We've got Gold

16
00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,360
Speaker 2: Coast playing two games, first against North Melbourne on the

17
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,959
Speaker 2: eleventh and then a big game on a Thursday night

18
00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,600
Speaker 2: against Geelong on the sixth, and then we travel down

19
00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,800
Speaker 2: the highways for a game between Melbourne and Freemantle. And

20
00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,840
Speaker 2: now it springs on the second of Journe So it's

21
00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,840
Speaker 2: crammed nice and tight together. This year and it's a

22
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,039
Speaker 2: great opportunity for people across the territory to see the

23
00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:15,600
Speaker 2: elite game.

24
00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,640
Speaker 1: It truly is, and I think that you know, what

25
00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,160
Speaker 1: it brings with it as well is not just that

26
00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,920
Speaker 1: that actual game, but there's always plenty that goes on

27
00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,440
Speaker 1: in the community as well, out of the schools and

28
00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,480
Speaker 1: that real grassroots football along with the actual big games.

29
00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,479
Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, it's a really strong part of having Gold

30
00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,000
Speaker 2: Coaster back to back games and being here for eight

31
00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,679
Speaker 2: or nine nights, I think all up, you know, we

32
00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:48,800
Speaker 2: avoid that flying flat temptation and they're here for you know,

33
00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,680
Speaker 2: to play the games and hopefully get eight points, but

34
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,320
Speaker 2: also to as you say, go and connect with schools

35
00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,680
Speaker 2: and connect with the community. And you know that they've

36
00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:00,880
Speaker 2: committed to a lot of things year they have in

37
00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,440
Speaker 2: the past, and that's a really important part. It's as

38
00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,520
Speaker 2: important as game day for us.

39
00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,200
Speaker 1: What kind of things are you expecting that they're going

40
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,239
Speaker 1: to get up to while they're here for those eight

41
00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,239
Speaker 1: or nine sort of days in terms of going out

42
00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,799
Speaker 1: maybe to remote communities, but also out to some of

43
00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:16,799
Speaker 1: the schools and things.

44
00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, so lots of lots of school visits happening, some

45
00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,480
Speaker 2: different sort of public engagements down at the waterfront and

46
00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:30,880
Speaker 2: things like that. They'll connect a little bit with you know,

47
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,799
Speaker 2: the talent talent camps and things like that we've got

48
00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,720
Speaker 2: on at the same time, so giving you know, our

49
00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,600
Speaker 2: hopeful draftees a bit of a glimpse and a bit

50
00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,320
Speaker 2: of a a bit of their expertise on the journey

51
00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,160
Speaker 2: that you need to go on to make it to

52
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:49,440
Speaker 2: the national level. And then we also get the benefit

53
00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:52,920
Speaker 2: of having you know, world class coaches and umpires and

54
00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:54,920
Speaker 2: the liking in town as well to do a little

55
00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,600
Speaker 2: bit of things that are a bit more targeted. So yeah, look,

56
00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,400
Speaker 2: it's a pretty good sweet of things across the As

57
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,640
Speaker 2: I said, across the eight or nine days.

58
00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,440
Speaker 1: Now, are you expecting those games to sell out?

59
00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,000
Speaker 2: Look at the tickets are selling pretty well. The Geelong game,

60
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,560
Speaker 2: which is a unique one for us this year to

61
00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:21,080
Speaker 2: Thursday night opening up, said o' nichols round. That's selling

62
00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,160
Speaker 2: really quickly. I think we're over eighty percent of the

63
00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,799
Speaker 2: grand stand sold. This is a good bit of an indication.

64
00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,200
Speaker 2: Obviously there's tickets available to both games. Still, it's certainly

65
00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,320
Speaker 2: encouraging people to get in nice and quick and grab

66
00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:35,880
Speaker 2: their ticket.

67
00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, in terms of you know, when you look a

68
00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,120
Speaker 1: participation in AFL here in the Northern Territory at the moment,

69
00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:45,280
Speaker 1: and I know that we're in the off season, but

70
00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,160
Speaker 1: not for Central Australia Football League. I know it's underway.

71
00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,080
Speaker 1: But when you look at the numbers and then you

72
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,400
Speaker 1: look at these big games that we've got happening in

73
00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,400
Speaker 1: the Northern Territory, how big an impact do you think

74
00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,480
Speaker 1: it has Having a team like the Gold Coast Sons

75
00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,600
Speaker 1: here for ASI or nine is able to get out

76
00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,280
Speaker 1: to the community, able to go and sort of you know,

77
00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:06,720
Speaker 1: sell the game I think to our youngsters and make

78
00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,040
Speaker 1: them really interested in playing footy.

79
00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:14,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's really important. Obviously, you know, the

80
00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,000
Speaker 2: the NTFL and in the top end runs across the

81
00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,719
Speaker 2: wet and you know we've got a lot of growth

82
00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,160
Speaker 2: in that space. We've talked about that before. But footy

83
00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,440
Speaker 2: does run twelve months of the year in the territory.

84
00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,720
Speaker 2: We've got a lot of oss kick programs and school

85
00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,720
Speaker 2: programs and the like happening throughout the dry and you know,

86
00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,479
Speaker 2: the opportunity to have Gold Coast come here and not

87
00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,120
Speaker 2: stay for one or two nights, you know, really stay

88
00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:43,240
Speaker 2: and commit to the community and and and give back.

89
00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,640
Speaker 2: I think it adds a lot. And you know, that's

90
00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,280
Speaker 2: the you know, that's the benefit that we're starting to see,

91
00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,680
Speaker 2: particularly with the Suns coming back for a number of

92
00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,159
Speaker 2: years now, we're starting they're starting to get that traction.

93
00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,320
Speaker 2: And to be honest, most of the conversation we have

94
00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,039
Speaker 2: with with the Suns around Okay, what's next, how do

95
00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:06,279
Speaker 2: we how do we support game development programs? How do

96
00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,160
Speaker 2: we lean in and help you with things you're wanting

97
00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,640
Speaker 2: to do with women, girls, and so on and so forth.

98
00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,839
Speaker 2: So it's a it's a true partnership in that sense,

99
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,560
Speaker 2: and I think it's bearing fruit.

100
00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,560
Speaker 1: It is wonderful. And how is that partnership going with

101
00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:23,920
Speaker 1: the Suns in terms of some of that development of

102
00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,160
Speaker 1: our of our territory players and those pathways forwards.

103
00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, looks it's really good. Obviously, we've got a number

104
00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:37,320
Speaker 2: of men and women on playing lists with the Suns. Unfortunately,

105
00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:38,920
Speaker 2: we've got a few injuries at the moment, so we're

106
00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:40,760
Speaker 2: not going to say as many as we would like

107
00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,960
Speaker 2: over the next couple of weeks on the field. But

108
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,200
Speaker 2: as I said before, a lot of our conversation is

109
00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,640
Speaker 2: around what's next. The Suns are really committed to working

110
00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,599
Speaker 2: with our talent team on id in players you know,

111
00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:57,839
Speaker 2: at a young age and then sort of starting to

112
00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,360
Speaker 2: give them experiences getting up over the to the Gold

113
00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,600
Speaker 2: Coast and training for a week and things like that.

114
00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:07,960
Speaker 2: So that's really important. And then as I said, on

115
00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,080
Speaker 2: the flip side, you know, we know football for some

116
00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,800
Speaker 2: people is becomes a job and becomes a profession, but

117
00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,080
Speaker 2: for a lot of people it's just around, you know,

118
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,120
Speaker 2: part of how they enjoy their life. And the Sons

119
00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,400
Speaker 2: are really good at leaning in and supporting those those

120
00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:30,159
Speaker 2: initiatives which support the broader football community as well. And

121
00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,159
Speaker 2: as I said, we'll meet with the Sons while they're

122
00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,359
Speaker 2: here and and a lot of the conversation will be

123
00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,080
Speaker 2: about those those non elite things.

124
00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:41,000
Speaker 1: Well. Sam Gibson, the CEO of a f L here

125
00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,279
Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory, good to speak to you. Thank

126
00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:44,920
Speaker 1: you so very much for your time today.

127
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:47,279
Speaker 2: Thanks you appreciate it.

128
00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:47,720
Speaker 1: Thank you