1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: But we know that footy fans can finally gear up 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: for a twenty twenty one AFL game in the top end. 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: The Gold Coast Suns are set to take on the 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: Melbourne Demons at TiO Stadium on July twenty four. And 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: joining us on the line right now is Stuart Totham, 6 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: who is the CEO of AFL n T. Good morning 7 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: to you, stew. 8 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you to very. 9 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: Well mate, Great to have you on the show and 10 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: great news over the weekend. 11 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, it was terrific news. How we sort of 12 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 2: we thought we'd sort of lost the opportunity to get 13 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 2: some games here that pretty quickly last week, and thankfully 14 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 2: we had a pretty motivated Gold Coast Sun head office 15 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 2: and North Turky government, so we managed to get a 16 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: game in the top end of what cracker it is, 17 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 2: with Gold Coast improving in their performance last couple of 18 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 2: weeks and obviously Melbourne at the top of their game. 19 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: Yeah well, and I know that the game was scheduled 20 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: to take place into state, but it has been moved 21 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: to a Saturday night slot in the territory as a 22 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: result of those COVID nineteen restrictions. Stu, do you reckon 23 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: that we're going to see as many people going to 24 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: that game as what we would usually just given the 25 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: fact that it is a Saturday night and and it's 26 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: you know, at a bit of a different time I 27 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: guess of the year to what we'd usually have it. 28 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:22,559 Speaker 2: Yeah, potentially there'll be some impact. Thankfully that the Chief 29 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 2: Medical Officer has given us approval for full crowd. So 30 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: it's twelve and a half thousand and certainly there's some 31 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 2: competing events would show and like, so it will be 32 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 2: a bit of a chance to get a crowd here, 33 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 2: but we hope the territory community will support it and 34 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: get through the turnstars and really enjoy some top class 35 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 2: af L footy on the twenty. 36 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: Fourth, Stu, is it a difficult process for you guys 37 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: at AFL and T to you know, to sort of 38 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: be pivoting to different different times the year, different days, 39 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: different dates. I know, it's such an ever changing beast 40 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: at the moment as a result of COVID. 41 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's not. Well, clearly you'd like it longer 42 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: leading for two weeks is okay. We've just had our 43 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: meeting this morning, just catching up on all the different 44 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 2: components that need to come together, and there'll be, no 45 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 2: doubt some challenges along the way, but we will pull 46 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 2: it off. Last year we did the three games in 47 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: eight days and the team where was just phenomenal. So 48 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 2: it's the same team pretty much, and you know, we'll 49 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: make sure we put on a really good show for 50 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 2: the community and STU. 51 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: Are the teams still going to be able to do 52 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: some of that community stuff that they would ordinarily do 53 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: in the leading to their games, you know, heading out 54 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: to the schools and that type of thing, or is 55 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: it going to be a bit more difficult. 56 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,959 Speaker 2: We're working through at the moment, working through the traveling 57 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: arrangements and what opportunities that may or may not be, 58 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 2: So what's in space. We're hopeful there might be some 59 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 2: opportunities to do some more of that. The Gold Coast 60 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,399 Speaker 2: were terrific even though there's no game or the heap 61 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 2: of com in the activity that's still cared back at 62 00:02:57,960 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: the end of the morning. So hopefully we can get 63 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 2: a bit, get a bit moving you again, get that 64 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 2: brand out there in the community. 65 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: But so at this stage, still a bit of organization 66 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: to do in terms of when they're going to arrive 67 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: those players and the support staff and that Yeah. 68 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 3: Absolutely, I don't have that family yet, but that'll all 69 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 3: emerge in the next few days, and those programs out 70 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 3: in the community and the run sheet of the day 71 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 3: and all those sorts of things, we'll start to come 72 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,119 Speaker 3: together and. 73 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 2: By the end of the week. Importantly, tickets going so 74 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 2: Wednesday through ticket Tech, which is sure it'll be people 75 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 2: that can't wait to get the hands on those. 76 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was going to say that was going to 77 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: be my next question, Stu. When can people get their 78 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: hands on a ticket so Wednesday? 79 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 2: Is it yeah, Wednesday lunchtime, Wednesday one o'clock. I think 80 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 2: it is yeah on ticket tech dot com dot are 81 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: you well? 82 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: Good on you Stu Tootham. Always good to catch up 83 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: and I'm really pleasing to hear that there is going 84 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,119 Speaker 1: to be an AFL match played here on the Top 85 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: End in a couple of weeks time. 86 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you. 87 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: That is Stu Totham there, the CEO of AFL here 88 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory, and yes, good stuff. We know 89 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: that footy fans will be very excited that that AFL 90 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: game is happening in the Top End. The Gold Coast 91 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: Sun set to take on the Melbourne Demons TiO Stadium 92 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: on July twenty four, and I know it's always a 93 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: difficult time of the year. There is so much happening, 94 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: always so many wonderful events during the dry but hey, 95 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: who doesn't want to want to spend the night enjoying 96 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: the footy, So I'm sure it'll be a cracking crowd 97 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: as always. Those tickets go on sale on Wednesday.