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11:14 AM
Wed 24 June, 2009
In 2011, the Gold Coast Football Club is set to join the AFL, meaning that late each year, supporters will be frantically scanning the draw to find out if and when their
club is jetting to the AFL’s newest playground.
The League estimates that when the new club is fully up and running, it will generate thousands of interstate visitors and economic activity of up to $34 million a year. And if you can avoid the $60-plus cab fare (ouch) from Gold Coast airport to the centre of Surfers Paradise, it looms as one of the great weekends away.
For downtime, there is sun, sand, nightlife and more ‘worlds’ to check out than you can wave a palm leaf at – Movie World, Sea World, Dream World, Wet ’n Wild … the list goes on. Theme parks such as Sea World have something to make everyone feel at home – polar bears in specially cooled enclosures for the Victorians, sharks for the Sydneysiders and dolphins for old Flipper fans.
In terms of its footy, the Gold Coast is far from a wild new frontier. Wander down to local club Surfers Paradise on a Saturday afternoon and you could easily be at any metropolitan local league in Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth. Small kids kick around footballs far too large for them and hover expectantly around the canteen, while characters larger than life roam either side of the fence.
During a Pineapple Hotel Cup reserves game between Surfers and Burleigh, Paradise player Ryan Pope (a Paul Medhurst look-alike) put on an unforgettable show.
Dragged for lairising in front of goal, Pope engaged in a heated running argument with his coaches from the pine throughout the third quarter, before returning to the field late in the last to slot the winning goal with a guttural cry.
The performance continued come the senior game, with Pope taking up a position behind the goals and proceeding to shred his vocal chords in support of his clubmates, particularly the dangerous Daniel Green.
“Green-dog, woof, woof!” Pope cried after one goal. “Heel, Green-dog, heel!”
Fans of Richmond and Adelaide have the chance to taste life on the Gold Coast in the remaining AFL game this season, before construction gets underway at Carrara in preparation for 2011.
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