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It is proposed that they will enter the league in the 2011 season,<ref>Gleeson, M; [http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/clubs-fasttrack-two-new-entries/2008/03/13/1205126110889.html Clubs fast-track new entrants], [[The Age]], Retrieved on 14 March 2008</ref> although |
It is proposed that they will enter the league in the 2011 season,<ref>Gleeson, M; [http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/clubs-fasttrack-two-new-entries/2008/03/13/1205126110889.html Clubs fast-track new entrants], [[The Age]], Retrieved on 14 March 2008</ref> although |
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doubts are growing about whether the club will be able to fund the 25,000 seat stadium that is required.<ref> [http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-sport/big-stadium-a-big-hurdle-for-gc17-20090227-8k4s.html Big stadium a big hurdle]</ref> |
doubts are growing about whether the club will be able to fund the 25,000 seat stadium that is required due to a lack of support on both sides of politics.<ref> [http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-sport/big-stadium-a-big-hurdle-for-gc17-20090227-8k4s.html Big stadium a big hurdle]</ref> |
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A three-man committee of former [[Brisbane Lions]] chairman Graham Downie, [[Southport Sharks]] director Allan McKenzie and lawyer and community leader John Witheriff will establish the club's administration.<ref name=Silence>Wilson, C; [http://www.realfooty.com.au/articles/2008/03/13/1205126110877.html Silence from presidents means 18-team AFL], [[The Age]], Retrieved on 14 March 2008</ref> As part of the AFL bid criteria, the GC17 consortium required a commitment from 20,000 locals to become football club members, a $5 million net asset base and 111 sponsors (at least one major, 10 secondary level and 100 tertiary) by mid-October 2008.<ref name=Positive>Barrett, D (22 May 2008). [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23738002-19742,00.html Gold Coast positive it can snare 17th AFL licence]; [[Herald Sun]] Retrieved on 5 September 2008</ref> |
A three-man committee of former [[Brisbane Lions]] chairman Graham Downie, [[Southport Sharks]] director Allan McKenzie and lawyer and community leader John Witheriff will establish the club's administration.<ref name=Silence>Wilson, C; [http://www.realfooty.com.au/articles/2008/03/13/1205126110877.html Silence from presidents means 18-team AFL], [[The Age]], Retrieved on 14 March 2008</ref> As part of the AFL bid criteria, the GC17 consortium required a commitment from 20,000 locals to become football club members, a $5 million net asset base and 111 sponsors (at least one major, 10 secondary level and 100 tertiary) by mid-October 2008.<ref name=Positive>Barrett, D (22 May 2008). [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23738002-19742,00.html Gold Coast positive it can snare 17th AFL licence]; [[Herald Sun]] Retrieved on 5 September 2008</ref> |
Revision as of 05:45, 1 March 2009
Gold Coast Football Club | |
---|---|
File:Gold Coast Football Club logo.png | |
Names | |
Full name | Gold Coast Football Club |
Club details | |
Colours | Red, White, Blue and Yellow |
Competition | Australian Football League |
Chairman | John Witheriff |
Coach | Guy McKenna |
Ground(s) | Carrara Stadium (capacity: 18,000) |
Other information | |
Official website | GC17 |
Gold Coast Football Club is an Australian rules football club based on the Gold Coast, that is applying to become the 17th club in the Australian Football League. The bidding consortium is known as GC17.
It is proposed that they will enter the league in the 2011 season,[1] although doubts are growing about whether the club will be able to fund the 25,000 seat stadium that is required due to a lack of support on both sides of politics.[2]
A three-man committee of former Brisbane Lions chairman Graham Downie, Southport Sharks director Allan McKenzie and lawyer and community leader John Witheriff will establish the club's administration.[3] As part of the AFL bid criteria, the GC17 consortium required a commitment from 20,000 locals to become football club members, a $5 million net asset base and 111 sponsors (at least one major, 10 secondary level and 100 tertiary) by mid-October 2008.[4]
Team Name
On 4 September 2008 the club announced that they would be known as the Gold Coast Football Club and would not have a nickname. This departure from recent professional sporting team tradition was chosen because each of the options they had to choose from were equally liked by the Gold Coast public. They also revealed the club's colours and mascot. The colours of red, yellow, blue and white and the mascot of an iconic lifesaver named GC reflect the beach culture of the region. [5][6][7]
Previously they had ruled out using the Sharks nickname despite it being the early favourite. GC17 manager Scott Munn said that there would be possible legal complications with trademark rights of other franchises, including the local Southport Sharks in the AFL Queensland competition and the Cronulla Sharks in the NRL. "Cougars", "Dolphins" and "Pirates" were also ruled out. Nicknames presented to fans to vote for included "Guards", "Ironmen", "Rays", "Stingrays" and "Marlins".[8]
History
First Queensland expansion team
In 1987, the AFL - or VFL as it was then known - established the Brisbane Bears as its first expansion team in Queensland. At the end of the 1996 season, the Bears merged with the Fitzroy Lions, re-emerging in 1997 as the Brisbane Lions. The Bears were actually based on the Gold Coast for most of their short history. They played at the Carrara Oval for six seasons, not moving to the Gabba in central Brisbane until 1993.
Kangaroos/North Melbourne experiment
In 2006, the Kangaroos signed a contract to play 9 matches on the Gold Coast over the next three season, which fueled speculation that those in control of the club were preparing to relocate to the Gold Coast by 2010. The Kangaroos were seen as the most likely Melbourne-based club to relocate not just because of their small membership and poor financial position, but also their shareholder ownership.[9]
In December 2007, the AFL offered the Kangaroos a multi-million dollar package to relocate to the Gold Coast. The Kangaroos rejected the offer, and with a board member clean-out, reverted to their North Melbourne name. After this, the AFL announced it would instead establish a new club on the Gold Coast, possibly as soon as 2009.[3]
AFL intervention
In January 2008, it was reported that the AFL officially registered the name Gold Coast Football Club Ltd with ASIC.[3]. The registration was effective from 24 December 2007.[10] The registration was of a Public company limited by guarantees rather than by shares, the corporate personality common to 15 of 16 of the current AFL teams, the exception being the Fremantle Dockers.[11] In March 2008, the AFL won the support of the league's 16 club presidents to establish a side on the Gold Coast and an 18th side in Western Sydney. North Melbourne will see out the contract to play three games on the Gold Coast in 2008 however the games in 2009 will not go ahead if they and the AFL can agree on compensation for termination of the contract.[12]
Establishment
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou announced in early 2008 that the club could debut in the Queensland State League in 2009, as it recruits players and prepares for its debut season in the AFL, possibly 2011. At one stage it was rumored that Michael Voss would coach the Gold Coast Team and that he had been offered a 6-year contract.[13] However, these rumours were proven false when Voss was appointed coach of the Brisbane Lions from the beginning of the 2009 season.[14]
In June 2008 it was announced that the new team would play in the TAC Cup in 2009 [15] before being promoted to play in the VFL in 2010.
Guy McKenna was appointed coach in August 2008.[16]
Future issues
Not all has gone smoothly, however: due to a contract between the AFL and Queensland state government regarding expansions to the Gabba, any Queensland-based club is required to play all its home games at the Brisbane ground until 2016, although the government has indicted that a good compromise might be 5 games a year at the Gabba until 2020. The Queensland state government has also noted that they are unwilling to pay the total costs of expansions to Carrara Stadium or build a new stadium on the Gold Coast, having already spent a great deal of money on the new Skilled Park, Robina (the home of Gold Coast Titans) and adding secondary home rooms to the Gabba.[4] However, they have indicated that they may contribute to these costs.
The AFL Commission has delayed its decision on the 17th club licence on several occasions.
References
- ^ Gleeson, M; Clubs fast-track new entrants, The Age, Retrieved on 14 March 2008
- ^ Big stadium a big hurdle
- ^ a b c Wilson, C; Silence from presidents means 18-team AFL, The Age, Retrieved on 14 March 2008
- ^ a b Barrett, D (22 May 2008). Gold Coast positive it can snare 17th AFL licence; Herald Sun Retrieved on 5 September 2008
- ^ Smart, Nick (2008-09-05). "Coast AFL name, mascot launched". The Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ "GC17 call draft concessions 'skinny'". AAP; The Age. 2008-09-05. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ GC 17 Launch the Gold Coast Football Club (5 September 2008); GC17; Retrieved on 5 September 2008
- ^ Morton, Jim (2008-07-14). "Gold Coast name may have a sting in the tail". WAToday. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ Le Grand, Chip (2007-10-27). "Kangaroos leap final hurdle to Coast". Fox Sports (Australia). Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^
"ASIC Free Company Name Search". http://www.asic.gov.au ASIC. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|publisher=
- ^
"ASIC Free Company Name Search". http://www.asic.gov.au ASIC. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|publisher=
- ^ North's Coast fling is over
- ^ Gold Coast to play in 2009
- ^ "Lions hand reins to Voss". Fox Sports (Australia). 2008-09-02. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ TAC Cup to help blood new team; realfooty.com.au
- ^ Guy McKenna named Gold Coast AFL coach; Sydney Morning Herald