World Footy News

Northern Australia is set for its annual period of footy exposure as the big league teams head for major centres in the tropics. First up this weekend is the clash at Darwin’s TIO Stadium between the Melbourne Demons and the in-form West Coast Eagles. The following Saturday it is the turn of Far North Queensland when the Western Bulldogs meet the Gold Coast Suns at Cazalys Stadium.

For the Darwin crowds the match is a salivating experience. The Melbourne Demons pulled off their greatest win in recent times for the club last start when they downed the Geelong Cats at their “fortress”, Skilled Stadium. Demon fans everywhere see the win as evidence that the club, under Paul Roos, is turning the corner. They will be keen to back up that effort against the Eagles in front of an excited albeit largely neutral crowd at TIO Stadium.
The West Coast Eagles have surprised many this season with second place on the ladder and many fine performances, despite injuries to key players. Adam Simpson has the team motoring nicely towards the finals and the Eagles will not want to drop this game now and lose momentum.

The Darwin crowds are sure to be in for a terrific contested match. Advice from the AFL Northern territory states that tickets for the match are almost sold out for Saturday night, guaranteeing a big local crowd for the match to solidify TIO Stadium as a viable host of AFL Premiership matches.

The following Saturday evening sees the annual Gold Coast Suns match at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns when they are hosted by the Western Bulldogs. This will be the fifth occasion since 2011 that the Gold Coast Suns have played in the city, with the Richmond Tigers playing the first three years before the Bulldogs came on board last year.

The local crowds have been urged to get behind the match with a goal to significantly surpass last year’s crowd of just under ten thousand Come To Cairns…Or Else!!.

The 2015 season has been tumultuous both on and off the field for the Suns. They would love nothing more than to right the ship in Cairns against the Bulldogs. The Dogs won at this venue last year by a solid 28 points.

Luke Beveridge has added a new set of teeth to his Bulldogs team and they are well and truly in finals contention. A win in Cairns would enhance those chances. With a list of exciting young players including Bontempelli, Macrae and Stringer, the Bulldogs might just light up the Cazalys crowd and trigger renewed excitement for the annual Cairns match.

So for the next two weeks the AFL compass is certainly pointing north and the cities of Darwin and Cairns are ready for the challenge.