Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Gold Coast Suns General Manager of Consumer and Community Jane McGough can't wait to bring AFL back to the NT now the fixture is locked in

Transcript

Gold Coast Suns General Manager of Consumer and Community Jane McGough can't wait to bring AFL back to the NT now the fixture is locked in · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: But a real change of pace and some positive news.
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  Speaker 1: The AFL has confirmed the fixture details for rounds ten
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  Speaker 1: to twelve of the twenty twenty two Toyota AFL Premiership season,
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  Speaker 1: including back to back home matches for the Gold Coast
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  Speaker 1: Suns at Darwin's TiO Stadium. And joining us on the
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  Speaker 1: line to tell us a little bit more about what
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  Speaker 1: this means for the Suns and indeed the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 1: is Jane McGoff, who is the general manager of Consumer
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  Speaker 1: and Community with the Suns. Good morning to you, Jane.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 1: How are you Yeah? Really well, lovely to have you
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  Speaker 1: on the show, Jane Fursley, fantastic stuff. Two rounds for Darwin.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really exciting. We can't wait to get back
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  Speaker 2: up there for our back to back home game. We
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  Speaker 2: missed out in the game last year, so we're just
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  Speaker 2: itching to get back up there and play in front
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  Speaker 2: of what is the heap of passionate footy fans when
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  Speaker 2: the Darwin Territory.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely and the first game obviously the Suns are going
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  Speaker 1: to take on Hawthorne as part of the prestigious Sir
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  Speaker 1: Doug Nichols Round. That one's on Saturday night, May twenty eighth,
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  Speaker 1: and then you return to TiO Stadium following Saturday June
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  Speaker 1: four for the club's Round twelve home match against North Melbourne. Jane.
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  Speaker 1: Do the Suns really feel like they are at home
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  Speaker 1: when they're in the territory.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. Yeah. We were back in there in twenty twenty
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  Speaker 2: for our first game and had great support whilst we
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  Speaker 2: were there, So we're actually going to stay up there
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  Speaker 2: for the week, so I think all up, you know,
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  Speaker 2: the club will be up there for about ten days,
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  Speaker 2: so we'll certainly be right at home towards the back
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  Speaker 2: end as we lead into that second match against North Melbourne.
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  Speaker 2: So yeah, we do. And the support's really growing up
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  Speaker 2: there for us. We know they're a heap of mad
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  Speaker 2: footy fans up there and we've got some really exciting
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  Speaker 2: Darwin players, you know, born and bred players or NT
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  Speaker 2: players in the team as well. That will hopefully the
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  Speaker 2: running around and too for both of those games.
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  Speaker 1: Well, no doubt for those NT players, it's fantastic to
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  Speaker 1: get back to the territory and be able to play
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  Speaker 1: in front of, you know, people that they know that
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  Speaker 1: they've grown up with.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely their friends, family, former teammates, former anti Academy members. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: really exciting for them. I know they can't wait, Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: to get back up there and see family, friends and
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  Speaker 2: in front of a home crowd, which is something really
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  Speaker 2: exciting for those guys and Jaye.
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  Speaker 1: The fantastic thing I think for those out there listening
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  Speaker 1: this morning is obviously it's fantastic that we've got two games,
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  Speaker 1: but the fact that everybody's going to be here, that
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  Speaker 1: the players and the coaching staff and everybody going to
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  Speaker 1: be here for that week in between the two games,
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  Speaker 1: it really means that the club's able to get out
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  Speaker 1: there in the community as well, doesn't it.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. So we're just working through with AFLNT at the
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  Speaker 2: moment and the government about exactly what that week look
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  Speaker 2: like for us. So now the games are locked in,
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  Speaker 2: we can work out our training schedule and then just
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  Speaker 2: exactly what we can do around that. But we're certainly
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  Speaker 2: looking at what it is that we can get out
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  Speaker 2: and see and experience in the territory, you know, particularly
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  Speaker 2: from the cultural and education perspective for our playing group
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  Speaker 2: and staff, but also helps from a footy point of
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  Speaker 2: view up there too, So getting out and helping with
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  Speaker 2: the development of footy and the talent and kids that
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  Speaker 2: are just starting out and playing footy, helping with coaching
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  Speaker 2: all of those sorts of things. We'll have our whole group,
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  Speaker 2: as I say, out there and a heap of expertise
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  Speaker 2: across you know, nutrition, coaching, exercise and sports science. So
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  Speaker 2: you know we'll look to give back as much as
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  Speaker 2: possible as possible.
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  Speaker 1: So during that week, Jane, what it means or doesn't
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  Speaker 1: mean that there is that opportunity too for the club
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  Speaker 1: and the players to be able to get out there
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  Speaker 1: to some of the schools and some of the more
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  Speaker 1: well maybe not so remote because you can't head too
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  Speaker 1: far out I'm assuming when you've got to play the
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  Speaker 1: following weekend. But does it mean that you're able to
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  Speaker 1: you know, to get out to the schools and into
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  Speaker 1: some of those communities.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, that's what we're working on at the moment,
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  Speaker 2: and we are looking you know, buses or planes that
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  Speaker 2: we might actually still be to do that whilst we're
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  Speaker 2: there for the week, given we don't have to travel
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  Speaker 2: all the way back to Brisbane. That's certainly something that
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  Speaker 2: we're looking to do and we can't wait. We're really
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  Speaker 2: keen to you know, get to know Joel and Malley
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  Speaker 2: and their family and their community a lot more too,
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  Speaker 2: which could be a really great opportunity for us and
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  Speaker 2: the rest of the playing group.
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  Speaker 1: Well, it sounds like it's going to be a fantastic
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  Speaker 1: week and fantastic to have those two games here as well. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: I know that so many territories will be excited. We
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  Speaker 1: love our sport in the territory Jane as I'm sure
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  Speaker 1: you know well, and no doubt it's going to be
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  Speaker 1: a cracking couple of games.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. I was actually up there last year before the
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  Speaker 2: unfortunately before the game got very late minute shifted to
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  Speaker 2: Sydney and we had six players across our men's and
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  Speaker 2: women's program. We got out to schools and communities, snuck
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  Speaker 2: in a trip out to Litchfield and things like that
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  Speaker 2: whilst we're there, and we loved it. So we've been
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  Speaker 2: talking enough and we can't wait to get back up
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  Speaker 2: there for you know, the locals. To get two games
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  Speaker 2: footy within seven days, it's pretty amazing. We've got a
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  Speaker 2: business delegation that are going to travel up potentially up
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  Speaker 2: to about sixty people from us of our partners and
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  Speaker 2: our key corporate partners and clients and things like that
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  Speaker 2: that are going to come with us too, so they'll
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  Speaker 2: get up and experience some of the best that the
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  Speaker 2: Darwin and the NT has to offer us. So we
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  Speaker 2: really can't wait.
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  Speaker 1: That's great to hear as well, with those extra you know,
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  Speaker 1: with the business delegation and others traveling up. You know,
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  Speaker 1: it's good for it's good for the Northern Territory. It's
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  Speaker 1: good for us in terms of that visitation and having
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  Speaker 1: plenty of people here. And like I said, I know
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  Speaker 1: that that Territorians love their sport, no doubt about it.
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  Speaker 1: They particularly love their footy.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, So yeah, we we can't wait. We've got some
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  Speaker 2: great membership offers for people to be able to guarantee
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  Speaker 2: them access to the games for four tickets even go
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  Speaker 2: on sale, and for special territory some membership. So we'd
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  Speaker 2: love footy fans, some fans or even just sport lovers
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  Speaker 2: that want to be part of the action to certainly
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  Speaker 2: get on board and I can guarantee their ticket or
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  Speaker 2: tickets to both of the games. We know they're going
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  Speaker 2: to be pretty hot property once they go on sale
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  Speaker 2: in the next.
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  Speaker 1: Week or so for sure. Well, Jane McGough. Lovely to
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  Speaker 1: speak with you this morning. I really appreciate your time.
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  Speaker 2: No worry, thanks Katie and we'll see you next month.
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  Speaker 1: You will, thank you very much