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Katie Woolf spoke with Gold Coast Suns CEO Mark Evans · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now we know the Northern Territory is going to host
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: two games of AFL next year. The schedule was released
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: yesterday and the Gold Coast are going to be taking
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: on Hawthorne at TiO Stadium at Marara in round eleven.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: And joining us on the line to talk more about
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: that is the Gold Coast Sun CEO Mark Evans.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Hey, good morning. It was great news yesterday.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: The second year of our partnership with the AFL NT
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: and the NT government. So we got Carton up there
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: last year as part of that dream time weekend and
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: sug Nichols round and really please the AFL have given
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: us another blockbuster against Hawthorne, so it should be terrific.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's going to be great, and I know that
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: there's we still don't know exactly what date it's going
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: to be, but there's still a lot of uncertainty when
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: we look at the AFL next year when it comes
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: to COVID, isn't there. Well.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: I think we're planning for the best possible season we
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: can get as a fly and fly out picture of it.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: As you know, we have to stay pretty carefully attuned
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: to what's happening in various states and governments. But at
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: this stage it looks like we're going to get a
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: marquee time slot in the first weekend of Doug Nichols
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: Round and then the Alice Springs will be in the
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: match will be in the second weekend of to Doug
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: Nichols Round. So a great chance to showcase the territory.
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, and we love our footy up here as
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: you know, and it's going to be you know, it's
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: going to be wonderful to have the Suns back. How
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: important is it as well, do you think in terms
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: of you know, coming to the territory and really building
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: on those relationships with the young territori ins here and
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: that development side of the sport.
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: That's crucial to what we're doing. So we're in partnership
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: to grow talent of both boys and girls in the
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: territory and that's coming along quite nicely. Only into our
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: second year, so still plenty of work to do, but
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: looking like we can build a good base of players
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: coming through in to AFL and AFL W competitions. And
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: the best thing for me is the year in year out,
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: when we keep coming back to the territory, people will
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: really appreciate that relationship and friendship. And while they might
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: be barracking for Hawthorne, if the Hawthorne supporters, it might
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: be that we get all the essendance supporters might follow
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: the Gold Coast Sons as their second team.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, and that's the you know, that's the great thing,
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: isn't it. I think when you sort of team up
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: with a place like the Northern Territory, or partner up
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: with a place like the Northern Territory, and then you've
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: got I understand, five Territorians on your AFL and AFL
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: w liss, it's pretty easy. If even if the Suns
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: aren't your first team, then they will become the team
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: that you barracked for when yours isn't playing.
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: I think that's right. And if we could get either
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: Joel Jeffries or Lord Maley Roses into the team that week,
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: if they're going well enough to get selected, could you
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: imagine them playing in front of a home crowd, so
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: certainly pick up all of the neutral supporters.
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: In that case, Yeah, one hundred percent. And Mark, you
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: know we spoke before about obviously getting out, you know,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: to see school kids and sort of building those those
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: partnerships with the community. Do you spend much time when
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: you're here as well heading out to some of the
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: indigenous communities as well.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: In year one, we obviously had all of the COVID
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: nineteen restrictions, so our players weren't allowed to get out.
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: We fly into Darwin and basically bunk it down and
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: then fly out again. But across the course of the
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: year we've managed to do some things and to get
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: out in the schools. We got five thousand pairs of
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: boots donated by New Balance that have been distributed through
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: North queens and the territory and there's the opportunity, I
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: think for us to build some good school programs and
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: good community programs in the year ahead.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: I reckon the last time we spoke, you told me
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: about those boots going out to North Queensland kids and
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: all so to territory keys.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: How did that all go?
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: Did it roll out quite nicely?
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we've left it in the hands of afln T
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: because if you look for the Gold Coast sons to
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: work out how and where they should go. But I
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: believe they're taking them out to all of their community
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: programs and you'll see lots of kids running around of
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: those boots across the next year.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: I think, Yeah, I reckon. That's a fantastic initiative. It
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: sounds like a really wonderful thing today.
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been really well received and hats off the
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: New Balance for doing it as part of a kickoff
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: with their Sons partnership. But we're also developing a schools
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: based program and because of COVID nineteen, we're putting lots
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: of things together online and looking at the ways that
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: you can build resilience and school retention and things like that.
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: So I would expect that we'll roll that out through
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: the NT this year as well.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: Good stuff. Well, I tell you what, we're all going
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: to be excited about these games having the Suns back
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: for next year, and I'm sure you guys are feeling
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: the same about coming back to the territory.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we're looking forward to it. Everybody, have a great
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: Christmas and if you've got an interest in the Suns,
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: then please look out for a Territory Sons membership next
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: year and we'll build the friendship and the partnership in
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: the years ahead.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: Oh good stuff. Gold Co Sons CEO Mark Evans, thanks
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: so much for your time this morning.
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: Thanks again to you thank you, and yeah.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: It is wonderful. I think we all love having the
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: footy here in the territory. Whether whether you're an AFL
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: supporter or an NRL supporter, there is no doubt that
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: it is absolutely wonderful having the football happening here in
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: the territory and that is going to be a wonderful
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: round