AFL

Demetriou's Carrara plan

Austadiums • Wednesday 12th December 2007

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has unveiled his master plan for the new Gold Coast team to play out of a $200 million stadium at Carrara.

In outlining details of the plan to The Courier-Mail, Demetriou explained how the new ground would be modelled on Geelong's small but impressive Skilled Stadium with a capacity of between 20-22,000.

But the catch is it will almost certainly not be ready until 2012, two years after the side's likely entrance which would mean the club would play some of its top-billing home games at the Gabba in its first one or two seasons.

Demetriou has been in Brisbane this week where he was believed to have had private discussions about the stadium.

"There is a master plan we have developed which involves taking that stadium to a 20-22,000 seats boutique stadium along the lines of the Skilled Stadium model," he said.

"A club playing out of there with a clean stadium as far as advertising went and generating income from signage and gates would reap about $400-$500,000 net a home game.

"That is our choice. It requires between $150-$200 million. We are working through with various parties as to how we will get it built.

"I am pretty comfortable there will be a redeveloped stadium probably for 2012 onwards. We would not go down this track and do all this work if we were not comfortable. It will be like York Park in Tasmania where you can get a great atmosphere with 20,000 people.

"What we would do is play smaller games at Carrara and the larger attended games at the Gabba perhaps for one season. It still may be for a derby, against a team like Brisbane we still may play in Brisbane for the crowds. Finals would be played at the Gabba and perhaps against teams like Collingwood.

"We want to get maximum use out of the Gabba and have this other stadium we can fill," Demetriou said. It is our preferred venue. We spent the best part of 12 months looking at options on the Gold Coast as we have come back to Carrara."

The financing of a refurbished Carrara, the austere, unloved launching pad of the Brisbane Bears two decades ago, has been shrouded in mystery but Demetriou is adamant the project will not rise or fall on Queensland Government funds.

"We have got various groups interested in the stadium. But this Government have been fantastic supporters of football. They have demonstrated that with what they have given to AFLQ over the years and have been fantastic with what they have done with the Gabba."

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AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has unveiled his master plan for the new Gold Coast team to play out of a $200 million stadium at Carrara.
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