AFL Cairns president Gary Young is confident AFL matches will continue in Cairns after the final game of Richmond's three-year deal to play the Gold Coast at Cazalys takes place next year on July 13. The AFL released their 2013 draw yesterday and there were no scheduling surprises for the Cairns fixture. Like last year, the match will take place in round 16 and will again be a twilight clash. "It seems to work for everyone involved and it's been successful," Young said. "The clubs like it and it's at the cooler time of the year for us. Plus it's a twilight game, so the wind tends to have less of an effect on the game." Cairns hasn't proven a happy hunting ground for the Tigers, who are yet to beat the Suns despite starting heavy favourites in both matches. Last year's game was especially memorable. Rugby league convert Karmichael Hunt thrilled a sold-out Cazalys by booting a goal after the siren to give the Suns a dramatic two-point victory. The Tigers have received flak from some of their southern supporters for moving home games from Melbourne, with Richmond president Gary March revealing earlier this year the club would not renew the three-year contract to play at Cazalys despite it being worth $1.5 million to the club. Young is confident there would be another taker for 2014 and beyond after last year's game injected more than $3 million into the Cairns economy. "There's a lot of enthusiasm to have games up in this part of the world," he said. "It's been very successful and the AFL have been delighted with it.
Last Modified on 15/01/2013 09:09