Gold Coast ‘to face Port in China’
Gold Coast has claimed to have reached a deal to host Port Adelaide next year in the AFL’s first premiership match in China.
The Suns confirmed overnight they will be Port Adelaide’s hosts for the match, after the Power announced last week they would play a match in the world’s most populated country.
However the AFL insists no deal has been done yet on who will be Port Adelaide’s opponent for a regular-season match in China.
The Australian has reported Gold Coast, who will have the added benefit of being a renowned Australian tourist destination in Asia, beat out Melbourne, GWS and Collingwood to be Port Adelaide’s rival for the clash.
They would be paid more than $600,000 for the trip to Shanghai according to the newspaper, and will further benefit their sponsorship agreement with Chinese technology company Huawei, along with their stadium sponsorship of Metricon.
The club’s chief executive Tony Cochrane also managed to secure a TV deal in China while he was the boss of the V8 Supercars.
“It’s time to put this club in the limelight, and what better way than to be involved with China, and the fastest-growing Chinese tourist destination in Australia,” Cochrane said.
“We are not here to make up the numbers. We’re open for business and we want to be big players and we see China as part of that strategy.”
Cochrane told the Australian: “Right now it’s a year-by-year proposition, but we would certainly consider this as an ongoing venture… I really rate David Koch and the job he’s done as Port’s chairman, so it’s a good fit.”
The Power announced last week they would be the first club to play a match in the world’s most populated country after signing a sponsorship deal with a Chinese investor last week.
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But AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan would only confirm the Suns had shown an interest in being part of the historic match, insisting no deals had been made.
“It’s very clear now, I can say publicly, Gold Coast want to be in China but a decision hasn’t been made and there are other clubs interested,” McLachlan told SEN Radio.
“It [the money] comes out of whatever deal’s done, we won’t be paying a club to do it.”
-AAP
