Footy fans to reach fever pitch with AFL doubleheader

Footy fever is returning to the Top End, with the AFL today confirming the fixture details for the Round 11 and 12 matches at Darwin’s TIO Stadium.

The Gold Coast SUNS will take on Hawthorn as part of the prestigious Sir Doug Nicholls Round on Saturday, 28 May 2022. The Territory’s adopted team will then return to TIO Stadium the following Saturday, 4 June 2022, for their Round 12 match against North Melbourne.

A third Territory AFL match will take place in Alice Springs at TIO Traeger Park later this year between the Melbourne Demons and Port Adelaide, with more details to be released soon.

The games are part of the Northern Territory Government’s partnership with the AFL, which sees Gold Coast SUNS and Melbourne Demons play a game in the NT each season. There will be three games this year due to COVID restrictions affecting the roll-out of games in 2021.

Head of AFLNT Sam Gibson thanked the Northern Territory Government, the Gold Coast SUNS and the AFL for working together to ensure Territory footy fans have the opportunity to watch elite games live in their backyard.

“Territorians have two awesome AFL blockbuster Gold Coast SUNS games in just two weeks to look forward to and will also see the Melbourne Demons at the peak of their powers in Alice Springs later in the season. We hope the Territory community will get amongst it, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy AFL footy being back in the NT again.”

Gold Coast SUNS player Sean Lemmens said the team was really excited to be heading back to Darwin this year and playing back-to-back home games up in the Top End for the first time.

“It’s a special experience for myself and the other Indigenous players to be able to represent the SUNS during Sir Doug Nicholls Round, and even more special to be able to do that in Darwin,” he said.

Tickets for the Round 11 game will be on sale via www.ticketmaster.com.au from next week. Tickets for Round 12 will be on sale at a later date. The Gold Coast SUNS will also be offering special Territory SUN memberships, which guarantee access to the games, starting at $20 for one-game junior general admission and $55 for adults, or $39 for juniors and $75 for adults for two-game memberships.