AFL on the rise in Moreton Bay thanks to Council investment
Published 16 December 2022
The Moreton Bay Lions name will be put up in lights after Council approved a $180,000 investment into lighting upgrades for the second field at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, Burpengary.
Mayor Peter Flannery said this project was partly thanks to AFL Queensland’s $150,000 contribution and it comes after a 439% increase in female participation between 2014-2019.
“Australian rules football is blowing up in Queensland, especially the women’s game, and Moreton Bay has been a leader in this space for multiple years now with our investment,” he said.
“It was great to see the Brisbane Lions women have another incredible AFLW season, albeit falling just short in the grand final match against Melbourne.
“And it was great to continue our relationship with the team by hosting them at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex earlier this year.
“With the uptake of so many young girls and women to the sport locally, these lighting upgrades will give the Moreton Bay Lions even more opportunity to reach newcomers and expand their services as a club.
“We want to make Moreton Bay the best Local Government Area in Queensland for women’s sport and to be a national leader in the space.
“By this time next year we will have completed the state-of-the-art football high performance centre at South Pine Sports Complex which will become the new home of the Brisbane Roar women’s team.
“And our investment into Kayo Stadium has already paid off after it hosted the first ever standalone NRLW grand final earlier in the year to huge success.
“Women’s sport is in a great place in Moreton Bay but we want to keep on building on it so our daughters have equal opportunity to follow their sporting dreams.”
Councillor Mark Booth (Div 2) said the new LED lighting upgrades to existing field lights would improve the overall quality for nighttime activities and save the club operational costs in the long run.
“The mighty Moreton Bay Lions are on the prowl for new players after all the recent success the club has had on all levels, so I’m proud that Council can deliver new lighting to help them expand even further,” he said.
“They already have one of the best facilities in South East Queensland thanks to Council’s investment and this will make their second oval even more usable for training, matches and events.
“It will also go a long way to helping to reduce operational costs of the existing lights, which the Lions can then reinvest into the club for its members and the wider community to enjoy.
“I’d love to see multiple matches being played under lights for the annual Councillors Cup between Moreton Bay and Redcliffe Tigers!”