UP TO six AFL teams could spend about a month training and playing games in Darwin this year as part of an AFL Northern Territory proposal.
AFLNT chief executive Stuart Totham has pitched a 'hub' concept, whereby at least four and as many as six clubs would briefly reside in the Top End and play their match-ups against one another.
The AFL is in the process of figuring out the logistics of what a 17-round season will look like, particularly if the COVID-19 crisis postpones football – even without crowds – beyond June.
Melbourne and Adelaide were set to face off at Alice Springs' Traeger Park on May 17, while Gold Coast and St Kilda were scheduled to meet at Darwin's TIO Stadium on June 13.
The Suns have developed an affiliation with AFLNT, including Darwin becoming part of their Next Generation Academy zone, and are supportive of the hub idea.
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"This is an exciting proposal that has the full support of the Suns," Gold Coast spokesperson Craig Rowston said.
"We think it could be a win-win option for both the AFL and the Territory.
"As a club, the Suns want what is best for the NT and will work with AFLNT and the NT Government to lobby for a raft of AFL games in Darwin."
The NT Government has also offered tepid support, so long as the proposal followed medical advice.
As of Saturday, only 26 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in the Northern Territory, by far the fewest of any Australian state or territory.
