AFL fans from around the country will have their eyes on the Far North when the Fremantle Dockers, Sydney Swans, and Melbourne Demons, amongst others, play in Cairns next month.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today announced the Dockers and Swans will temporarily relocate to Cairns for a three week period, with a number of games set to be played at Cazaly Stadium during rounds 15-18 of the AFL season.

Matches will include both Fremantle and Sydney as well as a number of opponents flying into Cairns, including Melbourne who will themselves play two matches at Cazaly stadium during this period.

The full fixture has yet to be finalised. 

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The Premier said it’s good news for Cairns and the AFL.

“Having two teams plus officials and support staff based in the city provides an obvious economic benefit,” the Premier said.

“I hope Queenslanders will travel to Cairns to see the teams play and that fans will enjoy seeing the game played in the Tropical North.”

Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the deal inked this week would pump millions of dollars into the Far North economy.

“This is a first for Cairns. We’ve never seen so many AFL Premiership games here in one season. The eyes of sports fans across Australia and around the world will be on Cairns. This is a huge boost for the local community,” Ms Jones said. 

“These teams have huge appeal in three of our most important domestic tourism markets.

“Having the Dockers and Swans based in Cairns will provide vital publicity for the Far North in the weeks and months to come.

“This exposure is vital when it comes to rebuilding our economy and supporting local jobs.”

AFL General Manager of Clubs and Broadcasting Travis Auld said it was fantastic to return football to Cairns, as well as basing two clubs in the community for a period of time.

“We are delighted to be again playing games at Cazaly’s and to have Fremantle and the Sydney Swans staying in Cairns which has such a passionate AFL support base,” he said.

“We are always excited to bring our games to the north of Queensland, and now for a period of time having teams in the community and contributing to the local economy.”