What is the Future of The Gabba?

Discussing the future of The Gabba in Brisbane
ENQUIRIES: [e-mail]

[@raysieelmo]

$1.5B for a popup stadium outside of the city with poor public transport connections has to be about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It's actually an embarrassment.

[@Sammy25100]

And people complain about tassies $1B stadium that'll be there for years. When I heard that this would be $1.5b, I could hardly believe it. Not to mention that the athletics stadium looks horrendous as it currently is.

[@titoelcomombiano]

Incorrect, QSAC is the home of QLD athletics and gets more use than any stadium here other than Suncorp. The cost will include transport links and will actually leave a legacy for athletics... what a concept

[@PjRjHj]

​@@titoelcomombianoIncorrect, the $1.6 billion does NOT include public transport links, and the QLD premier said as much when asked. The number of annual patrons means little compared to the revenue derived from those patrons. The type of event Suncorp hosts is very different from QSAC. The former carter to high priced ticket professional sports while the latter caters to a niche, greatly amateur sport with spectators generally being bused in school kids. QSAC operates much closer to an oversized community facility than a premier sports stadium. It would still have similar numbers attending annually if it were the size of state athletics centres in other Australian states. Enjoy paying off a 14000 seat (legacy mode) athletics stadium when only Qld Athletics will want to be tenants

[@gorgu08]

Have you met your premier?

[@OfficialAshArcher]

QSAC plan is a complete joke. Either redevelop the Gabba or build Victoria Park.

[@titoelcomombiano]

QSAC will and should leave a legacy for athletics, not VFL

[@TOTN17]

@@titoelcomombiano QSAC will not get any use beyond what it already gets if anything upgrading QSAC is a horrible choice for post-Olympic Legacy

[@titoelcomombiano]

​@TOTN17 it's for athletics mate... not fumbleball, get over it

[@PjRjHj]

​@@titoelcomombianoQLD tax payers will be paying one way or another for a new AFL/Cricket stadium within the next 15 years. You seem very keen to cut off your nose to smite your own face over personal insecurities directed towards the AFL

[@matta2738]

​@titob81 qsac is already more than sufficient for state and national level athletic events. The track was only redone a couple years back. There is zero point to spending a single cent there.

[@heypresto84]

I'd prefer a new venue over wasting half the cost of the stadium on a pop up stadium for just 1 event

[@TOTN17]

The Gabba redevelopment is unpopular because it would require knocking down East Brisbane State School to do so plus keep in mind that Woolloongabba is held by The Greens on all 3 levels of government Victoria Park is also unpopular because it would be taking Greenspace away which many people do not want taken away QSAC is unpopular because it's hard to access and the cost does not include needed transport upgrades through Suncorp would get some upgrades in this plan because it would be hosting the ceremonies ALP Position is QSAC for Athletics and Suncorp for Ceremonies LNP Position is another review If it were up to me, I would build the new Oval Stadium that is at least 60K in Capacity at Northshore as well as extend and duplicate the Doomben line to Northshore as well as put a City Cat Stop near the stadium and have bus lanes on Kingsford Smith Drive then replace The Gabba with a 20K Rectangular Stadium for the Reds and Roar

[@EricAngel-kl6fi]

I agree on the Victoria Park proposal and from memory, It would only take like 20% or 30% of park space. With the Reds and Roar though, you could just build up Ballymore Stadium or Perry Park as they are currently doing. Id alternatively demolish the Gabba and build a new indoor arena located near the new station at the Gabba. But I am adamant they will not do that unfortunately given how incompetent they are. It is a shame.

[@TOTN17]

@@EricAngel-kl6fi Indoor Arena is already happening will be at the top of the Roma Street Parklands Victoria Park is political suicide through inner Brisbane seats are less important to the LNP then they are to the ALP Ballymore is in a shit location would be better as a training facility as was the original plan though I accept it's gonna happen, Perry Park makes far more sense but Football Queensland waited to long

[@PurestBollocks]

Northshore makes too much sense. So it won't be done

[@yr8vegie123]

Isn’t the Olympic housing being built on the north shore?

[@houls44]

This is becoming my most favourite channel at the moment. great straight forward news reporting. can't wait for the next video. cheers mate. hope to see this all year round.

[@PivotPiece]

Thanks mate appreciate it

[@drewzerna4087]

Funny how the radio telling me this morning no test cricket for next 7 years in Brisbane and this video pops into my feed 😂

[@badgerello]

Honestly every plan has boofhead merit; with the QSAC being the most stupid and Victoria park the least stupid in context. The biggest issue is and will always be the ridiculously insane proposed costs. If those were lower then they’d be rebuilding the Gabba already.

[@farmerooni]

Taking a look at every other major Australian stadium really shows how much of an old dinosaur the Gabba really is. The features the MCG, SCG, Optus and Accor Stadiums and Adelaide Oval all have in common are large surrounding areas (to accommodate big crowd spill outs) and immediate access to public transport. There's absolutely no surrounding footprint at the Gabba location whatsoever: it's hemmed in on all sides by extremely busy roads and a public school. Which creates traffic chaos anytime it's in use, and not to mention the amount of police & security required to direct/ funnel the crowds into narrow access corridors. Throw in the fact that the stadium is located right in the middle of a high-density residential-zoned growth suburb and you're bound to increase future traffic congestion problems. If the two options are going to be considered, I'd take a new stadium at Victoria Park over rebuilding the Gabba. There's alot of surrounding space at Victoria Park, plus train and metro station options to solve the public transport issue.

[@B-tr9kz]

Suncorp Stadium is the major stadium in Brisbane. It hosts Queensland biggest sport and biggest teams. It also can host Rugby Union and Soccer. They don't need to spend 3.2 billion on a stadium that will only be used by AFL and Cricket. Upgrade the Gabba to 50k and spend the money on upgrading Suncorp Stadium to at least 60-65k minimum.

[@PjRjHj]

​@@B-tr9kz $3.2 billion for an AFL/Cricket venue would be payed off faster than a $1.6 billion 14000 seat Athletics venue. The Suncorp site is almost as constrained as the Gabba's site. Suncorp's Architect has said a few thousand more could be accommodated at Suncorp at the back of the ground tier on both ends, at the cost of aesthetics and circulation. Reaching 60000 with the current structure would result in seats with sightline obstructions and major works on the 3rd tiers (particularly the western stand). 65000 would need a replacement of the roof and a new western stand. The block Suncorp is on may not be large enough to provide the required access and egress for 65000.

[@farmerooni]

@@B-tr9kzI don't like the idea of upgrading Suncorp. Just like the Gabba; it's restricted by the surrounding streets. Which limits how the stadium can be increased and ups the construction costs (limited site access and juggling traffic flow around a construction site is way more expensive than a vacant greenfield site.) Suncorp also has poor access from the city: just like the Gabba, you have to deploy police and security to shut down Caxton St for the pedestrians. Which wastes money on crowd control and induces huge traffic congestion anywhere within a 5km radius. Plus it solves nothing: you can't hold Olympic track and field events in a rectangular stadium. I don't see any disadvantages with building a new oval stadium for the Olympics: you can always install reconfigurable seating to accommodate rectangular playing fields. Just like they did with Stadium Australia: it was originally going to host Cricket and AFL games, but they added the option to slide the grandstands closer in to form a rectangle. That allowed for NRL and Rugby games without compromising sideline seating. There's a few KZbin videos on it if you're interested. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKKTZGWFmKupnJYsi=tHoKqdXEPaVqGyeI A new stadium at Victoria Park could solve all of Brisbane's current issues, as well as future issues with increasing population and expansions of codes (2nd AFL team? 3rd SEQ NRL team?.) And yes, there will be more sporting demand as Brisbane's 2032 population approaches the same size as Sydney's 2015 population. It's highly likely that more stadiums will be needed to meet future demand. Building a new stadium at Victoria Park means having two stadiums right in the centre of the city. One with a decent mid-size 40k seating capacity and a 65k capacity for larger games/ events. That would solve issues with hosting the two current NRL teams (Broncos & Dolphins.) You could host two games on the same night (NRL and Rugby, or NRL and AFL, or AFL and Soccer.) And a new stadium would get good use all year round by hosting Cricket in the summer time.

[@matta2738]

​@B-tr9kz you're just scared because you know they will get 60 000 to a lions game while the broncos are struggling in the mid 30s. Time to move on.

[@joshski85]

@@matta2738 You can't be serious? I don't hate the AFL, but you can't be for real in thinking the Lions will get bigger crowds than the Broncos? Brisbane has and will always be the Broncos and I'm not even a Broncos or QLD supporter.

[@glenno5897]

Not being a banana bender, why does the gabba get so much hate? Still seems pretty modern to me.

[@Johnno_117]

I feel a lot of stadiums get hate because it's the cool thing to do. Like Marvel, they feel like modern, technologically advanced footy grounds. I love attending games at both grounds.

[@PjRjHj]

​@@Johnno_117 Marvel attracts undue hate, while the Gabba attracts valid critique

[@PjRjHj]

It was rebuilt on the cheap. It has plenty of sightline obstructions because the players bench and 2 video boards were not integrated into the design. Where the ground is 3 tiered, the ground tier has a pathetically shallow gradient. The field width is needlessly wide, exacerbating the structures constraints between the playing field and the road. Ambulances can't even access the field. Numerous blackouts. Constrained concourses. Limited female and disabled restrooms

[@VelvetRiot-hz5mp]

@@PjRjHj Those problems could be fixed pretty easily.

[@albertmiller2electricbooga897]

It’s probs the worst afl stadium I’ve been to, marvel is still modern but the Gabba is actually quite poor in terms of sight lines, concourses and overall appearance

[@davidhallinan6696]

The best (rarely discussed) option is Northshore Hamilton. A new inner city stadium not too close to existing stadium infrastructure, strong public transport connections with the possibility of extending the hard rail to northshore plus being located right next door to the Olympic village. An absolute no brainer!!!

[@stebolian]

Main improvements that can be made is better set down for disabled as my dad has to some how get across the road from the only drop off point on Linton St. Not good enough . Should be either side directly in front of the gates.2 or 5

[@mitchelltidball6944]

Gabba is a shithole - hate going there, prefer the trip down to the GC

[@pelicantincan626]

$1.6B for nothing post olympics vs $2.6B for a “forever” stadium. You have to do something so make it worthwhile. Is there anything you can do to Gabba for $2B which compromises cost but provides ongoing benefit?

[@heyguyswhatshappening6210]

Well if the Gabba is boxed in by roads and schools then best bet is to knock it down and turn it into high density residential.

[@macca2225]

Another thing that is missed all the time is that the Gabba reaches end of life in 2030 anyway and will require over a billion dollars to fix. There’s a radio interview with state mp grace grace(real name) basically saying that won’t be her problem.

[@TenaciousAC]

The weirdness is that Cross River Rail will open its Gabba Station in 2026, which is perfect for improving access to the area…. Right as the Gabba itself ‘might’ be getting demolished. Also, since the Brisbane Cricket Club should have some say in their own historic ground, it wouldn’t hurt them to say ‘we want to stay here’ or ‘we’re open to a move to a new suburb’. My guess is their power has diminished a lot and now they’re just small fry compared to Stadiums QLD and various state and federal governments telling them what they’ll do with their ground.

[@zazzleman]

If Brisbane wants a new stadium the local government can pay for it.

[@MozartificeR]

Why don't they use the Gold Coast Ground and finish that, with the Gabba Redevelopment? That's probably the best balance.

[@albertmiller2electricbooga897]

I literally yesterday visited the scaled back Tokyo Olympics stadium and it is still amazing (except foreign cards don’t work there), it’s less flash and exciting than the original plan but even with no dome and less open areas it’s worth a visit and clearly capable. I hate the idea that every stadium needs to be the best in the world

[@bakiunicorn]

Surely, there is a business case around developing the Gabba with a long view of reimbursing the public purse from some financial mechanism or share of gate receipts. Does the government own the Gabba stadium land? That would fetch a pretty penny from developers which could them be used to help finance and build Victoria Park.

[@PjRjHj]

Exactly, not to mention public-private partnerships. Marvel and Accor Stadiums were privately funded over 20 years ago. No reason Brisbane can't do the same

[@rajivmurkejee7498]

AFL pays the bills for all the Test cricket grounds in Australia

[@B-tr9kz]

The worst? Shark Park would like a word haha. But yeah I don't understand why they don't just rebuild the Gabba to 50k and upgrade Suncorp to 65k. They don't really need to build the Gabba any bigger than that and Suncorp is too small atm for major events.

[@PjRjHj]

Suncorp's constrained site and it's structure would make reaching 65000 very difficult. The trend these days is smaller capacities with more seating grade options. 12500 more general admission seats would be less cost effective than overhauling and expanding the corporate areas

[@Ansdus]

The Gabba has already out grown its location QSAC is a joke both in location and its age. Bulldoze the pair of them and build the new one at Vic Park and get on with it AFL and Cricket will ensure its not a white elephant.

[@TBoneTony]

I would say small upgrades that needed to be designed effectively. Would love to see a upgrade to Gabba but they need to focus on budget due to Sport isn't most important in people's minds.

[@matta2738]

A stadium is used for more than just sports games. It generates revenue for a lot of industries. Food catering, hotels, transportation, airlines, restaurants and local businesses all feed off a well designed, well run stadium.

[@paulranjitkumar4939]

No Stadiums in Australia are making profit, no economic sense, but it will grow the tourism in a short term. Paying off debt will be the taxpayers. Debt is growing all over the world, but no one knows when inflation is going to burst We should look into other options such as sharing the events with Sydney and Melbourne. We need value management approach.

[@matta2738]

You have no clue what you are talking about. Stadiums are profitable, that is why they exist.

[@adrianyoungman2740]

Best outcome would be to get Dan Andrews to run for Queensland Premier and drop these games too

[@heyguyswhatshappening6210]

Trying to get him out of Victoria permanently but he won’t budge

[@rajivmurkejee7498]

If you want the State to go bankrupt, then Dan's your man.

[@matta2738]

Its past its use by date already. Brisbane is already losing events to Perth and Adelaide because they have newer, more modern AND BIGGER, stadiums. Soon it will lose even more events to Tasmania when they build their new indoor stadium for their afl team. Gabba must be demolished and a new 60 000 seat stadium built.

[@user-gm1uw5nv3j]

So sickening hearing the future or the future of the gabba. Look the gabba is the worlds smallest stadium from all i can see and also it is cramped in between traditional residential homes and also close to the new residential apartments and almost blocking the busy road. Wake up Brisbane. Once you built residentials and roads you cant go back to change things. Go built a new stadium far away or best you dont waste the money unless you expect brisbane people to be homeless after the olympic games.

[@EvilKicksMoney]

Opus stadium should host Olympic cricket matches

[@Magpie_Mark92]

Theres nothing wrong with The Gabba

[@adamslaney5638]

Would have to be the smallest Olympic stadium in modern history. How Embarressing. Should of been In Melbourne.

[@vikramparmar8093]

I appreciate all you videos but as a non -Australian, I am curious about one thing. It is about the concerns that you have about Australia's standing in the world. If outsiders were not impressed by what Brisbane did,my response would be : WHO CARES? Heck, Brisbane could not build one more sports venue and host every single Olympic event tomorrow if required. The biggest issue I would bet would be housing 10 thousand athletes/visitors/journalists. I would hope that hosting an olympics to get plaudits from foreign elites is probably not the best reason to bid for them To celebrate in front of the world your love of sports world probably be the number one reason. I long for the day where a city bids for an Olympics and says, what you see is what you get. This is what we are gonna host the Olympics with; and then win the bid.

[@chriswatson7965]

I live in Brisbane and largely agree. I don't see the need to be spending much beyond normal on infrastructure. We have everything here at least at a basic level (except the whitewater facility). From a competitor's viewpoint all of the facilities are excellent, they only fall down in the ability to comfortably manage large crowds. Housing is actually the least concern. South East Queensland is experiencing significant population increase. The housing that will be built will be immediately sold off for a profit. I have been to all of the venues that currently exist, and can state categorically that if there was no need for concern of catering for spectators, and the optics were no concern then not one dollar would need to be spent and the athletes could compete with no cause for concern, have a most enjoyable time, and no-one watching on TV would be any the wiser.

[@vikramparmar8093]

@@chriswatson7965 but my point is , who cares what the rest of the world thinks? does it affect your lives in any significant way?

[@IsaacSturdee]

LNP to the rescue 👌🏽😂

[@coujo65]

Slim picks

[@OzSaints66]

It’s a joke, QLD should hand the games to someone else, such dumb decisions in QLD.

[@titoelcomombiano]

We'll make decisions in our best interest, you just stick to organising those commonwealth games... oh wait

[@thrusta100]

Like fkn Victoria Einstein? Who’s gonna do any better?

[@PjRjHj]

​@@titoelcomombiano the rest of the country is funding half of Brisbane's new shiny toys. Brisbane has a duty to the rest of the country to not tarnish the nations reputation with a cheapskate Olympics like Rio

[@chriswatson7965]

@@PjRjHj That's a self-contradictory comment. If the rest of the country is funding half of the olympics, then if they are cheapskate then the nation takes half of the responsibility. In any case I would rather no government was funding any of this beyond normal community development. The IOC is a private professional sporting organisation based in Switzerland whose goal is to get host cities to donate time and money in exchange for ephemeral prestige.

[@Margaretsanger222]

Nothing wrong with the current Gabba. Brisbane barely sell it out ever and it’s fine as it viewing is fantastic everywhere there.

[@OzSaints66]

Lions sold out 8 games out of 12 in 2023 genius…

[@Margaretsanger222]

@@OzSaints66 that’s great it’s now 2024 and empty seats everywhere. Let’s face it if Brisbane aren’t in the top 8 they get crowds of 25k ish. There is literally nothing wrong with the Gabba other then public transport which is about to change once the station is complete. Pubs everywhere near the ground and food accommodation. Not sure what else people want. Renovate the toilets and basic facilities. It’s better then marvel hands down.

[@PjRjHj]

Plenty wrong with the current Gabba. There's more to stadiums than mere appropriate capacity

[@Margaretsanger222]

@@PjRjHj so it was fine 10 Years ago why is it not fine now ? it’s the same stadium with the same facilities holding the same capacity?

[@3072to4170]

@@Margaretsanger222 Brisbane has sold out 6 of 9 home games in 2024.

[@frizzy60]

The 2032 Olympics will NEVER be held in Brisbane. It is now 3 years since Brisbane was granted hosting rights and so far absolutely nothing has been done to start organising the event. The state is broke and cannot afford the event

[@titoelcomombiano]

Get your facts straight. IOC mandate is that existing venues are to be used as a more sustainable games model moving forward.

[@bobkatter8521]

Get your facts straight. Brisbane won the Olympics with a knock down rebuild of the Gabba as their plan.

[@titoelcomombiano]

​@@bobkatter8521incorrect

[@PjRjHj]

Get your facts straight. The IOC supports the building of new venues IF they are in line with the host's needs regardless of the Olympics, which is the more sustainable model. Brisbane will require a new AFL/Cricket stadium within 10 years. The Olympics are that opportunity. Brisbane does NOT need a 14000 seat Athletics stadium that will only ever attract low revenue events. So a Gabba rebuild or Victoria Park are more in line with the IOC's new hosting agenda than at rebuilt QSAC. The IOC doesn't want to see white elephants being built, they aren't against new venues that have a business case beyond their 2week tournament. Further more, for most of the development of Brisbane's bid, they proposed a new stadium at Albion Park. Which the IOC were happy with.

[@PjRjHj]

​@@titoelcomombianoIncorrect and arrogant in numerous comments I see

[@TOTN17]

@@PjRjHj Brisbane needs 3 new sporting venues, an Oval for AFL and Cricket, a Indoor Arena for Concerts and Basketball and a Boutique rectangular stadium for the Reds, Roar and Women's Rectangular Sports

[@mrDredd1966]

The Gabba definitely needs a massive redevelopment!! Brisbane needs a 60,000 seat oval shaped stadium, for the sake of future sporting events in Brisbane like the Olympics!!

[@titoelcomombiano]

The last thing we in Brisbane need or wants is a 60k oval. Lions averaged 27k last year in A GF year and when they are shit, quickly fall back below 20k. It would be a white elephant. Suncorp is our most tenanted and most used stadium and will get to 60k about a century before an oval does here.

[@B-tr9kz]

What sporting events apart from the Olympics need a 60k oval stadium? You are better off upgrading Suncorp as they host the major events such as State of Origin, Battle of Brisbane NRL derby, Magic Round, Rugby Union tests, and major Soccer games.

[@PjRjHj]

Brisbane doesn't "need" a 60000 seat Oval Stadium, but 60000 seats, reduced to 45000 post games would be ideal

[@TOTN17]

@@PjRjHj a 60000 seat oval would also be able to lure in more outdoor concerts and take some pressure off Suncorp

[@rmar127]

Neither political party has the balls to do what needs to be done. The Brisbane Olympics will be an epic disaster. A complete embarrassment. Build the new stadium at Vic park. Include the proposed sports science and sports medicine facilities that some proposed. This will attract international athletes to australia to seek treatment for potential career ending injuries. With state of the art facilities, it’ll attract international specialists to our shores. In doing so, it’ll bring millions of dollars of foreign money into australia as athletes from all over the world will come here to receive treatment. Governments have forgotten you need to invest in infrastructure and facilities if you want to build the economy.

[@uzx151]

This is a delusion if ever there was one.

[@titoelcomombiano]

IOC doesn't want a new stadium and we are putting our money into leaving a legacy for athletics and for Suncorp, our most used Stadium. Fitzroy can piss off back to Melbourne if they don't like it

[@PjRjHj]

​@@titoelcomombiano It speaks volumes that you'd rather choose the option that will cost Brisbane more in the long run, and likely harm Qld and Australia's hard fought hosting reputation, just to get one over the AFL. You must wake up in sweats dreaming about the big bad AFL

[@titoelcomombiano]

All you AFL types are just sooking because fumbleball isn’t getting a new stadium. If Fitzroy couldn't benefit from the Olympics none of you would care. So keep your Victorian opinions to yourself and we'll run with a stadium strategy that benefits us and our two most used venues Suncorp and QSAC. Oh and speaking of Fitzroy, they don't need a 60k stadium, it was only a short few years ago the Lions were averaging 19k.

[@Fluggegecheimen69]

"our two most used venues Suncorp and QSAC." This same suncorp that will be 30-40 years old come 2032 and in a very similar state to the current Gabba ie. requiring heavy renovation or grandstand rebuilds? The same suncorp that cannot hold a track which is important for the Olympics and the whole reason why a new stadium is even being discussed? The same suncorp that is only filled up for State of Origin games and the magic round? Broncos averaged 31k and 29k in the past two seasons and haven't had an average of 40k since 1993! They simply don't need a 52,5k stadium. Dolphins don't even play there full time and they don't sell the joint out either. Ditto Reds and Roar. And QSAC? The scaffold park that has not seen a sporting crowd of any sort since 2003? And will require a complete rebuild (into another scaffold park lmao) to get it up to scratch - rendering the whole apparent "use an existing venue" requirement moot? And will, after the Paralympics, never see another competitive event that requires the spectator capacity again? There is obviously no need for an athletics stadium anywhere in Australia. QSAC has been a local jogging track masquerading as a major stadium for more than 20 years now and you want to throw $1b+ and make BNE and Australia in general a laughing stock in 2032 just to stick it to FuMbLeBaLl? it would be very funny if it weren't utterly tragic. Sounds like you need "Victorian" views because the local ones obviously haven't got the foggiest if you're anything to go by. The only sensible solution here is to rebuild the Gabba or build a new oval stadium for the Olympics and to keep major events and Test cricket in BNE, sell off the oversized suncorp stadium for development, finally bulldoze the deteriorating and obsolete QSAC grandstands and build a smaller rectangular stadium for Broncos, Dolphins, Reds and Roar. Bigger games can use the new Gabba. Everyone wins.

[@B-tr9kz]

@@Fluggegecheimen69 The Broncos are currently averaging 42k. They could easily average more but are being prevented due to limited capacity and stadium members like the MCG. There's also Origin, Rugby Internationals, Magic Round, Matilda's games and concerts that are being impacted by the limited capacity. In all honesty, Suncorp should be upgraded to 65/70k minimum and the Gabba should be upgraded to 50k max. QSAC should just be torn down. Brisbane is a Rugby League city and needs a bigger venue. AFL is still small and growing so 50k is a good size for the Lions to aim to build towards. Cricket don't need a big venue. They would be fine with 50k.

[@titoelcomombiano]

​@@Fluggegecheimen69Broncos are averaging 42k this year dickhead and QSAC is a legacy project for the athletics community... what a concept

[@PjRjHj]

​@@B-tr9kz "easily average more but prevented due to limited capacity". 105000 clear of capacity suggests they have a few more years to go before any expansion discussion is warranted

[@B-tr9kz]

@@PjRjHj There are 8,000 stadium members at Suncorp that only show up for big events, on top of that there are members who don't show up. Its the same reason the AFL can sell out the MCG but there are less than 90,000. You also have major events such as State of Origin, Magic Round, Wallabies tests and Matilda/ Socceroo games. So yes, expansion discussion is warranted.