https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/local-sport/sporting-chance-north-queensland-in-need-of-elite-pathways-boost/news-story/f72ef16acd7eebabc22c31f3efa81fb6 TO be the best you have to take on the best, but an unfortunate reality for aspiring North Queensland athletes is that chances to test their abilities are often kept to the state’s southeast. Northern Rays chairman Michael Brennan labelled it “the tyranny of distance”. In 2019 the Sapphire Series franchise, brought on to the scene to provide a pathway for North Queensland netballers, struggled financially as players travelled to and from Townsville, Mackay and Cairns. Such was the strain it put on the club to survive, the decision was made to centralise the team in Townsville from 2020 onwards. The burden almost caused them to fold, only for a host of local sponsors to pull them out of the doldrums. But Brennan said that it was the reality of any sporting organisation in the North – the cost of regional travel to the metropolitan areas was a factor that their southeast rivals did not have to contend with. He said there was a need to rethink the way funds were distributed to enable regional North Queensland athletes to enter elite pathways. “We spent $50,000 on internal travel in our region (in 2019) that Brisbane clubs don’t need to pay for,” he said.
“The deck is stacked against you if you’re trying to be a regional club in a semi-professional or professional space where the whole system is designed around clubs that don’t have to travel. “It’s an added cost of doing business up here, but at the end of the day, if we can convince athletes to stay it’s worth it, it’s just a lot harder.” Brennan said one of the plans the Rays had discussed in was targeting athletes from the south and introducing them to the lifestyle North Queensland has to offer. Given earning potential in professional sport is limited, he said that money would go a lot further in regions such as Townsville. From there, community sport receives a boost and greater competition ensues, perhaps sparking more elite level outlets for up-and-coming athletes. Without these sufficient pathways, the talent coming out of the regions will not have avenues to reach the top. Townsville Cricket president Peter Fry said there was also an economic benefit to having representative carnivals in the regions for the significant crowds and participants they draw. He said while there was a cost associated with putting on these carnivals, frequent flight travel would be a greater financial burden, which is where representative championships could be rethought to target the regions. “Whether it’s a cricket tournament, touch football or school tournament, those kids start developing their skills, they check how they are against people in other regions,” Fry said. “They’re seen by talent scouts, so there’s a number of aspects that those tournaments have. They’re the lifeblood of a lot of these sports. “It’s great we’re seeing rugby league and AFL on TV, and we’re bringing international (cricket) games to Townsville, but the other side that has to be looked at is how do we still keep these state championships going?” Rethinking how government funds were distributed to get community sport on the run would require resources, investment and an understanding of the unique situation the region is in. The latter is where Brennan said there was little insight across politics. He likened it to how small businesses have to operate in Townsville to succeed. With a smaller population and fewer resources they have to “put a lot more effort into planning and logistics”. To close that gap, he said there needed to be a lot more regional input into solutions. Politics was a numbers game, the Rays chairman said. And, to get North Queensland the recognition that it could not operate on the same guidelines as the big cities, areas such as Townsville needed to find the value drivers for decision makers and sell those aspects to them. “There is a huge need to rethink the way funds are distributed. I think one of the big problems we face is when bureaucrats are looking at business cases for investing, regional Australia will never stack up because we just don’t have the numbers,” he said. “On a pure economics basis, if you’re putting money into the southeast you’re going to get better bang for your buck. “That’s why making decisions on a business case, there has to be allowance for the fact you’re supporting people in the regions – which is where a lot of money comes out of the state. “It’s a delicate balance, but all we can do is just keep fighting and not accept anything less than our fair share.”
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