Gold Coast chairman Tony Cochrane says a purpose-built new oval venue will have to be built in Brisbane for the 2032 Olympics, which will ultimately benefit the AFL in the longer term.
According to multiple reports, Queensland’s bid to host the Olympics in just over a decade is on the cusp of being named as the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) preferred candidate as early as Thursday.
On the back of Gold Coast hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Cochrane says a state-of-the-art venue to replace the Gabba would have to be built, which the AFL could use once the Games are complete.
“The really good news from an AFL perspective is that Brisbane will have no choice but to build a new Olympics-sized stadium that will be an oval,” he said on Sportsday.
“And of course who would be the long-term beneficiary of using an oval and that would be the AFL. We desperately need a new, state-of-the-art oval shaped ground in the city of Brisbane.
“We’re right on the Gold Coast and pretty much everywhere else in Australia, but Brisbane could do with a new oval and obviously with the Olympic bid that will become front and centre.
“A 60 to 70,000 capacity stadium will have to be developed (for the Olympics).”
The rescheduled Tokyo Olympics are still scheduled to go ahead in July, while Paris (2024) and Los Angeles (2028) have already been given hosting rights for the next two Games.