Port Adelaide and Gold Coast will do battle in China once more in 2018 with the two clubs confirming the fixture this afternoon.
The game will take place at 'Adelaide Arena', with Jiangwan Stadium set to be renamed as a one-off for the occasion, on Saturday May 19.
Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas announced the round nine fixture today overlooking Adelaide Oval and said the return of the two clubs was a big result for the AFL.
โTodayโs announcement that we will again be playing a game for premiership points in Shanghai next year is a significant result for Port Adelaide and the AFL,โ said Mr Thomas.
โWe have always said that we need to maintain a consistent presence in China for AFL to succeed and playing an annual premiership season game in Shanghai is obviously a key to that outcome.
โIn May this year the game was a sell out with more than 5,000 South Australians travelling to Shanghai for the game. This year we are looking to increase the ground capacity by a couple of thousand to accommodate the increased demand we expect following the success of this yearโs inaugural game.โ
The game will be broadcast live nationally in Australia on Fox Sports with South Australia and Queensland viewers able to watch the game live on free-to-air via Channel 7.
Gold Coast CEO Mark Evans also pledged his support behind the fixture saying the club was proud to represent the game internationally.
โWe are tremendously proud to be representing the Gold Coast in Shanghai once again in 2018,โ Evans said.
โWhile we didnโt reach the level we wanted to on-field last year, the outcomes the game generated for the Gold Coast cannot be underestimated.
โOver the last 12 months we have strengthened our links to the region and with the direct exposure this will generate for the city, we look forward to enhancing the tourism, education and trade & investment opportunities for the broader Gold Coast.
โThe Chinese tourism, education and trade & investment markets are a major focus for our city and if we can support the Gold Coastโs endeavours in these three sectors, if we can use our profile to be out there pushing our communityโs barrow, then thatโs good for the Gold Coast.
โItโs our intention to return to China with a focus on addressing and improving travel arrangements for our players with our partner Virgin Australia, providing appropriate staffing and resources toward the venture and clearer and earlier communication to members and corporates on travel and ticketing options.โ
South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said the game would only continue to provide greater exposure to his state.
โPort Adelaideโs historic AFL match in China this year was an incredible success which exceeded everyoneโs expectations,โ said Mr Weatherill.
โThis yearโs game enjoyed one of the biggest television audiences in AFL history, delivering valuable exposure for South Australia, with the State brand highly visible around the ground.
โNext year, weโre going one better with the ground to be re-named Adelaide Arena at Jiangwan Stadium, providing even more exposure for our State.โ
It has not yet been determined which jersey the Gold Coast Suns will wear for the game after Port Adelaide opposed the Suns wearing their home strip for the game in 2017.
