The Roos will make the long trip North on March 2nd to take on the Suns at Tony Ireland Stadium and Townsville mayor Jenny Hill is keen for a big crowd to fill the ground.
"What we really need to show the AFL is that we can have a sell-out crowd,” she told the Townsville Bulletin.
"If we want this to become a regular event we must have a sell-out crowd and show the AFL that the game is popular in Townsville."
The AFL’s push into rugby territory has been well documented and former AFL player and now North Queensland AFL development manager Craig Starcevich says there’s growing interest in Australian Rules in the region.
"There's a fairly big AFL community in Townsville and it will be good to see those people connect and watch a live AFL game at Tony Ireland Stadium," Starcevich said.
"A lot of people who work in Townsville - such as in the army or at university - come from interstate and love the game."
The Roos haven’t lost a game to Gold Coast since the side entered the competition in 2011.
