Cyclone Alfred impacts events in South East Queensland
Tropical Cyclone Alfred has impacted events across South East Queensland, with residents in Brisbane and surrounding areas told to stay home on Thursday and Friday.
Opening round matches in the AFL have been postponed while a round one NRL match has been relocated to Sydney. Wednesday’s Green Day concert at Cbus Stadium and Friday’s pre-season Super Netball match have been cancelled.
The AFL announced on Tuesday that its two opening round matches in Queensland have been postponed, with Brisbane v Geelong at the Gabba (Thursday night) and Gold Coast v Essendon at People First Stadium (Saturday afternoon) to be rescheduled for later in the season.
The Lions will now face the Cats on the Saturday of round three at 6.35pm AEST (7.35pm AEDT), while the Suns v Bombers match will be played in round 24 (dates and times haven't been released for round 15 onwards).
Up to 700mm of rain and winds of up to 130km/h are forecast across southern Queensland and northern New South Wales from Thursday due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with residents urged to secure supplies and prepare their properties for the cyclone's impact.
“Out of an abundance of caution and after ongoing communication with the Queensland Government, the Bureau of Meteorology and Stadiums Queensland, the AFL made the decision now to ensure the health and safety of clubs, players, officials and – importantly - the wider southeastern Queensland and northern NSW community remains the priority,” the AFL said in a statement.
“The AFL will announce the alternate schedule for these matches as soon as possible as we continue to work with clubs and venues on possible scenarios. The rescheduled matches won’t be played during Opening Round.”
The NRL confirmed the Friday night contest between the Dolphins and South Sydney Rabbitohs scheduled for Suncorp Stadium would be shifted to Sydney’s CommBank Stadium due to the impact of Cyclone Alfred in south-east Queensland.
The game will be played at the same scheduled time of 8pm Sydney time (7pm Queensland time) on Friday, March 7, while the corresponding match-up later in the season will now be played in Brisbane.
The NRL said the safety of players, fans and the community were the highest priority when considering the venue change.
Also impacted is Sunday’s Women’s A-League match between Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City at Perry Park, with the round 18 match postponed.
The Australian WPGA Championship has also been cancelled. The tournament had been scheduled to start on Thursday and conclude on Sunday at the Sanctuary Cove course on the northern Gold Coast.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred has impacted events across South East Queensland, with residents in Brisbane and surrounding areas told to stay home on Thursday and Friday. Stay up to date with event details on Austadiums as they come to hand. pic.twitter.com/7TorulaUGj
— Austadiums 🇦🇺🏟 (@austadiums) March 5, 2025
Widespread flooding is predicted to hit Brisbane, which in the past has directly impacted sports venues including Suncorp Stadium and Perry Park.
