The fight over which Sunshine Coast sporting ground, if any, gets to host AFL preseason cup and practice matches gets serious this week. As revealed on our back page today, the AFL is about to put the pressure on the Maroochy Shire Council by offering up to $300,000 in funding to upgrade the Fishermans Road complex – with a catch.

The council has to cough up the $1 million the Fishermans Road tenants, the Maroochy/Northshore Roos, say they were promised when the Maroochydore club moved out of its former premises at Wises Road.

It is fair to say that if the council baulks at this week’s proposal by the AFL’s Melbourne-based hierarchy, then Fishermans Road will be wiped off any future plans the AFL might have for pre-season matches on the Coast.

It will also almost certainly lose any chance of hosting an AFLQ State League team. Quad Park at Kawana, which has its new stadium underway, albeit making slower than expected progress, will become the venue of choice. There is no way that Fishermans Road, in its current state, will ever host any type of AFL match.

It’s barely okay for AFLQ Division Two games. The playing surface is great, the lights are okay and there’s a sealed carpark but the rest of the venue is second class and that’s a big reason why the Brisbane Lions are no longer bringing their reserves’ games here.

It was ridiculous that the Suncoast Lions were expected to get massages on tables set up outside the dressing room door and for spectators there is little there to make it a comfortable place to be.

It also appears to be very unfair on the Maroochy/Northshore Roos that they don’t have a clubhouse to celebrate wins or develop their club culture.

From what I hear, if the council funding doesn’t come through, the Roos’ seniors will give very serious consideration to giving Fishermans Road the flick and moving to Quad Park, where they hope to become the Coast’s state league club.

The Aussie rules ball is in the Maroochy council’s court.