The board of AFLNT have endorsed the proposed the phased relocation of NTFL Foundation club, the Darwin Buffaloes to the city of Palmerston.
AFLNT CEO Tony Frawley thanked both proponents, the Darwin Buffaloes and the East Palmerston Roosters group for the work they put into their submissions.
"Both parties worked hard to present their case and gave the board plenty to think about. The decision to endorse Buffaloes proposed move was not taken lightly and is a result of detailed analysis of both submissions by the board and the AFLNT executive.
"Whilst I must congratulate Buffaloes on gaining official endorsement by the board I must also thank Darren Flanagan and his group who put forward an excellent proposal.
"Darren Flanagan’s passion and vision for football in the region remind us that we are fortunate to have people of his caliber involved in AFL here in the NT.
"We are now looking forward to working with the Buffaloes on their relocation strategy. AFLNT also has a lot of work to do with key stakeholders in the city of Palmerston to ensure that the relocation is a success for all involved. We will not rush the process as it must be well planned and phased to guarantee its success as it is just one element of our ambitious growth strategy AFL football in the city of Palmerston.
"The Buffaloes have worked incredibly hard over the past six months to garner the support of their members for the relocation and they are aware of the challenges they will face in the coming years as they strive to make the relocation a success for future generations of Buffaloes." Said Frawley.
AFLNT will meet with the Darwin Buffaloes to commence work on an official MOU that sets out the terms and conditions of the phased relocation plan.