The arrangement will be similar to that between Essendon and the North Shore Bombers that play in the Sydney AFL competition. Essendon chief executive Peter Jackson said the affiliation had benefits for both parties. ""It gives Essendon Football Club a presence in Brisbane and we think that is important in terms of our national branding strategy,"" Jackson said. ""And it gives Redland the chance to tap into our areas of expertise be that football or otherwise.""
Jackson said Essendon had looked at the possibility of an affiliation with a Queensland AFL team following the success of the club's North Shore venture. “The North Shore association is now two-years old and I think it is fair to say both parties have been very pleased with what they have got out of it,” Jackson said. “It has given us a tangible base in Sydney that has helped us to leverage members and sponsorship.”
Redland operations manager Shaun Ellis said his club saw the affiliation as critical to the growth of Australian Rules football in South East Queensland. ""We will still play out of our original home ‘The Victoria Point Sharks Sporting Club’. We look forward to establishing a long and rewarding relationship with the Essendon Football Club,"" operations manager of the Redland Bombers, Shaun Ellis said.
As with the North Shore Bombers, Essendon fans will be able to keep tabs on their Queensland colleagues via the Bomberland website. Each week the website will publish match reports with goalkickers and best players.
