Carlton and Collingwood meet at the Gabba in round 14. Picture: AFL Photos

HOSTING the Toyota AFL Grand Final will give the game a shot in the arm like it has never seen before in Queensland.

TURN ON THE LIGHTS AFL locks in historic night Gabba Grand Final

As fixtures boss Travis Auld confirmed, the long-term legacy of hosting the decider was a major reason Queensland got the nod over rival states, and the AFL plans on cashing in.

09:15

Not since Brisbane's hat-trick of premierships in the early 2000s has Australian Rules had such an opportunity to make inroads in the game's northern-most expansion market.

Participation numbers are already on the rise, and media interest has skyrocketed with 15 of the 18 clubs currently in the Sunshine State.

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Queensland Grand Final bid chairman Tony Cochrane quantified the impact hosting the code's main game would have.

"We've nearly got 300,000 registered players up here in Queensland," Cochrane said.

"It's grown phenomenally in the last 10 years, we think we can double that in the next 10 and we think this will really help with the next push."

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said although Brisbane would host the decider, its impact would go right around the state, particularly over the next eight weeks.

Events are lined up for major regional markets Cairns, Townsville and Mackay – all areas that are part of Gold Coast's Academy zone.

"We're over the moon. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we're not going to let anyone down," Palaszczuk said.

04:39

Auld described it as a "great opportunity for our game". He was the Suns' inaugural CEO and saw the game steadily grow in Queensland before he headed to his job in the AFL.

"We talk about the legacy," Auld said.

"We've got an event in Brisbane at the Gabba, but this is bigger than that, there's a festival leading into the game and it goes well beyond October 24 and that's something we want to capitalise on in one of our key growth markets.

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"That's about boys and girls playing the game. We've got unbelievable demand in this state, particularly from young girls who want to participate, and we don't want to take that opportunity away from them.

"Some really basic things, it doesn't start now, it's been going for some time with this government, where we can invest money in facilities to give everyone an opportunity to participate."

18:11

Brisbane CEO Greg Swann has been in his role for six years and says hosting the Grand Final will have a huge impact.

"Dayne Zorko mentioned it this morning and said when he was a kid at school there was only four kids in the class that played the game, and he hopes when his son finishes school at least half the class will play AFL.

"That's the thing we're talking about, the legacy we'd love to see out the back of this Grand Final."