A question that we’ve raised in recent weeks is whether we should be seeing Team Australia line up as wildcards at the MXGP finale in Darwin and what it would add to the Northern Territory’s world championship fixture. It’s a big ask, but attracting the likes of Jed Beaton, Alex Larwood and Aaron Tanti to the grand prix could almost certainly see interest sky-rocket.

The fact that the Australian GP is seven weeks after the national ProMX season ends doesn’t help in terms of landing many of the top domestic talent, nor does the reality that the Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship opens just two weeks after Darwin – for the most part, our best riders are in supercross mode by September.

Image: Supplied.

But, for 2026, the fact that new Australian champions Beaton (MX1) and Larwood (MX2) are fresh from a three-race stint in American Pro Motocross and will largely continue outdoors in preparation for the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations (MXoN), an MXGP shakedown in their home country – along with Tanti – makes sense. For Larwood, if he wants to embark on an international career himself, a home GP is an ideal place to put himself on the map.

For a multitude of reasons, aside from KTM Racing Team showing up with Byron Dennis and Dylan Walsh, plus Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha fielding international pairing Lachlan Turner and Souya Nakajima, Darwin is a non-event for the ‘factory’ teams from Australia. Instead, we have a capable list of privateers entered as wildcards, which they should be commended for.

But none of those, for obvious reasons, would move the needle like Team Australia would just two weeks before defending the Chamberlain Trophy at MXoN in Ernee, France on October 3-4. And if their Victoria-based teams can’t justify the cost of travelling to Darwin, the Northern Territory government, Motorcycling Australia (MA) and Infront Moto Racing could collectively contribute to make it more worthwhile.

Image: Foremost Media.

Rewind over two decades to when Australia last held a grand prix at Broadford in 2000 and 2001, it’s not the winning results of Joel Smets, Stefan Everts, Mickael Pichon or James Dobb that we recall as Aussie fans, it was the efforts of the late Andrew McFarlane, Michael Byrne, and even a young Chad Reed that effectively springboarded their international careers. Australians love nothing more than backing their own riders taking on the world. Always have.

And aside from Team Australia, while now three-time AMA WMX champion Turner is admirably coming from her home in the US to debut in the world championship at Hidden Valley, Honda Racing’s four-time Australian MXW champion Charli Cannon – who Turner also defeated for the Australian title – won’t be in attendance this time around after headlining the wildcard contingent one year ago.

Image: Supplied.

It’s a difficult topic and is a goal-post that will likely change from year to year, pending individual commitments at that time of the season. Moving the event earlier in the calendar and closer to ProMX could be an option, even if it means reworking the calendar and giving up the MXGP decider, but whether or not that would be enough to secure the nation’s elite is unknown. Either way, this back portion of the year is packed with important events, and Darwin appears low on the agenda.

For now, though, whether we have Team Australia behind the gates or not, it’s a rare opportunity to enjoy the likes of Jeffrey Herlings, Kay de Wolf, the Coenens, and co. in our own backyard – the event’s current contract spanning through 2029. If you’re not from the region, the MXGP of Australia (September 19-20) may very well be the ultimate excuse to visit the Top End.