Territory's bold AFL bid falls on deaf earsNiall Seewang | October 29, 2009
THE Northern Territory's football boss has launched a left-field bid to join forces with Tasmania as it seeks to become the AFL's 19th team.
AFL Northern Territory chief executive Tony Frawley has developed a proposal for the ''Thunder Devils'', a team based in Tasmania that would also play regular games in the Top End.
Frawley's proposal would result in the AFL's 19th team playing eight games against Victorian opposition in Tasmania and five games against interstate sides in the NT in its foundation years.
Principally, Frawley believes the NT could support Tasmania's bid to join the AFL, in a move that would create a truly national competition. While he admits the plan is ''outside the square'', he is hoping the combined team can join the AFL, possibly in 2015.
''We probably can't get a team on our own up here due to finances and population, [but] we can add to the Tasmanian bid through structure, players and government and financial support,'' Frawley said yesterday. ''We're not saying we want to be the big players, we think it should be based in Tassie, but you'd play games up here as well.
''It's an idea I've got, it might be completely outside the square, but I think it can work … I don't want to tell the Tasmanians what to do, they can still go in on their own, but I think we can add a lot to their bid.''
Frawley said he had raised his idea with AFL Tasmania powerbrokers, but admitted they weren't completely taken with the proposal.
''I've spoken to a couple of guys in Tassie, they're still keen to go in on their own, which is fair enough, but we just think we need to make a statement that we want to be involved. We can't be left out because we've got a great [football] history here,'' he said.
AFL Tasmania general manager Scott Wade threw cold water on the idea yesterday, saying Tasmania was committed to joining the AFL on its own.
''I don't think there's anyone in Tasmania that would be remotely interested in that,'' he said. ''I'm aware of the concept but it's my understanding that the state of Tasmania, through the Tasmanian Government, is pursuing a team of its own.''
The plan is Frawley's own brain-child - not AFL NT's - and he is still awaiting response from the AFL's game development department.
''We'll just gauge the reaction - we've had enormous support up here obviously, [and] if we had a chance to see some of our players in the one team, that would be exciting.''
AFL media manager Patrick Keane yesterday wouldn't comment on the idea, only re-affirming the AFL was concentrating on establishing the Gold Coast and Western Sydney teams in the short to medium-term.
''Our plan is to have 17 and 18 teams, and the Tasmanian Government is well-prepared for a 19th team if we go down that path … we don't say never to any area … but we've done no work, no planning, [and] had no discussions about anything beyond that,'' he said.
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/territorys-bold-afl-bid-falls-on-deaf-ears/2009/10/28/1256405426010.html
