Tigers pounce on playing North Melbourne away at Bellerive (Mercury)

[one-eyed]

Tigers pounce on Bellerive
By James Bresnehan
The Mercury
June 09, 2011

RICHMOND has put up its hand to be North Melbourne's first opponent at Bellerive Oval next season, setting up an AFL blockbuster for the Kangaroos' debut in Hobart and a super home-coming for Tassie Tiger Jack Riewoldt.

Tigers CEO Brendon Gale said yesterday Richmond would be happy to play in Hobart because of the club's strong connection to Tasmania.

"We'd be delighted to play North Melbourne in Hobart," Mr Gale said.

"We have a strong association with the state.

"We've got some great former players from Tassie and we've got a great one playing out of the square at the moment in Jack Riewoldt.

"And it's his home ground because he came from Clarence."

Bellerive Oval operator Cricket Tasmania believes the Tigers would be a drawcard.

"That game would be the hottest ticket in town," Cricket Tasmania chairman Tony Harrison said.

"Our challenge would be how to accommodate all the people but that's a challenge we welcome."

Also yesterday, Hawthorn CEO Stuart Fox said his club backed a Kangaroos-Hawks North-South derby next year, which would create the likelihood of two sell-out matches in the state's south.

Hawthorn has long said it did not fear another team moving into the Tasmanian market by establishing itself in Hobart.

Mr Fox believes the arrival of the Kangaroos was an opportunity to build a new rivalry that could see the Hawks take on the Roos at both Bellerive and Aurora Stadium annually.

"I think that is ideal," he said. "We've got to decide as a club if we actually want that and also the AFL needs to decide if that's a great thing."

The two sides play in Launceston in round 20 on August 7.

The Hawthorn-Richmond game at Aurora Stadium in 2006 still holds the crowd record for the venue of 20,971 prompting speculation at Tuesday's announcement of TT-Line's backing of games at Bellerive that the Tigers would be an ideal opponent first-up for the Kangas.

"If that was the case, we'd be delighted to come down to play and help grow and develop footy in Tassie," Mr Gale said.

"I really support the Kangaroos playing in Tassie and we'd be very enthusiastic about playing them there."

Mr Harrison said Richmond was one of the teams in the running to play at Bellerive when Cricket Tasmania started its search for an AFL tenant last year.

"Brendon was one of the first people from an AFL club who contacted me initially wanting to play here," Mr Harrison said.

"They've got Jack Riewoldt in their team and Tasmanian connections back to Royce Hart. It would be a fantastic launching pad for AFL football at Bellerive."

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/06/09/236241_afl.html

[gerkin greg]

Hahahaha nice one Benny

[WilliamPowell]

All well & good Benny but hopefully not at the expense of playing a game in Melb

Outside of the 2 home games we've sold interstate we travel 4 times for away games this year. If we play an away game in Tassie let's hope it doesn't mean we travel 5 times for away games in 2012

And I reckon all our members in NSW, QLD, SA & WA don't want to lose the away games we have there every year... so IMO the Club needs to be careful about what it wishes for/requests

[Mr Magic]

I wish we'd sold our home games to Tasmania as opposed to Darwin & Cairns.

[10 FLAGS]

Maybe Gale is trying to set up 2 away games in Tassie lol. Big marketing exposure for the club and great for sponsors not sure if its to our benefit as supporters though.

[Penelope]

I wish we'd sold our home games to Tasmania as opposed to Darwin & Cairns.

Why? So it's easier for you to get to them?

[mightytiges]

If we play away in Tassie then I'd expect in return less trips elsewhere interstate so our overall interstate games remains the same and the Tassie shown live on FTA tv so we get additional exposure. If that's not part of the deal then forget it as we aren't here to give other clubs a leg up in new markets especially ones like a North CanberraSydney Gold Coast Hobart Kangaroos who gained the Hobart deal we thought of and wanted originally  .

I wish we'd sold our home games to Tasmania as opposed to Darwin & Cairns.

Blame Andy D for saying North needed to play down there more than we did as North don't have the support we have in Melbourne.

[Hellenic Tiger]

Would love to rain on the parade of that gypsy fanless penniless hopeless characterless gutless spineless homeless footy club.
There are a lot of Tiger fans in Tassie and I still think there will be heaps more Richmond fans than Naught fans there anyway so it will be just like any Naught home game against Big 4 opposition.

[the claw]

what a selfish bunch melbourne based richmond supporters are. in case you lot havent realised we are in a national comp and the club to compete needs to expand.

as far as im concerned we should have won the tassie deal not nm and played 4 games out of hobart.

 are three games  will add tasmanians follow and support almost exclusively melbourne based teams of which richmond in hobart has a huge following. rich v nm rich v wb rich v haw and rich v melb are the games i would be looking to play down there.

finally if the vfl and the tasmanian govt are serious about growing the game down there a purpose built stadium  of 30 to 40 k capacity with a closed roof on the site of the old tca ground on the domain is the place to do it. the tca ground is in a similar situation as the mcg is in melb. the potential for development and its central location is superb.
if we had any vision this is what we would be pushing. just imagine memberships with the tca experience built in. cheap accomodation great stadium and cheap flights or go the whole hog catch the ferry and drive down and see a little bit of beautiful tassie each time.
the trouble is to many selfish people and no stuffing vision.

[tiger101]

Good move by Benny. Rather Tigers play in Tasmania try and build upon the fan base down in Hobart then travelled all the way to W.A.

[Coach]

what a selfish bunch melbourne based richmond supporters are. in case you lot havent realised we are in a national comp and the club to compete needs to expand.

as far as im concerned we should have won the tassie deal not nm and played 4 games out of hobart.

 are three games  will add tasmanians follow and support almost exclusively melbourne based teams of which richmond in hobart has a huge following. rich v nm rich v wb rich v haw and rich v melb are the games i would be looking to play down there.

finally if the vfl and the tasmanian govt are serious about growing the game down there a purpose built stadium  of 30 to 40 k capacity with a closed roof on the site of the old tca ground on the domain is the place to do it. the tca ground is in a similar situation as the mcg is in melb. the potential for development and its central location is superb.
if we had any vision this is what we would be pushing. just imagine memberships with the tca experience built in. cheap accomodation great stadium and cheap flights or go the whole hog catch the ferry and drive down and see a little bit of beautiful tassie each time.
the trouble is to many selfish people and no effing vision.

AFL Tas wants the TCA to be abandoned by Hobart FC.

[tiger4life]

Um I'm pretty sure Gale tried to sell our home games to Tasmania last year and it was almost signed sealed and delivered until Vlad stepped in and pointed his magical wand at North and tried to get them a deal in Tasmania.

[yellowandback]

We are starting to sound like the Kangaroos - putting our hand up for money every time there is an interstate game. Let it go Benny, we have 2 games already.

[yellowandback]

what a selfish bunch melbourne based richmond supporters are. in case you lot havent realised we are in a national comp and the club to compete needs to expand.

as far as im concerned we should have won the tassie deal not nm and played 4 games out of hobart.

 are three games  will add tasmanians follow and support almost exclusively melbourne based teams of which richmond in hobart has a huge following. rich v nm rich v wb rich v haw and rich v melb are the games i would be looking to play down there.

finally if the vfl and the tasmanian govt are serious about growing the game down there a purpose built stadium  of 30 to 40 k capacity with a closed roof on the site of the old tca ground on the domain is the
place to do it. the tca ground is in a similar situation as the mcg is in melb. the potential for development and its central location is superb.
if we had any vision this is what we would be pushing. just imagine memberships with the tca experience built in. cheap accomodation great stadium and cheap flights or go the whole hog catch the ferry and drive down and see a little bit of beautiful tassie each time.
the trouble is to many selfish people and no effing vision.

That is all well and good but we are already committed to Darwin and Cairns. So the tassie play is a 3rd interstate venue in 1 year for 2012 (if cairns is on the agenda for 2012) which is pushing the friendship a little. I don't mind the idea of 2 or 3 games in tassie either due to our established supporter base and the proximity to getting there from melb but it is the kangas gig. They can fail getting 60 attending a freo game. Why give them a leg up?

[Oiafi]

You need to add "Viva Tasmania" to your sig.