One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => View from the Outer => Topic started by: one-eyed on June 28, 2018, 04:14:47 PM
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https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/sport/vfl-clubs-have-been-told-a-tasmanian-team-will-likely-join-the-competition-in-2021/news-story/0d076d7437cba9ebcbc9032cf3ef5222
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TASMANIA will have a TAC Cup team of its own from next year and has been granted a provisional VFL licence for 2021 as part of a fresh $1.4 million investment in the state by the AFL.
Administrative hubs in the north, northwest and south will be created, women's football will be pushed along and the TSL will be properly funded as part of a series of sweeping recommendations from a steering committee chaired by AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan.
Pathway programs will commence at under-12 level and will extend through to the under-18 level.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-07-03/big-boost-for-tassie-with-tac-cup-vfl-teams
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so back to what Tassie had 10,15, 20 years ago !!
Devils in VFL 2001-2008
Mariners in TAC 1995 - 2002
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Out: Gold Coast
In: Tassie
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It's all about TV rights, corporate sponsorship and population growth. That's why Tassie does not have a team. If a national competition had started 100 years ago in an amatuer/semi-pro era then things might have been different (Tassie most likely would've had two teams: one in Hobart and another representing Northern Tasmania). However, now days Tasmania's population is only 500k and stagnating (Hobart 250k, Launceston 130k), it struggles in terms of the corporate dollar, while its TV audience is considered only a "regional" one by the TV rating agencies. Compare that to the Gold Coast which is approaching 1 million people, has immense corporate interest, and is included in both the Brisbane metro and Northern NSW regional ratings figures.
In professional sport, money talks! The head Soccer body in Australia (FFA) over the past week also rejected a Tasmanian bid for their own team in the A-League. David Gallop openly talks about "fishing where the fish are" when it comes to adding new teams. Sadly for Tassie, the sporting bodies see the fish only in the capital cities on the Eastern mainland.
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Tasmania will rate about the same in NSW & QLD as Gold Coast & GWS ever will - i.e. 9/10ths of stuff all and they'll rate higher in the AFL states where they'll probably be everyone's second team...and even if they don't make money, they at least won't lose as much as Gold Coast & GWS does and always will do...they'll probably even manage to keep more of their players too.... :shh
BTW Tasmania has become very fashionable of late and trending upwards - house prices & rents are among the fastest growing in the country - they even had their first net population increase re:arrivals v departures in decades last year. :shh :shh
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A traditional footy state like Tasmania rating the same as in NSW/Qld kind of justifies why there isn't a Tasmania team. Population is too small and spread out for its own AFL side and its growth rate is a fraction of that in NSW & Qld. In an ideal world, the AFL would want Tassie's population and support for footy to triple. 750k in Hobart plus 500k in Launceston (with 750k catchment across North Tassie) would be the trigger for a Tassie team (or two to generate a intrastate rivalry).
A Tassie team in the current era would also require massive $$$ from the AFL to prop it up as it wouldn't generate the $40-50 million in revenue required to sustain an AFL club these days. The required corporate dollar just isn't there in Tassie.
A Tasmanian team would still face the go home factor from Vic/SA/WA kids that the NSW/Qld sides do. It would be lucky to have a handful of AFL standard home grown Tassie kids on its list. The bulk of its list would come from interstate just as the northern state clubs do.
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The prospect of a standalone team in Tasmania was discussed at the AFL CEOs meeting in late November with Tigers CEO Brendon Gale urging the AFL to use criteria wider than mere economics when determining whether a standalone team in the state was necessary.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/hawthorn-important-to-tasmania-s-economy-and-social-fabric-kennett-20181212-p50lnx.html
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It’s Tasmania’s time
Matthew Richardson
playersvoice.com.au
6 June 2019
I don’t think doing away with the thuggish parts of the game diminishes at all the proud history of our code. I grew up in an area that’s as proud about footy as they come and I know the passion for the game burns there now as brightly as it ever has.
On the rocky north-west coast of Tassie there’s a stretch of about 60 or 70 kilometres, from Devonport to Wynyard, in which there’s four or five towns and maybe 100,000 people. It’s an absolute footy heartland. So many champions of the game have come out of that area.
I remember in the mid-90s, our team had five guys from that stretch. It’s pretty extraordinary. Five guys in one AFL team from a small area like that.
Our family ended up there because my dad, who’d grown up in country Victoria, near the South Australian border, went to coach in Tassie and loved the lifestyle. He went for two years and stayed 25. All us kids were born there.
I’m glad I grew up in Devonport because it helped put footy front and centre for me. Dad played for Richmond and there was never really a doubt in my mind that I wanted to follow in his footsteps. But to have had a childhood in such a football-orientated environment was a real advantage.
Just about all those 100,000 locals has a team they support and most young boys, when I was growing up, played cricket in summer and footy in winter. It’s just what you did.
For an area that’s so passionate about the game, that’s produced so many players – for a state that’s got such a love of AFL football – it seems only right that the next big progressive move in the game should be to establish a team there in the national competition.
It’s a long argument to get into, about why it hasn’t happened yet, but at the heart of it it’s always been based around numbers and money. With the AFL’s expansion in recent years, they’ve wanted to expand into areas that weren’t grassroots heartlands and you can understand that.
But I think you also have to remember your foundation areas, like Tasmania. And, if it really is about money, you’ve got the Tasmanian government sponsoring Hawthorn, so why couldn’t they sponsor their own team?
One thing I can guarantee is that a team out of Tasmania would be as tough as they come. When I was playing state under-19s, I remember you’d get on the bus at Devonport at 5 o’clock in the morning, drive four hours to Hobart and kick the dew off the ground at 10am at KGV Oval at Glenorchy.
You’re at the foot of Mount Wellington, a howling wind coming down off the snow. That’s the definition of cold. And you’ve got to be pretty single-minded to push through that.
It makes 5am at Elwood Beach in mid-July seem balmy.
https://www.playersvoice.com.au/matthew-richardson-bring-tassie-cold/2/
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The Tourism Industry Council Tasmania submission says a Tasmanian AFL team would have to "embrace Tasmania's decentralisation".
"TICT believes a Tasmanian AFL team [should] play out of both the North and South of the state, with a relatively even number of games in both Hobart and Launceston each year," it reads. "We believe this principle must be accepted as fundamental to further discussion about an AFL team in Tasmania to completely destruct any perceptions of a 'Southern' or 'Northern' team.
"Rather than seeing this as a challenge in the formation of the team, we see it as one of its strengths in being a unifying force within the state and maximising the resources of all regions."
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/6296117/states-peak-tourism-body-enters-tasmanian-afl-team-debate/
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Tasmania to be AFL's 19th team in 2023, according to Russell
By SEN
22 Aug 2019
Sportsday’s Dwayne Russell is reporting that North Melbourne and Hawthorn will sever ties with Tasmania to make way for the state becoming the AFL's 19th team in 2023.
Russell believes the AFL is currently looking into this idea while insisting the Suns will remain on the Gold Coast.
“I’m hearing no Hawthorn and no North Melbourne in Tassie after 2021,” he said Sportsday.
“I’m hearing no games at all in Tassie in 2022 with the idea that Tassie would get its 19th team into the AFL in 2023.
“It’s a pencilled plan, it’s a plan being investigated but it’s nothing new, we’ve been talking about a Tassie team for a while.
“I’m told the AFL’s long-term plan is that the Suns survive.
“They’re going to be the Suns on the Gold Coast, that’s it, forget about it.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2019/08/22/tasmania-to-be-afls-19th-team-in-2023-according-to-russell/
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Secret report reveals case for Tassie AFL team
Brett Stubbs
Herald Sun
February 7, 2020
A Tasmanian AFL team would be based in Hobart but initially play clashes against the big teams in Launceston.
A business case handed to the State Government, but yet to be made public, says a Tasmanian team would be economically feasible on a member base of 35,000 and an average home crowd of 14,000.
The Tasmanian Government’s AFL Taskforce recommended the team be based in the state capital as a vital weapon in player retention, but as compensation, the first infrastructure spend would be at University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston to boost capacity from about 20,000 to 30,000.
Launceston would then host Tasmanian home matches against the likes of Collingwood, Richmond and Essendon while the club becomes established and become a truly statewide body.
It is understood the taskforce has even sounded out the University of Tasmania in regard to its Sandy Bay campus and its adjacent sports grounds as the team’s high-performance centre and administrative base as the education centre relocates to the city centre.
Player retention was a focus of taskforce member Nick Riewoldt, who witnessed the impact on culture as captain of St Kilda when the Saints left their traditional home at Moorabbin for Seaford.
The case also includes a Tasmanian taxpayer contribution of $8 million a year, with an emergency fund of $2 million.
With 11 home games a season, this public contribution would work out cheaper per game than the current deal of $8.5 million a season for eight AFL roster games shared between North Melbourne in Hobart and Hawthorn in Launceston.
The entire business case is built around the premise of a 19th AFL licence.
Earlier this week, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said it was unlikely a Tasmanian team would enter the competition within five years, but this time frame fits in the taskforce’s plan to build a successful team and club for post-2025.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said he was keen to continue current deals with the Kangaroos and Hawks – set to expire at the end of the 2021 season – to continue post next year as the state transitions into its own AFL team.
Eventually, the business case recommends a new stadium be built at Hobart’s Macquarie Point, but the report points out this would require federal funding.
With light rail to the northern suburbs, ferries from the eastern shore and the south and a short walk from the central Hobart, a Mac Point stadium would be ideal from transport perspective as well as following the success of Adelaide Oval and Perth’s Optus Stadium as venue’s close to the city centre.
However, after much speculation the State Government ruled out a new football stadium at Mac Point late last year.
(https://multitools.newscdn.com.au/multitools/poll/content/1567654825386/Would-you-support-an-AFL-standalone-club-in-Tasmania_2f-fNtUFA.jpg)
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tasmanian-government-report-outlines-case-for-tasmanian-afl-team/news-story/908bc342e1ee61787bbee48da242fa2c
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A Tasmanian Legislative Council committee has handed down its final report into AFL in Tasmania:
* A Tasmanian AFL team would cost approximately $45m to establish. Ongoing annual support of approximately $15-17m from an AFL dividend and $7-8m from the Tasmanian Government would be required. The estimated Tasmanian Government contribution may not exceed the current annual funding to host Hawthorn and North Melbourne matches.
* A survey conducted by the AFL Licence Taskforce indicated that the potential membership of a Tasmanian AFL team could be in excess of 64,000 members.
* It is not necessary to develop a new, large capacity stadium at Macquarie Point [on Hobart's waterfront]. Upgrading UTAS and Blundstone stadiums, and establishing a new club, would be more valuable investments in the future of Tasmanian football than developing a new venue.
* The suggested optimal time for Tasmania to establish an AFL team is 2025 in line with negotiations for new television broadcasting rights.
* It is estimated that the economic benefit of a Tasmanian AFL team would be approximately $110m per annum and create more than 300 jobs.
https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/29145271/tasmanian-legislative-council-report-urges-government-push-afl-club
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AFL statement regarding a Tasmanian team
* Independent consultant to lead a detailed review of the Tasmanian team submission
* Review to be completed late 2021/ early 2022.
* AFL continues to commit to elite matches in Tasmania
* AFL proposes to deal directly with Hawthorn and North Melbourne regarding any implications for them in 2022
https://www.afl.com.au/news/550318/statement-afl-response-to-tasmanian-premier-the-honourable-peter-gutwein
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Tassie's response:
AFL rejects Tasmanian demand, premier furious
The AFL has rejected Tasmania’s demand for a clear timeline towards a standalone team in Tasmania with a furious state premier Peter Gutwein saying the league’s response added “insult to injury” and was “simply not good enough”.
That decision has enraged Gutwein who has said he is unwilling to extend multimillion-dollar deals with Hawthorn and North Melbourne to play games in Tasmania beyond 2021 unless a timeline is provided.
He said it “beggars belief” that the league was yet to formulate a considered response having had the submission since early last year just before COVID-19 struck, saying “the response received from the AFL is simply not good enough”.
“As a footballing heartland state we have paid our dues and deserve much better. We have supported the AFL and before them the VFL, providing some of the best talent to play the game and it’s now time for the AFL to treat Tasmania fairly,” Gutwein said.
“As there is significant interest in this matter in Tasmania I am releasing the response from the AFL and I will be seeking a meeting with Mr McLachlan at the earliest opportunity to continue to press our case.″
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-rejects-tasmanian-demand-premier-furious-20210219-p5745h.html
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Tasmania’s bid for its own team has accepted that the state’s best chance for an AFL licence will come through relocating an existing club, rather than a 19th team.
In a turning point that has shifted the focus back onto North Melbourne ... the powers behind the Tasmanian government-appointed task force believe the AFL Commission will not consider expanding the competition to 19 teams in the wake of savage cuts to the game forced by COVID-19.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/tasmanian-push-may-put-focus-on-north-melbourne-20210312-p57aa1.html
The Kangaroos once again had the smallest membership of the 10 Victorian clubs last season and already play multiple games each season in Tasmania. Their women’s team is officially the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and also plays games in the state.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2021-afl-relocation-tasmania-afl-team-north-melbourne-kangaroos-19th-team-caroline-wilson-report-news/news-story/1de6879522c8e9cbcd2788480b27aa72
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Eddie's grand plan for a Tasmanian team by 2028.
Watch here: https://twitter.com/FootyonNine/status/1379777068825731076
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Eddie sniffing his own farts again... bloke's a glorified used car salesman... :shh
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But a key question will be the report’s stance on the merits of an existing team relocating to Tasmania, or the alternative of the state being granted the 19th license and fielding a standalone team.
Channel Seven reported on Thursday night that the Carter report did not recommend a start-up 19th team, saying there was no business case for expansion because it wouldn’t add television dollars, and that it would require relocation or a club deal to play home games in Tasmania.
North Melbourne have strongly resisted any push to be the relocated Tasmanian team.
The other key issue will be the proposed time frame, and whether the report accepts the Tasmanian government view that the state should have a team by the middle of this decade (2025), by which stage the AFL will have a new broadcast rights deal.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-report-to-be-bullish-about-tassie-team-s-viability-20210812-p58icc.html
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Here's the full Colin Carter report: https://mcusercontent.com/7cd32ad25c565a577b74060a9/files/c5b8e967-0ac9-b076-13f5-c05aa0e8abfa/Carter_Review_Tasmania_Licence_2021.pdf
Major findings of the review include:
* The case for Tasmania is strong, particularly with the deep historical links to our game and there should be a team representing Tasmania in the AFL/AFLW national competitions - however the best form of that team is less clear-cut.
* The case can be made for a 19th Licence but re-location of an existing team if a club is prepared to take that path, or a joint venture between Tasmanian stakeholders and a Victorian team that secures strong support in two markets from the outset, would arguably produce a more sustainable outcome and therefore should be considered before a 19th licence.
* Reaching a decision on a team to represent Tasmania should not be impacted by Covid but the decision around timing should. The AFL and the clubs will reasonably minimise new financial risks and the clubs should not be expected to make a final decision at a time when AFL industry finances are under stress.
* Any outcome is dependent on locking in State Government funding guarantees and provision of appropriate stadia and related facilities in Tasmania and these should be finalised ahead of any decision.
* Tasmania is deserving of a team to represent the state on historic and fairness grounds and most economic arguments can be overcome as long as Government funding is secured.
* A 19th team would be positioned in the middle of the bottom third of the wealth ladder of our industry, but a combined Tasmanian and Victorian support base would position the new club in the middle wealth ranks of AFL clubs, a formidable competitor on and off the field.
* The Taskforce submitted that a 19th team would be net accretive because of incremental media rights but this review notes that AFL and industry advice is that broadcast rights are unlikely to reach the levels forecast by the Taskforce
* Many of the risks of starting a new team in Tasmania can be managed regardless of which pathway is chosen and key concerns raised in opposition to a team such as the size of the Tasmanian population, the north-south rivalry, player retention, dilution of talent, fixture complications and the state of the Tasmanian economy are all issues that can be managed and should not influence the decision on a team, whatever the eventual model.
* Tasmania is a football state and the cost of securing a football state are reasonable, fulfils the purpose of the AFL and is the right thing to do.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/663268/afl-statement-on-findings-of-the-colin-carter-report
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Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said his government would not renew North Melbourne and Hawthorn’s deals for AFL games in the state until the league gave a timeline for a team, and ruled out the “joint venture” option.
“Our preference very clearly is for a licence for a 19th standalone Tasmanian team,” Mr Gutwein said on Friday.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/tasmania-s-afl-case-is-strong-but-pathway-into-league-clouded-20210813-p58ig1.html
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Jack Riewoldt's view:
“I feel like that is just tokenism if they do that. It’s not the way forward for Tassie footy,” the triple premiership Tiger said.
“I’m certainly of the belief that I don’t think a relocated team would work and I don’t think a joint venture (would work).
“Hawthorn and North Melbourne play four games at either end of the state. Whilst it’s great to have AFL football in Tasmania, I think the 19th licence is certainly the one – and the main driver in this has been premier Peter Gutwein.
“I think he sees this as his legacy piece.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/08/12/riewoldt-reacts-to-recommendations-in-carters-tasmania-report/
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The AFL will next year discuss a possible timeline for the long-talked about team based in Tasmania.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has agreed to taking a decision in 2022 on the prospect of a club in the Apple Isle joining the League as a 19th team.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/670219/afl-to-make-historic-decision-on-tassie-team-in-2022
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Jack Riewoldt and Chris Fagan support Tasmania's AFL bid
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Riewoldt echoed the sentiment as the AFL look set to announce the fate of Tasmania's bid by March next year.
"Hopefully Tassie gets the licence, I am really excited when March rolls around, I mean just the addition of Clarkson into the working group is a real big coup," he said.
"Certainly I think the passion is there and it may be a little bit dormant at the moment but I was lucky enough to live a bit of that through the VFL program before the draft.
"So if it gets up and going it'd be very exciting."
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/7508357/fagan-and-riewoldt-back-in-tasmanias-afl-bid-ahead-of-next-season/?cs=12
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Time for Tassie team to get the nod, says Jack Riewoldt
Jon Pierik
The Age
February 21, 2022
Richmond star Jack Riewoldt has urged the 18 AFL club presidents to sign off on a standalone Tasmanian club this year and says it’s time for the men’s and women’s seasons to be played simultaneously.
Riewoldt, who has matured into one of the deep-thinking veterans of the league and a future broadcast analyst, also said players needed to be mindful of the financial pain many in the community have experienced as the AFL Players Association and AFL work towards a new collective bargaining agreement for male and female players.
Tasmanian Tiger Jack Riewoldt wants the 18 clubs to vote for a standalone team in his home state.
Tasmanian Tiger Jack Riewoldt wants the 18 clubs to vote for a standalone team in his home state.CREDIT:AFL PHOTOS
An independent report by former Geelong president Colin Carter last year found relocating an existing team to Tasmania or setting up a “joint venture” with a Victorian club could be more sustainable than adding a 19th franchise, but Riewoldt, a proud Tasmanian, said Tasmanian football deserved a new team.
“My opinion is that it needs to be an original side. There is baggage that comes with relocated sides and I would be disappointed for the supporters of the side that was relocated,” he said.
“Everyone hints at the Gold Coast being the side that is relocated. There are 20,000 members up at the Gold Coast that are invested in that footy club. I would feel sorry for them to lose that side and lose their heartland of that area, as I would for any side that was relocated.
“I just think the buy-in for the Tasmanian people, to have it start in Tassie, and that be the birthplace of the team, would be pretty special.”
The Suns and AFL have made it clear the Gold Coast side will not be moving.
Riewoldt’s cousin, former St Kilda captain Nick, is a Tasmanian AFL taskforce member working through all the issues.
Club presidents will discuss Tasmania’s bid, underpinned by state government backing, at their annual meeting on the eve of the new season, with a vote expected within months. If the bid is endorsed, some club presidents believe it would be financially best to wait until closer to the end of the decade for the new team to debut.
Carter’s report said a Tasmanian team would sit in the lower-middle section of the AFL’s “wealth ladder”.
“To be honest, the whisperings I am hearing, it’s only positive at the moment,” Jack Riewoldt, the triple-premiership star, said.
“I really don’t know a timeline but what I will say is that the people who are in the process have been open about wanting the feedback and wanting to be judged properly, not a tokenism about just giving us a side and figuring out the issues that come with an AFL side after the licence has been granted. They actually want to have it ironed out and be as well-prepared and waterproof in terms of the logistical side of things … right down to the nitty-gritty of the business model.”
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/time-for-tassie-team-to-get-the-nod-says-jack-riewoldt-20220221-p59y7i.html
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Sam Edmund on SEN reckons a final vote for a new Tassie team will be held in August.
It will be a vote for a Tassie team to enter the comp. in 5-10 years time not next year.
Believes the AFL commission supports brining in a Tassie team and so only 6 AFL clubs (rather than the usual 12) have to vote in favour for it to go ahead.
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Tasmanian government’s bold $150m bid for AFL team revealed
Caroline Wilson
The Age
May 28, 2022
The Tasmanian government has made a bold $150 million bid to secure the creation of the southern state’s first AFL team.
Tasmania’s new Premier Jeremy Rockliff made the private submission to the AFL early this month with the view to establish a team in Hobart, which would be expected to join the competition by 2028 and as early as 2026.
The government proposal envisaged a 10-year deal worth $100 million with a further $50 million in start-up costs, including a state-of-the-art high-performance facility placed within walking distance of Hobart’s CBD, prioritising the attraction and retention of elite football talent.
The submission also sought clarification from head office regarding its pledged support to rebuild the game at grassroots level in the once-talent-rich football state. The government bid comes with tri-partisan support after Tasmania’s Liberal government reached agreements with both state Labor and the Greens.
While the AFL has not yet provided a formal response to the premier, talks held last week between league bosses and the government-sanctioned Tasmanian taskforce indicated that the league wanted a longer-term commitment than 10 years.
As negotiations continue it is also understood that the taskforce would consider a compromise proposal which could lead to the granting of a decade-long provisional licence. In another compromise, the government could underwrite the Tasmanian team to the tune of $12.5 million each year with the AFL contributing to the start-up costs.
The AFL has denied it made a formal bid for an annual $20 million commitment from the government amid fears it is pushing for a major cash grab to win over the 18 club presidents. The $10 million annual funding proposal is in line with the 2021 Colin Carter report, which estimated a state government contribution of between $7 million and $11 million per annum. The taskforce projections have the proposed team boasting a start-up membership of 30,000.
A level of angst is building among key players involved in the Tasmanian bid as it awaits clarification upon its football soft cap, player list sizes and the quality of its fixture. Current costings according to the bid would place the new team roughly 12th or 13th in annual turnover, including AFL contributions.
Details of the bid have emerged as AFL boss Gillon McLachlan faces a battle to win over a number of sceptical club presidents. McLachlan, who on Friday denied he had lost the hunger to lead the creation of a stand-alone Tasmanian team, is adamant he does not want to put the Tasmanian proposal to a vote but rather gain unanimous club support.
While a number of clubs have been unwilling to take a final position on Tasmania before the full details of the proposal are unveiled, Sydney, Collingwood and the Gold Coast have all indicated they are unlikely to support the bid. A final decision is still scheduled in August after what looms as an historic meeting between the AFL Commission and the 18 clubs.
Rockliff’s submission comes after former premier Peter Gutwein’s shock resignation earlier this year, an announcement viewed by the AFL as a setback for the Tasmanian bid. Both McLachlan and his chairman Richard Goyder were scheduled to fly to Tasmania to meet Gutwein.
Responding this week to suggestions that some clubs still saw the relocation of North Melbourne to Tasmania as a preferable alternative - an alternative previously explored by McLachlan - Rockliff said: “Tasmania has waited long enough and Tasmanians won’t accept a team with half its heart in Melbourne.
“The roaring success of the JackJumpers prove how important this is to Tasmania, and we do not want to see the AFL get left behind. It’s time to make history once and for all.”
The Kangaroos, too, have wholeheartedly rejected the relocation talks.
The Tasmanian campaign has repeatedly stated that this bid looms as the last opportunity to save Australian rules football in one of its historic heartland states and set it upon a thriving expansionist pathway.
Should Tasmania fail in its bid to win a licence, Rockliff’s government has indicated the state will no longer underwrite the multimillion-dollar deals funding Hawthorn and to a lesser extent North Melbourne to play in Tasmania. No other start-up AFL team has been underwritten by public money.
AFL executive Travis Auld has been leading the negotiations with the taskforce along with the league’s new Tasmanian boss Sam Graham, while the league’s general manager of football Brad Scott has been working on issues such as list sizes, the soft cap, football pathways, a second-tier competition and special draft rules for the new team.
Four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson recently visited the United States in part to look at top-of-the range football and basketball facilities as part of the proposal to create an elite training and administration base for the team, which would most likely be built alongside the proposed new stadium in the regatta grounds, alongside the Derwent River less than a kilometre from the CBD, or at nearby Sandy Bay.
(https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_1.181%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_14/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/cd5da88bbc9a171e8826b9f1d95f8cd160cc5c56)
An artists’ impression of how the new stadium could look in Hobart.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/tasmanian-government-s-bold-150m-bid-for-afl-team-revealed-20220526-p5aoui.html
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Eddie's idea for the Tasmania Kangaroos.
"This is not relocating North Melbourne to Tasmania, or Tassie missing out on a team."
Eddie McGuire reveals his BIG proposal for a Melbourne-based team to combine with Tassie to form a 'super club' – and the man he'd headhunt to coach it.
Watch here: https://twitter.com/FootyonNine/status/1537049466955513857
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Tasmania boasts four legends in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
@Richmond_FC great Royce Hart has called on the #AFL to act in the interests of the game by allocating a 19th licence to his home state.
Courtesy @7NewsMelbourne
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FYlhfF1VUAICpaP?format=jpg&name=small)
https://twitter.com/BelieveTasmania/status/1551878738270654464
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RIEWOLDT HITS BACK AT MATTHEWS OVER TASSIE COMMENTS
By Andrew Slevison
SEN
29 July 2022
Jack Riewoldt has hit back at Leigh Matthews for his “cut the crap” comments regarding the Tasmanian AFL bid.
Riewoldt, a proud Tasmanian, believes Matthews’ words only diminished what has been an ongoing push for a state steeped in VFL/AFL tradition.
The Richmond star was forthright in his response to the comments which came after Matthews challenged the “fabric” of the game in the wake of the Jack Ginnivan non-decision.
“Leigh Matthews has come out and said, ‘Cut the crap, it’s not the be all and end all’ if Tasmania doesn’t get a team and it won’t affect a lot of people if they don’t get a team,” Riewoldt said on SEN Tassie.
“But in the same interview he spoke about the essence of the game and not being able to sleep because Jack Ginnivan didn’t get a free kick, that he was up all night thinking about that because it’s the fabric of the game.
“This is the thing that I constantly beat my head against the wall about, is that Tasmania is the fabric of the game.
“They are an interwoven part of what is the AFL blanket. They are an original thread of why this game is so great.
“It’s tearing at the fabric if Tasmania’s push doesn’t get up. That’s solely it.
“You’ve got to look through the AFL Team of the Century - Royce Hart, Ian Stewart, plus Darell Baldock.
“The influence of Tasmania on the AFL and the game that Leigh Matthews has became arguably the greatest player at is there to see.
“It’s taken a while now to get a legitimate push up. Now this push is here, just to say ‘cut the crap’, doesn’t cut the mustard for me.”
Another who has discredited the Tassie push is outspoken Gold Coast Suns chairman Tony Cochrane.
Colin Carter, who undertook the task of proving a team in the Apple Isle can be viable, has been mystified by some of the chat surrounding the state’s bid for a licence.
“I find the comments from some of those other clubs mystifying,” Carter added on SEN Tassie.
“I’m a great fan of Tony Cochrane and what he’s done up there, I got to know him a bit when I was up in the hub 18 months ago.
“But I can’t even begin to fathom his attack on the proposition of a Tasmanian team on the basis that it can’t be afforded.
“It seems to me like he’s saying, ‘We don’t need another team like us’, and that’s a pretty weird argument to make.
“Because in arguing that the Tasmanian team will be a drain on the competition, he’s effectively saying, ‘We don’t want a drain like my club is’. I don’t think their club is a drain, either.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/07/29/riewoldt-hits-back-at-matthews-over-tassie-comments/
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‘New vision’: How $250m stadium bill discount could swing 19th team vote in Tassie’s favour
“There will be a vote by the end of the month,” Ralph said on Fox Footy.
“The Tasmanian Government believe they can secure funding for a stadium that’s less than $500m.
“The feasibility study that’s underway with the current taskforce and government won’t be completed by the end of April, but they believe if you have a $500m bill, it would be dollar for dollar.
“Federal government, State government, there’d be some private partnership investment, with a hotel, convention centre, parking of course which would attract some visitors.
“My understanding is the other work streams are basically done, basically ticked off. None of the them are game changers. The stadium is the massive issue.
“So the plan will go to the AFL committee, let’s call it mid-month. It will go back to the presidents to go back their own boards, and then presidents like Jeff Kennett will come to a consensus view.
“We will have a decision either way.”
The new stadium would be based upon the Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, which was built for $295m two years ago.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/how-250m-stadium-bill-discount-could-swing-vote-in-tasmanias-favour/news-story/d94b2175bd98a5ab153efce9eb0b66b2
Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville:
(https://www.ausleisure.com.au/images/ausleisure/files/NRL_Queensland_Country_Bank_Stadium_2.jpg)
They also mentioned something like Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin which has a Perspex see-through roof and a natural grass pitch:
(https://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/photos/forsythbarr2.jpg)
(https://c8.alamy.com/comp/G0Y4M5/forsyth-barr-stadium-dunedin-south-island-new-zealand-aerial-G0Y4M5.jpg)
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I like the idea of a Tax team but have been saying for years now there's just not enough talent to field 18 professional teams let alone 19.
Move a crap club or two down there. Norf and maybe GWS can merge and move. Stick to 16 teams, better quality.
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TASMANIA'S formal bid for inclusion in the AFL won't include a new stadium but the infrastructure remains an "important part" of the state's quest for a team.
Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff has revealed it won't form part of the formal proposal to be put before club presidents.
"The stadium is not part of our bid. But of course the stadium is there to support AFL content in the future," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"A stadium is an important part of an AFL team, we’re committed to that. That’s why we've got the feasibility study."
The state government is undertaking a $1.25 million feasibility study into a new stadium, something it estimates could cost around $750 million.
Read more: https://www.afl.com.au/news/817611/premier-confirms-new-stadium-won-t-be-part-of-tassie-s-afl-bid
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Have to say Tasmania's new Premier is not helping their cause one iota
Perhaps Mr Gutwein should have stuck around until after they got the licence
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$750,000,000 for a stadium doesn't that seem a bit crazy? It's not like they'd have massive crowds over there either.
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$750,000,000 for a stadium doesn't that seem a bit crazy? It's not like they'd have massive crowds over there either.
think they will mate. A stadium like that will draw teams like us and pies to play down there.
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How many seats youd want 40,000 minimum for 750 million.
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$750,000,000 for a stadium doesn't that seem a bit crazy? It's not like they'd have massive crowds over there either.
think they will mate. A stadium like that will draw teams like us and pies to play down there.
Agree Frankie.
Both the Giants stadium and Metricon on the GC hold about 30k IIRC, and for both of those teams they get their biggest crowds when we go there...so the same will apply in Tassie
Having said that let's not forget that Tassie is a footy state, they want an AFL team so the locals will support it
Especially if Jack Riewoldt is their 1st coach ;D
Just a suggestion re Jack coaching them BTW
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$750,000,000 for a stadium doesn't that seem a bit crazy? It's not like they'd have massive crowds over there either.
think they will mate. A stadium like that will draw teams like us and pies to play down there.
Agree Frankie.
Both the Giants stadium and Metricon on the GC hold about 30k IIRC, and for both of those teams they get their biggest crowds when we go there...so the same will apply in Tassie
Having said that let's not forget that Tassie is a footy state, they want an AFL team so the locals will support it
Especially if Jack Riewoldt is their 1st coach ;D
Just a suggestion re Jack coaching them BTW
Playing Coach?
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$750,000,000 for a stadium doesn't that seem a bit crazy? It's not like they'd have massive crowds over there either.
think they will mate. A stadium like that will draw teams like us and pies to play down there.
True they might but $750mil is a lot.
You'd be getting at least 50-60,000 capacity and it would be a top shelf piece of infrastructure.
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$750,000,000 for a stadium doesn't that seem a bit crazy? It's not like they'd have massive crowds over there either.
think they will mate. A stadium like that will draw teams like us and pies to play down there.
True they might but $750mil is a lot.
You'd be getting at least 50-60,000 capacity and it would be a top shelf piece of infrastructure.
no one was complaining when they were throwing, and in some ways wasting that kind of money around over the last 2 years. :lol
Money well spent in my book.
How many players have come from Tassy, and yet GWS and Suns have been able to field teams. What a joke.
Biggest mistake that was made was North not merging. 18 teams would have been perfect.
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I still reckon there's not enough talent for 18 teams.
Merge two and move them to Tas
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Tas don't want a merger tho. Just fold a poo club and get a tassie crew
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Fold 2 non viable ones.
New team in TAS. More A and B grade talent for the rest with a rotating bye.
I fondly remember the 2007 all star match and think that higher talent standards would lead to a better spectacle.
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Seems the vote on a Tassie team has been pushed back.
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“What I know, there’s no presidents’ meeting in the diary for the remainder of August,” Whateley told AFL Nation.
“So the notion that there's going to be a vote in August; for the moment, there’s no meeting.
“So maybe there will be a meeting slotted in over the next couple of weeks, but from what I can glean, there is no scheduled meeting that a vote would take place at.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/08/13/theres-no-meeting-tassie-timeline-set-to-change-following-latest-revelations/
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$750,000,000 for a stadium doesn't that seem a bit crazy? It's not like they'd have massive crowds over there either.
think they will mate. A stadium like that will draw teams like us and pies to play down there.
Agree Frankie.
Both the Giants stadium and Metricon on the GC hold about 30k IIRC, and for both of those teams they get their biggest crowds when we go there...so the same will apply in Tassie
Having said that let's not forget that Tassie is a footy state, they want an AFL team so the locals will support it
Especially if Jack Riewoldt is their 1st coach ;D
Just a suggestion re Jack coaching them BTW
Metricon on the Gold Coast currently has a capacity of 25,000. The UTAS stadium in Launceston currently has a 20,000 capacity, although not sure about the Hobart ground capacity. It seems to me that while eventually a new stadium may be built, having already two AFL standard grounds available for immediate use would render unnecessary the proviso of 'provide a new ground/facilities or we won't let you play'.
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$750,000,000 for a stadium doesn't that seem a bit crazy? It's not like they'd have massive crowds over there either.
think they will mate. A stadium like that will draw teams like us and pies to play down there.
Agree Frankie.
Both the Giants stadium and Metricon on the GC hold about 30k IIRC, and for both of those teams they get their biggest crowds when we go there...so the same will apply in Tassie
Having said that let's not forget that Tassie is a footy state, they want an AFL team so the locals will support it
Especially if Jack Riewoldt is their 1st coach ;D
Just a suggestion re Jack coaching them BTW
Metricon on the Gold Coast currently has a capacity of 25,000. The UTAS stadium in Launceston currently has a 20,000 capacity, although not sure about the Hobart ground capacity. It seems to me that while eventually a new stadium may be built, having already two AFL standard grounds available for immediate use would render unnecessary the proviso of 'provide a new ground/facilities or we won't let you play'.
Bellerive Oval's capacity is 19,500. The biggest AFL crowd there was 17,800 when we played North there in 2016.
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🏟Premier Jeremy Rockliff has confirmed Mac Point is ONE site being looked at for a new Hobart Stadium & provided some information on the current model:
🪑23,000 seats
💰State Government to pay half the cost - est $375m
High Perf. Centre constructed & ready for use by mid 2025
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fb8RLliagAEmtJm?format=jpg&name=small)
https://twitter.com/brentcostelloe/status/1566990092581085185
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Wonder how much coin is in the new TV deal contingent on there being a Tassie team?
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Macquarie Point selected as Tasmania's AFL stadium location, ABC understands.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-17/tasmanias-afl-stadium-to-be-built-at-macquarie-point/101451196
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Macquarie Point selected as Tasmania's AFL stadium location, ABC understands.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-17/tasmanias-afl-stadium-to-be-built-at-macquarie-point/101451196
What a surprise :rollin
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‘Really positive’: Tassie team’s $204m boost amid new stadium plans and govt funding hope
The AFL Commission has held a “really positive” discussion about Tasmania being awarded the 19th license, as the state’s government pledges more money towards a team and a stadium.
Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff is hoping to build a 23,000 seat boutique stadium on Hobart’s waterfront at Macquarie Point, the agreed-upon site for the venue which remains the crucial factor for the bid.
The AFL is yet to tick off the bid but on Monday held discussions with the Commission and the 18 club presidents and CEOs, giving them information on the business case.
On Monday Tasmania committed extra money to the deal, upping their funding from $10 million a year over 10 years, to $12 million a year over $12 years, plus $60 million for a high performance and team administration complex, for a total commitment of $204 million.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has said a stadium deal must be agreed upon for the bid and premier Rockliff has talked up the Macquarie Point precinct as the perfect option.
Tasmania would commit $375 million with the other $375 million coming from federal government funding and private investment.
The 2014 Macquarie Point masterplan, featuring an AFL stadium, by The Office for Collective Design.
(https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/52b2dfa0c8ea2284b8ef158344b9ed0b?width=768)
Full article here: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-news-2022-expansion-into-tasmania-19th-team-hobart-macquarie-point-stadium-funding-afl-commission-gillon-mclachlan/news-story/632e8159a67f88e8ea8df8aedb2dc99a
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Richmond and Geelong have given their support for a Tasmanian team.
Gold Coast and Port also say yes provided a stadium is fully funded.
Watch here: https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1578292164723081216
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Brendon Gale throws support behind Tasmanian license bid
“I think the AFL community believes that Tasmania has a legitimate right to be in and for it to be a national competition.”
Danielle Sorati
zerohanger.com
October 30, 2022 - 1:55PM
Richmond CEO Brendon Gale has thrown his support behind a Tasmanian team entering the league, admitting that the bid for a 19th team would be of great benefit to both the competition and the state.
Speaking to The Mercury, Tasmanian born Gale said that Richmond was supportive of both a Tasmanian bid for both the AFL and AFLW, as a decision looms from the AFL on the Apple Isle.
“We are supportive (of a license). I was asked a few weeks ago and I think I was premature but since then our board has fully considered all the materials that were presented, the bid documents and it's a big yes from us,” Gale said.
“The board, which I'm a part of, is fully supportive of Tasmania securing a 19th license for the both the AFL and AFLW.
“I'm aware of the politics and that dollars are limited and while I've got a sense of the cost I'm also aware of the benefits.
The Tasmanian bid reportedly hinges on the proposed $750m Macquarie Point stadium, with the AFL reluctant to give out a new license without a state-of-the-art stadium ready to support a team.
The Tasmanian state government has committed some funding to the project, but won't cover the entire price tag. Gale however, thinks that the investment in the infrastructure is worth it.
“It won't just underpin the financial model of the club and the prospects of success but it will be a huge boost to the Tasmanian economy. It's not just about sport, it's about world class entertainment, culture, business events, conference and exhibition centres so it brings huge economic benefits that benefit the whole of the state and I know that because I've seen it," Gale said.
“I've spoken with people like John Olsen who was the premier of South Australia when they gave Adelaide Oval (redevelopment) the green light, maybe 10 years ago, which was a huge investment back then from the state and it's been transformative. I know people from far north Queensland with the Townsville stadium so yes it's an investment but it's one in the state that I'm confident will provide benefits. Not just for the south of Hobart but the whole of the state. It's a compelling case from where I sit.”
The AFL is likely set to make an offical decision on Tasmania in November, with all 18 clubs now given an opportunity to have their say on the bid.
All but four clubs reportedly approved a Tasmanian team entering the competition, with Gale revealing that a team in the southernmost state will provide the national competition more legitimacy.
“I think the AFL community believes that Tasmania has a legitimate right to be in and for it to be a national competition," Gale said.
"It will transcend the game from having a national footprint to being a national competition so what I'm saying is the AFL community will do what it has to do to facilitate that transition."
https://www.zerohanger.com/brendon-gale-throws-support-behind-tasmanian-license-bid-129476/
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TASMANIA'S government and the AFL have reached an in-principle agreement on commercial terms of the state's bid for a 19th licence, but the timeline around a final decision remains unclear.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced the agreement on Friday in Hobart, describing it as a "great step forward".
The Tasmanian government's funding commitment includes $12 million per year over 12 years, plus $60 million towards a high-performance and administration complex.
McLachlan indicated an announcement on Tasmania's bid was "close" but wouldn't specify a timeframe or commit to sealing the deal before his tenure as chief executive finishes at the end of the year.
It appears the final piece of the puzzle is locking in funding for the construction of a new stadium on Hobart's waterfront, which could carry a price tag of $750 million.
The state Liberal government has promised to fund half of the stadium, with the remainder of the cash to be sought from the federal government, private sector involvement and equity raising.
Rockliff said the state government had finalised a stadium business case and would soon take it to the federal government.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/866720/afl-reaches-in-principle-agreement-with-tasmania-for-19th-team
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First look at what a roofed stadium at Macquarie Point could look like?
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FhziEnhVIAA-yFF?format=jpg&name=medium)
https://twitter.com/brentcostelloe/status/1593396947691266048
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Glad it's got a roof for those wet days in Hobart. I wonder if Davenport was considered for the stadium.
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Glad it's got a roof for those wet days in Hobart. I wonder if Davenport was considered for the stadium.
Wouldn't have thought so.
Devonport for too small and where would you put it?
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Glad it's got a roof for those wet days in Hobart. I wonder if Davenport was considered for the stadium.
Devonport ?
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Glad it's got a roof for those wet days in Hobart. I wonder if Davenport was considered for the stadium.
The population of Tassie is small. Only 500k for the whole state. Hobart is 260k (about the size of Geelong), Launceston 95k, Devonport 30k and Burnie 20k. Devonport is okay for a preseason match but it's too small to host a H/A game.
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Hobart is really restricted by its geography. Launceston less so, it could grow to the south.
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Hobart is really restricted by its geography. Launceston less so, it could grow to the south.
True. Population growth potential around Hobart probably limited to outer north around Bridgewater/Brighton and satellite towns like New Norfolk, Richmond & Sorell. Poor or non-existent public transport (rail) doesn't help either.
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‘All that remains’: Tassie team is $240m away as business plan unveiled for 19th AFL club
Tasmania is requesting $240 million in funding from the federal government in order to build the stadium to house the 19th AFL club from 2029.
The planned 23,000-seat venue could be ready by the end of 2028, while it’s hoped the team would enter in 2027, meaning it would play two seasons at existing stadiums Bellerive Oval and York Park.
The AFL has effectively delivered an ultimatum to Tasmania that it must confirm the stadium is fully-funded before it will be granted the 19th license.
Tasmania’s current proposal sees the state government committing $375 million, the AFL $15 million, the federal government $240 million and private investors $85 million. Combined with $26 million already spent, the total cost would reach $741 million.
The state’s commitment includes $60 million towards a high performance centre.
(https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/ce12d24ac813b0b1b3b6189e4523a985?width=768)
New designs of what Hobart's new AFL stadium at Macquarie Point could look like. Images supplied by AFL
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2022-tasmanian-team-by-2029-stadium-funding-plans-19th-afl-club-license-macquarie-point-federal-government-help-latest-news/news-story/98868972654d63a24d6b49653f87a49c
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Tasmanian State League club Glenorchy is reportedly on the brink of being unable to field a senior team this season amid the state’s ongoing AFL participation issues.
The ongoing push for the Apple Isle to be awarded the 19th license includes an argument it would help revive local footy in the state, with participation rates once higher than Victoria, but now only ahead of New South Wales and Queensland.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2023-glenorchy-unlikely-to-field-a-senior-team-in-tasmanian-state-league-famous-club-peter-hudson-tasmania-expansion-news/news-story/7bf6bec7076b1be2e3378f3eb455ad68
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HAWTHORN has extended its contract to play AFL games in Tasmania, as the island state's quest for its own side remains up in the air.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/873800/hawks-extend-tassie-deal-for-two-more-years
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McLachlan set to pledge AFL funds to Tasmanian team
Ethan James
AAP
23/02/2023
The AFL is set to announce $360 million towards a Tasmanian side, on the condition a new stadium in Hobart gets the green light.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan will make the commitment during a tourism and business lunch in Hobart on Thursday.
The pledge includes money towards the stadium proposal, as well as $90m for game development and $30m for talent development, News Corp is reporting.
The funding is reportedly across a 10-year period.
Tasmania's admission to the national competition is contingent on funding for the proposed $715m stadium project, which is proving increasingly divisive.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/mclachlan-set-to-pledge-afl-funds-to-tasmanian-team/ar-AA17OUST?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=f4b66c62e8324df2a8a46ba2c328dfce
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The AFL had one job – protect the game. But in Tasmania, it’s dying.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-afl-had-one-job-protect-the-game-but-in-tasmania-it-s-dying-20230226-p5cnnl.html
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GILL MCLACHLAN CONFIRMS HOW TASMANIA CAN SECURE 19TH LICENSE IN OPEN LETTER
March 1, 2023
To everyone who is passionate about Australian football in Tasmania, we are getting so close.
Talk of an AFL team in Tasmania has been a constant for many years. For a variety of reasons, it has not been possible previously.
This has hurt Tasmanians who feel the state deserves to be represented by its own team in our game’s national competition. Those who feel that way about having a team based in the state are right. Tasmania should have its own team, which would mean a 19th club competing in the AFL and AFL Women’s competitions.
Finally, in 2023, it may happen.
In order for it to happen, Tasmania needs to have a new stadium – a world-class facility that will be the epicentre of a broader urban renewal development at Macquarie Point. The AFL clubs have made it clear they won’t support a new license without a stadium.
A new stadium that players want to play at, coaches want to coach at, accommodating 5,000 AFL fans travelling from interstate locations each week, with a fan experience they are accustomed to, would underpin the success of the club. The new Tasmanian club needs to be positioned to thrive from the start and long into the future, not set up to fail. New or fully redeveloped stadiums were a pre-requisite for Gold Coast SUNS and GWS GIANTS prior to entry in the AFL competition. To be clear this is not and has never been just a Tasmanian requirement.
In recent years we have seen the profound impact new and redeveloped venues have had in Perth and Adelaide. Despite initial strong opposition to those projects locally, Optus Stadium and the Adelaide Oval are now sources of great pride for the people of WA and SA, and attract huge global events which drive major economic, jobs, tourism and entertainment outcomes and boost many local industries.
The opportunity for our game at the grassroots level cannot be understated. Having a team that will inspire young Tasmanians to one day play football at the elite level, based in their home state, will drive interest and momentum in community football more than ever before.
While we know there are areas of the game doing it tough and we are committed to directing support to where it’s needed most, community football participation in Tasmania is strong. Never has the strength of the game been more evident than in recent years and the way so many great people across Tasmanian football steered local footy through the COVID pandemic, ensuring we are now in a position to thrive.
From now through to the first decade in the life of a new Tasmanian club, representing Tasmania, featuring Tassie talent, the AFL will invest around $360 million in the state, to support football and a Tasmania team, with a significant portion going towards game development and end-to-end talent pathway programs for Tasmanian boys and girls, the equal to any in the country.
This investment includes:
* Minimum of $15 million in the stadium in the arts and entertainment precinct
* $10 million in the club’s training and administration facility
* $93 million in game development – supporting and growing local footy
* $33 million to develop young male and female talent in Tasmania
* $209 million in distributions to the new club over the first 10 years to cover base funding, variable funding, AFLW funding and special list establishment funding to ensure a strong team from the start
With this financial commitment, representing the game in all parts of the state – the North, South and North West – the AFL’s vision is to take a quantum leap across community football:
* Double participation by the end of the decade
* Access to and upgrade of 70 new ovals across the state to accommodate grassroots demand
* New programs and competitions in 100 per cent of schools across the state
* A footy in every child’s hand, a footy in every home
* Major investment in participation programs, community coaches, volunteers and umpiring, which is critical to drive the next wave of talented players and administrators
* New regional academies in the South (Hobart), North (Launceston) and North West of the State (based in Penguin) for both boys and girls (from under 12 and above) to fast track the development of talent for the new club
Through the 10 per cent enshrined percentage of revenue going towards community football, the AFL has pre-approved significant additional resources to ensure this opportunity to grow game in Tasmania will not be missed. This funding injection into grassroots football will be carefully managed by AFL Tasmania and staged over the decade to maximise outcomes. The investment will be anchored in the recommendations of AFL Tasmania’s Football Futures project and the holistic vision for local football.
During the AFL’s visit to Tasmania last week, Tasmanian football legend Matthew Richardson spoke of this being the moment for the state to get behind this push, which will be a great thing for the state in so many ways. ‘Richo’ emphasised the need for a new stadium to ensure the dream is realised and said that as a footy-loving kid growing up in Tassie, it would’ve meant everything to him to be able to get behind a Tassie team.
Tasmania has been an incredible contributor to our game, and we want to secure its future as Tasmania’s game.
We urge Tasmanians and the football community to unite behind the team and get excited for everything a Tasmanian license can bring to every person and every part of this great state.
We are really close, but we need to grasp this opportunity.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/03/01/mclachlan-confirms-how-tasmania-can-secure-19th-license-in-open-letter/
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The unofficial is official.
Tassie's AFL dream a big step closer after stadium funding boost
The Federal Government's $240m funding for new Hobart stadium precinct paves way for clubs to approve a 19th AFL team.
The League has already pledged to spend $360 million on a Tasmanian team, including funding for the new club, game development, grassroots footy, and $15 million towards the stadium.
The Tasmanian Government has already pledged $375 million towards the stadium, and the Federal Government funding contribution was the final piece of the puzzle.
On Friday, the Prime Minister also announced $65 million for a redevelopment of UTAS Stadium in Launceston.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/913839/tassie-s-afl-dream-a-big-step-closer-after-stadium-funding-boost
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/04/28/albaneses-funding-announcement-paves-the-way-for-19th-afl-license/
Tasmania premier, Jeremy Rockliff:
As I said, I don't want to sit back in 10 years time when I'm back on the farm, thinking “you know what, if only I drove that a bit harder we might've got that”. Well, today we got it.
We’ve secured a $240 million investment to transform Mac Point, into something we can all be proud of.
The entire precinct will contain housing for health workers, community facilities and a multi-purpose stadium that unlocks Tassie’s very own AFL team.
This is going to turbocharge the Tasmanian economy for decades, and allow us to continue investing record amounts into health, housing and education. Because Tasmanians deserve what every other state has. And it’s the right thing to do.
https://twitter.com/jeremyrockliff
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Although ALL govts do it I'm not the greatest fan of funding of this magnitude going to sporting venues
It is an absolute disgrace the AFL has forced this stadium to built so they can get a team. Something Tassie should have got instead of the basket case Gold Coast and Western Sydney
However, this to me is actually a very good investment for Tasmania because this facility can be used for so much more than footy.
It means for example NRL games can go there. Better facilities for international cricket
They will be able to get big name concerts down there. Currently, they don't have any suitable venues to host major concerts. So they simply don't have them
All this will generate revenues for the State and that's a good thing
Just AFL alone will bring so many more tourists down there. Helluva lot cheaper to fly to Tassie for a weekend that Sydney, Brisbane or Perth
Now it's time for the buffoons at HQ and the Clubs who've been against Tassie having their own team to get their collective snouts put of the trough and vote yes
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AFL grants Tasmania 19th team licence after decades of campaigning
The AFL club presidents have voted unanimously to grant Tasmania the game's 19th licence, fulfilling decades of dreams for a team from the island state.
During a video meeting this afternoon, the presidents reached a decision within 15 minutes and there were no objections.
The granting of the licence now goes to the AFL Commission for a formal ratification.
An official AFL announcement of the licence is expected later in the week.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-02/tasmania-granted-19th-afl-licence/102286066
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Oh dear.
More talent dilution for an already poor spectacle of a game.
What's the bet they get an absolute draft rape hand like GCS/GWS and we are stuffed trying to rebuild again.
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Oh dear.
More talent dilution for an already poor spectacle of a game.
What's the bet they get an absolute draft rape hand like GCS/GWS and we are stuffed trying to rebuild again.
Worked out okay last time. :laugh:
We do our best work in the PSD, rookie, and MSD and just thug life the ND.
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It's officially official ...
Full statement: Tasmania awarded 19th AFL licence
https://www.afl.com.au/news/917878/full-statement-tasmania-awarded-19th-afl-licence
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TASSIE DEVILS LETS GO!!!!
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How the AFL plans to build its Tassie team
Michael Gleeson
The Age
May 4, 2023
The AFL’s new Tasmanian team will be built with priority picks over three drafts as the league heeds lessons from the mistakes it made setting up Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast.
Under draft plans for building the team, the new Tasmanian club is likely to have fewer priority picks than Gold Coast or the Giants received, and its picks will be staggered over several drafts.
Sources with knowledge of the AFL’s draft plan, but not authorised to speak publicly, said that, of the four or five first-round picks the club would get in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 national drafts, the club would be required to trade two of those picks at each draft for experienced players.
In the event one of those picks could not secure a trade for an experienced player of suitable value, the draft pick would be rolled into the following year’s draft. So, if the Tasmanian team did not trade pick nine, for example, then it would immediately have pick nine, as an additional pick, at the next year’s draft.
The hope is that rolling over these draft picks will avoid an inflationary effect on the player-trade market that might be caused if established clubs try to offload mediocre talent for quality picks by lowballing the Tasmanian club if it were forced to trade.
Forcing quality picks to be available to the other 18 teams is a sop to clubs fearing they would be shut out of the early picks and to offer an incentive to clubs to trade players to get early draft picks.
The AFL has been warned against the new club taking too many elite players in one draft because of the risk the team would end up too young and take too long to be competitive. The further concern is that having too many elite players of the same age would mean they come out of contract at a similar time, creating salary-cap pressure and retention problems in the future.
Using three drafts to build the list will also mean the club is not reliant on the quality of one draft to build its team in the event of that year providing a relatively shallow pool of talent.
There are likely to be priority picks available in the second and third rounds of the draft, either for drafting players or trading for experienced mid-range players, understanding that premiership lists are not filled with 18 first-round draft picks and require a balance of elite talent and role players.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/how-the-afl-plans-to-build-its-tassie-team-20230502-p5d4zh.html
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Jack Riewoldt is the first signing for Tasmania’s AFL team
Just weeks after walking off the MCG for the final time as a Richmond footballer, Jack Riewoldt has officially changed his colours, becoming the first employee of the Tasmanian Football Club.
Riewoldt, whose grand ambition is for the AFL’s 19th men’s and women’s teams to become a worldwide template for newly created clubs and organisations, will lead the creation of the club’s culture and work to unify the state behind the club as it works towards launching for the 2028 season.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/jack-riewoldt-is-the-first-signing-for-tasmania-s-afl-team-20230912-p5e43w.html
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Jack Riewoldt to tour Tassie as AFL club begins consultation
Ethan James
AAP
16 November 2023
A gravel footy oval on Tasmania's rugged west coast will be the first port of call for Richmond Tigers great Jack Riewoldt.
The Hobart-born AFL premiership winner is spearheading community consultation for the Tasmanian expansion franchise, which was granted the league's 19th licence in May.
Riewoldt launched an online survey on Thursday which will help capture the "fabric" of the island state and help inform the club's values.
People can also suggest mascots and colours ahead of an official club reveal expected in March.
Riewoldt said a "huge amount of weight" would be placed on people's suggestions.
"Whether you love footy or you don't like football we want to hear your thoughts about what this team should represent," he
Tasmania, which has produced greats including Australian Football Hall of Fame legends Darrel Baldock, Ian Stewart, Royce Hart and Peter Hudson, fought for decades for inclusion in the national competition.
Granting of the licence, for a slated 2028 entry, was contingent on the construction of a waterfront 23,000-seat roofed stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point.
The project, which has attracted some community and political opposition, must be assessed by an independent planning commission and voted through state parliament.
"If you get caught up in the 'ifs' and 'maybes', you'll find yourself behind the eight ball," Riewoldt said.
"We're really here for the journey. There will be some ups and downs through that but that is the Tasmanian way.
"We've tried four or five times to get this licence … we've had to earn this licence and we've had to earn every step along the way."
Riewoldt will also host several face-to-face community events, starting at Queenstown's unique gravel oval in mid-December.
"It's important we hear from Queenstown, Scottsdale, Stanley … there are amazing stories all throughout the state," he said.
Tasmanian Football Club director Kath McCann said a preferred site for the team's high-performance centre would be chosen by the end of the year.
The survey is open until November 30.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/riewoldt-to-tour-tassie-as-afl-club-begins-consultation/ar-AA1k0nuN?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=038fea83baea4b0eb2ca05ebaf890d2e&ei=22
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The AFL's newest team has its name and it's sure to prove popular with the locals. @RalphyHeraldSun
https://twitter.com/superfooty/status/1764577025980088816
It's Tasmania Devils.
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The new Tassie side will be using the old state guernsey.
New Tassie logo, jumper and colours revealed
(https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/4d14c623665a8ebfc17a36a6caf79c15?width=768)
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1086666/watch-live-tasmanias-afl-team-revealed
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/first-look-at-logo-guernsey-with-tasmania-devils-unveiled-as-the-19th-afl-club/news-story/283c8803ee50f274007ae5e6b6c5867e
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lmao.... :facepalm
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The jumper is pretty bad imo, did they take it to a poll or anything with the tasmanians ?
Just has no character to it, same with the logo really.
Hope they make some changes
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It’s been made clear that the Jumper is the foundation jumper only, it will definitely change as time goes on.
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Yes I've seen that too. I feel like Tazzie will be my second team. I have absolutely no affiliation with the state but I just feel as though theyve been so deserving of a team rather than GC and GWS and also being a country boy myself I feel like they will represent all country australians
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The jumper is pretty bad imo, did they take it to a poll or anything with the tasmanians ?
Just has no character to it, same with the logo really.
Hope they make some changes
Yes there was a poll asking people what they wanted the team to be called, logo and the jumper. Overwhelmingly, people wanted the traditional Tassie SOO jumper
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The jumper is pretty bad imo, did they take it to a poll or anything with the tasmanians ?
Just has no character to it, same with the logo really.
Hope they make some changes
Yes there was a poll asking people what they wanted the team to be called, logo and the jumper. Overwhelmingly, people wanted the traditional Tassie SOO jumper
Makes sense
They have a real us against the rest mentality , and I get why
Good luck to them
My second team when they start as well .. especially considering Richo, Gale, Jack etc will be heavily involved
Richmond would probably have the biggest tassie connection of existing clubs?
Royce Hart
Disco Roach
Ian Stewart
Amazing the players we’ve had from Tassie
List goes on
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The new Tassie side will be using the old state guernsey.
New Tassie logo, jumper and colours revealed
(https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/4d14c623665a8ebfc17a36a6caf79c15?width=768)
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1086666/watch-live-tasmanias-afl-team-revealed
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/first-look-at-logo-guernsey-with-tasmania-devils-unveiled-as-the-19th-afl-club/news-story/283c8803ee50f274007ae5e6b6c5867e
I really like the dark green. I think Freo tried green early days but now have settled with the two colours.
I personally think the yellow Tassie looks stupid and the red is unnecessary. How many clubs already have yellow or red? Too many.
Maybe a white or black T would be a better look over dark green jumper. Then it would be either green and white or green and black. Or they could mix it up with a home version that's prominently green and an away version that's prominently white. But the key is the Tassie devil emblem which looks great.
So I think they should swap the positions of both and put the devil logo in the middle of the jumper. If they want to have the Tassie on the jumper then they can put that over the heart instead.
Or, If they play there cards right they could get sponsored by Warner brothers and use their logo.
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The jumper is pretty bad imo, did they take it to a poll or anything with the tasmanians ?
Just has no character to it, same with the logo really.
Hope they make some changes
Yes there was a poll asking people what they wanted the team to be called, logo and the jumper. Overwhelmingly, people wanted the traditional Tassie SOO jumper
Makes sense
They have a real us against the rest mentality , and I get why
Good luck to them
My second team when they start as well .. especially considering Richo, Gale, Jack etc will be heavily involved
Richmond would probably have the biggest tassie connection of existing clubs?
Royce Hart
Disco Roach
Ian Stewart
Amazing the players we’ve had from Tassie
List goes on
Jeromy Webberly.... :clapping
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The jumper is pretty bad imo, did they take it to a poll or anything with the tasmanians ?
Just has no character to it, same with the logo really.
Hope they make some changes
Yes there was a poll asking people what they wanted the team to be called, logo and the jumper. Overwhelmingly, people wanted the traditional Tassie SOO jumper
Makes sense
They have a real us against the rest mentality , and I get why
Good luck to them
My second team when they start as well .. especially considering Richo, Gale, Jack etc will be heavily involved
Richmond would probably have the biggest tassie connection of existing clubs?
Royce Hart
Disco Roach
Ian Stewart
Amazing the players we’ve had from Tassie
List goes on
Jeromy Webberly.... :clapping
Tom hislop :whistle
-
The jumper is pretty bad imo, did they take it to a poll or anything with the tasmanians ?
Just has no character to it, same with the logo really.
Hope they make some changes
Yes there was a poll asking people what they wanted the team to be called, logo and the jumper. Overwhelmingly, people wanted the traditional Tassie SOO jumper
Makes sense
They have a real us against the rest mentality , and I get why
Good luck to them
My second team when they start as well .. especially considering Richo, Gale, Jack etc will be heavily involved
Richmond would probably have the biggest tassie connection of existing clubs?
Royce Hart
Disco Roach
Ian Stewart
Amazing the players we’ve had from Tassie
List goes on
Jeromy Webberly.... :clapping
Tom hislop :whistle
Big Gus Graham