Tasmanian AFL Bid

The bid to establish an Australian Football League team in the state of Tasmania has been ongoing, with fluctuating levels of support, since the then-Victorian Football League began its national expansion in the 1980's and 1990's.

Background

Although Tasmania has had a long and proud football history and was the second Australian state after Victoria to play the game, Tasmania has never been represented in a national club competition.

Despite a historically strong supporter base for Australian rules football, one of the highest participation rates in the country and strong local leagues, Tasmania had held back from expressing serious interest in the VFL when there was first talk of interstate expansion.

However, with the relocation of the Sydney Swans and admission of teams from Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, Tasmania belatedly began a push to enter the national competition.

Early bids

Between 1996 and 1998 the bid was prepared for a Tasmanian team that involved the construction of a 30,000-capacity stadium at the Hobart Showgrounds in Glenorchy, at the cost of $34 million. The stadium would have been the team's only home ground, but the appeal was unsuccessful and the stadium was not built. Thus Tasmanian bids to enter the AFL were rejected in both 1995 and 1997, when Fremantle and Port Adelaide respectively were admitted instead.

The AFL dismissed notions of admitting a Tasmanian side into the national competition citing a relatively small state population and a lack of sponsorship interest. A rift between the two major population centres of Hobart and Launceston about where a "home ground" would be located has also contributed to problematic bids. The lesson learnt from this attempt was that if a Tasmanian bid were to succeed, there would need to be united support from both the north and south of the state.

However, it is important to note that AFL clubs, like Geelong with 300,000 local people, have catchment areas with fewer people than Tasmania, which has 500,000 people. Even North Melbourne's home turf has fewer people. Nevertheless, Tasmania's population is still not thought to be sufficient. It should be also pointed out the Geelong have a large number of supporters who do not live in Geelong.

Current bid

In 2008, calls for a Tasmanian franchise has received unprecedented levels of support and media coverage with the AFL's declaration that it intends to expand the competition by creating new clubs in both the Gold Coast and Western Sydney. Many Tasmanians and traditional fans of football strongly believe that the state is more deserving of an AFL team than these other areas as Tasmania has always had strong support for the AFL, whereas Gold Coast and Western Sydney are rugby league heartlands.

In April 2008, Tasmania's former premier Paul Lennon revived the push for an AFL team by travelling to AFL House in Melbourne to officially launch the latest bid. Although Lennon subsequently retired in May, the responsibility of steering the bid went to Economic Development Minister Paula Wriedt. The "Mercury" newspaper has also been a vocal supporter of the bid. [cite web
url = http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23355142-5016971,00.html
title = Our crusade to end Tassie's footy snub
accessdate = 2008-08-14
date = March 11, 2008
publisher = "The Mercury"
quote = "And today ... the Mercury launches its season-long campaign, Tasmania -- It's Time, to reignite the push for a Tasmanian team in the AFL."] The current bid is known as "Tassie It's Time". Wriedt says Tasmania is only making a case for a Tasmanian team and not trying to beat the Gold Coast or Western Sydney to the 17th or 18th franchise. [cite web
url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24029484-2722,00.html
title = Tasmania's bid for AFL team faltering
accessdate = 2008-08-14
author =
date = July 16, 2008
publisher = "The Australian"] It is likely that Tasmania will be added later, in the case of a Melbourne club folding or merging.

AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou has said: "They probably do deserve a team, we shouldn't dismiss the contribution that Tasmania has made to our game... They are absolutely entitled to put forward a proposal, but the commission has already decided where the 17th and 18th teams are going." . [cite web
url = http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/afl-expansion-plans-yet-to-include-tassie/812001.aspx
title = AFL expansion plans yet to include Tassie
accessdate = 2008-08-14
author =
date = July 16, 2008
publisher = "The Canberra Times"] The AFL admitted that the state had put together a strong business case, but has indicated that the next two club licences will be in Gold Coast and Western Sydney.

The bid has received a significant boost on 30 July 2008, with the announcement that the confectionery company Mars has signed on as the new club's major sponsor. [cite web
url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/01/2320914.htm
title = Tasmania given sweet boost to AFL bid
accessdate = 2008-08-14
author =
date = August 1, 2008
publisher = "ABC News"] The deal is reportedly worth $4 million over 3 years. It was long doubted by the AFL that the Tasmanian club would secure corporate interest before a proposal is accepted by the AFL. This announcement came as a major shock as it was before a sponsor could be found for either the Gold Coast or Western Sydney clubs and as AFL clubs Richmond and Western Bulldogs were left without a major sponsor for 2009.

The 2008 bid has commissioned Gemba to make a financial audit of the bid to meet the AFL criteria. In addition, the Tasmania team had secured more than 20,000 potential members, ahead of the Gold Coast and Western Sydney bids in raw numbers.

Future

If accepted, it is uncertain what form the club will take. Possibilities include building upon Tasmania's VFL side the Tasmanian Devils Football Club. Other details, such as where the club will play and how the club can unite both the north and south of the state are yet to be determined.

ee also

* Australian rules football in Tasmania

References

External links

* [http://www.tassiefootyteam.com.au/ Tasmanian Government official bid website]