Tasmania AFL failed Tasmania

[bombersfan4000]

The AFL's failure to develop a long-term policy for the game in Tasmania continues to cast a cloud over the foundation state's 150th birthday festivities and the certainty of a record attendance at Blundstone Arena for the round-six North Melbourne game.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/league-must-lift-its-game-in-tasmania-20150508-ggxnhe.html

mod edit: dont quote whole articles, please. Thanks Wookie.

 

[bombersfan4000]

never really been a Carro fan or agreed with her, but she is pretty spot on this time.
both North & Hawks treat Tasmania with contempt. only keen on sucking the money out of the place & really have no interest with anything to do with Tasmania! the local government has spent millions on sponsorship and upgrading facilities to both clubs request, yet still get treated with contempt.
a great example was last week, when the Hawks played the Kangaroos at Etihad.
the AFL and the two clubs should of at least had the audacity to have played the game at one of the Stadiums in Tassie.

 

[d33my]

Here we go again. A Tassie team just won't work in the current climate. Journos can bleat on all they want about Tassie being a heartland for football but I've yet to see a plan for a Tasmanian club that would actually succeed.

Put simply, the population is too small and there's not enough money.

 

[Hawkk]

never really been a Carro fan or agreed with her, but she is pretty spot on this time.
both North & Hawks treat Tasmania with contempt. only keen on sucking the money out of the place & really have no interest with anything to do with Tasmania! the local government has spent millions on sponsorship and upgrading facilities to both clubs request, yet still get treated with contempt.
a great example was last week, when the Hawks played the Kangaroos at Etihad.
the AFL and the two clubs should of at least had the audacity to have played the game at one of the Stadiums in Tassie.

If nothing else you are consistent. Yo-Yo'n all

You'll find that Hawthorn actually want to host North Melbourne in Tasmania (we draw the same sort of crowd playing Brisbane / West Coast in Melbourne...our crowds against North are larger in Tasmania so there is a net benefit by switching the games around)

North Melbourne hosted Hawthorn at Ethiad and we'd naturally prefer if North hosted us in Tasmania (as it would have allowed us to expand our profile into Hobart)

North Melbourne playing Hawthorn at Ethiad has all the hallmarks of an AFL decision who as we know aren't too happy with Hawthorn playing in Tasmania

 

[Blackas87]

Here we go again. A Tassie team just won't work in the current climate. Journos can bleat on all they want about Tassie being a heartland for football but I've yet to see a plan for a Tasmanian club that would actually succeed.

Put simply, the population is too small and there's not enough money.

Tasmania's population is 516000, Our football club has a supporter base of about 200000

 

[Tassieboy]

This argument will go on for eternity, but a Tasmanian team would be more economically viable than St Kilda, Footscray, Melbourne and North. And clearly Brisbane, GWS, and Gold Coast. I have little doubt of this.

In saying this, I can't see it ever getting a team.

 

[I am Jack]

The Tasmanian government needs to take a stronger stance on this issue and ban games being played in Tasmania.
It might be a short term hit to their pocket, but a stronger stance would pay off in the long run, it would force the hand of the AFL.
There should be a Tasmanian side, they are an historical Aussie Rules state. There is a lot of support down there, people would support the team in droves.
Tasmania will be the place to be for all of us when this country drys out even further.

 

[Kram]

I always laugh when you see a map of Australia drawn and they have forgotten to put Tasmania in.

 

[fabulousphil]

the national game still seems complacent about further developing the game in its once-proud and now economically and socially ravaged heartland.

l

Seriously

 

[fabulousphil]

If they had the financial backing they would be in, but they don't so they aint.

I would like to see them in, just don't think it is going to happen any time soon.

 

[yyou]

As much as I'd love to see a team based in Tassie, & I'm sure thelocals are a "footy" population, how many would switch to a new Tassie team from the team they currently support?
I know it is another argument, but would a relocated, current team be a better option as it would bring many of their current fans "along for the ride"?
Sorry to bring up relocation for supporters of teams in the firing line

 

[Procrastinator35]

Yes Caro, it's all the HFC's fault!...Our current financial might & success is based upon raping & pillaging Tassie!

 

[Thats Wright]

The witch must be in a good mood not to mention relocation for North. Usual drivel from the token dragon. She must be sensing the arse reaming due in anout 4 hrs.

 

[Tassieboy]

As much as I'd love to see a team based in Tassie, & I'm sure thelocals are a "footy" population, how many would switch to a new Tassie team from the team they currently support?
I know it is another argument, but would a relocated, current team be a better option as it would bring many of their current fans "along for the ride"?
Sorry to bring up relocation for supporters of teams in the firing line

It's good question this one. Almost every Tasmania has an 'AFL team', mostly Victorian teams. It would take a generation before you got the overwhelming support a team such as Adelaide has in Adelaide. However, with Hawthorn just playing 4 games a season in Tasmania, the majority of kids in Tasmania support Hawthorn, as seen by Auskick figures. And Hawthorn isn't even a Tasmanian team and has only played here for 14 years.

 

[Off The Couch]

The Tasmanian government needs to take a stronger stance on this issue and ban games being played in Tasmania.
It might be a short term hit to their pocket, but a stronger stance would pay off in the long run, it would force the hand of the AFL.
There should be a Tasmanian side, they are an historical Aussie Rules state. There is a lot of support down there, people would support the team in droves.
Tasmania will be the place to be for all of us when this country drys out even further.

What is it exactly that they have, that will enable them to "force" the afl to do anything.




I find this bit particularly amusing:

Hawthorn are negotiating aggressively with the Tasmanian government for a renewed commitment beyond next season. The Hawks have built their dynasty largely upon their wildly successful arrangement with Aurora Stadium and no state government has dared to challenge that.


Bullies on and off the field - fancy a minnow club like the Hawks being able to bully a state government into offering them another sponsorship deal. You have to love how Caro fails to mention the economic benefit to Tasmania through this sponsorship deal and the money the Hawks have put into Aurora stadium.

Does anyone seriously think the afl haven't done the research on put a team into Tasmania

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Guess the real question is, will it be the Tassie Giants or Tassie Suns?

 

[DaVillaBlues]

The argument would be valid if there was an NRL, A League, NBL etc team in tassie

 

[JeffDunne]

The AFL already make as much money out of Tassie as they're ever going to make.

So to the "maximising revenue" league it makes no sense to invest there.

 

[kreglze]

I can see the A League getting in and putting a soccer team, don't know if that would possibly shock the AFL into gear or not??

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Hird's fault.

 

[Biscut]

Well I grew up in Tasmania, support the cats and live in Sydney. I would still support the cats but I can guarentee my second team would be the Tasmanian team. If I was living down there I would buy a membership and go along every game, especially if the team had a lot of local talent playing for it. I would still be support and be a cats member and wear my cats jumper when they played Tasmania. I'm sure of lot of Taswegians would do the same. As another poster said, the following generation would be on the Tas team from day one.

 

[HolyWars]

never really been a Carro fan or agreed with her, but she is pretty spot on this time.
both North & Hawks treat Tasmania with contempt. only keen on sucking the money out of the place & really have no interest with anything to do with Tasmania! the local government has spent millions on sponsorship and upgrading facilities to both clubs request, yet still get treated with contempt.
a great example was last week, when the Hawks played the Kangaroos at Etihad.
the AFL and the two clubs should of at least had the audacity to have played the game at one of the Stadiums in Tassie.

I can't comment on North, but you are well off the mark.

Hawthorn, while having an extremely good deal with the Tasmanian government don't just take their money and play a few games. They contribute to football development, charity work, family days, visit Tasmanian communities and help promote Tasmania as a destination to visit or relocate to. Also when the club wins a premiership, they will not only have celebrations in Melbourne, but they will take the entire club to Tasmania to celebrate the victory with Tasmanian supporters.

What more do you expect? Hawthorn are there to promote football and the club in Tasmania, and Tasmania sponsor Hawthorn to promote Tasmania as a destination. So to say that they "treat Tasmania with contempt" is laughable.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

never really been a Carro fan or agreed with her, but she is pretty spot on this time.
both North & Hawks treat Tasmania with contempt. only keen on sucking the money out of the place & really have no interest with anything to do with Tasmania! the local government has spent millions on sponsorship and upgrading facilities to both clubs request, yet still get treated with contempt.
a great example was last week, when the Hawks played the Kangaroos at Etihad.
the AFL and the two clubs should of at least had the audacity to have played the game at one of the Stadiums in Tassie.

You can remove Hawthorn from your comments above. The reason Hawthorn have been so successful in developing the Tasmanian market has been their support, over and above what's expected. Hawthorn spend a far greater percentage of time (players in community) and $$$ in the Tasmanian community than they do for their Victorian members. (Being the best team of the last three generations helps too). Many other teams made cash grabs (Bulldogs, Demons, Saints, Kangaroos a couple of times, etc) - Hawthorn made a commitment, and are seeing the benefits.

The Tasmanian argument is, and likely always will be based on a misunderstand of the cultural parochialism and heritage of this state. To group Launceston and Hobart into the one would be equivalent to grouping Sydney and Brisbane in rugby, or SA and WA in football. It's a concept almost entirely foreign, inconceivable to someone who hasn't grown up in Tasmania.

There should have been a Tasmanian team enter in the 90s, but our State was a basket-case financially (still not much better). Tasmania 'deserves' a team more than anything north of the Murray. If a team had been established in the 90s, it would be far better financially than close to half the league. Would it win premierships? Probably not.

So why isn't there a team here now, or a strong case to bring one in? $$$ and History. Unlike NSW and QLD, (or even to a lesser extent SA and WA), an AFL team in Tasmania will not be growing the supporter base. The history of the state was one that included the VFL - in 1980 if you asked a school group who their favourite football team was, the answers would all be VFL teams. Ask the same question in any state other than Vic and you would get a SANFL/WAFL/NRL answer. Those kids are now the adults who's children have chosen teams - Tasmania is for all intents and purposes an extension of Victoria, perhaps like a Bendigo or Ballarat. In the time since, the local competition has been destroyed (zombified and destroyed again), mainly through politicalisation of the game.

Tasmania doesn't bring corporate $$$$, though the issue is no longer relevant as the game is about exposure on TV. Tasmania is already watching AFL - so not increasing the 'pie'. The tyranny of distance substantially increases costs and time for broadcast of games - again a negative. The split of the population (lowest % of population in centralised location in Australia) reduces potential crowds, especially for the less desirable timeslots.

From the AFL perspective, there is not a single reason for a Tasmanian team, other than they should have had a team for the last 30 years. A Tasmanian team will never be a champion club, rich in premiership history (Melbourne, Carlton, Essendon), a behemoth superpower (Collingwood, Hawthorn, SA and WA teams) or have the potential for growth and expansion of the game (Sydney, GWS, Bris, GC). All it would do is add a potential burden of (yet) another low/middle ranked team.

Victoria has too many teams to survive - moving one to Tasmania makes sense from an AFL perspective, but it will take at least a generation (probably longer) to win the children of other life-long supporters.
No-one would seriously expect lifelong Bulldogs supporters to start supporting the Bombers, just becaused they played a game at Bendigo - nor should they expect a relocated team to win Tasmanian supporters.

Why subsidise a team with little/no potential for growing the game for such a period of time (30 years?) when that development could be spent in a growth area? As a Tasmanian, Hawthorn supporter my views are conflicted. Hawthorn has outgrown Tasmania, and is now likely losing money to continue the arrangement (cost/benefit to putting resources into developing in Victoria) - I'd rather see the state support games for all of the smaller clubs - but they will never provide the same community benefits and commitment Hawthorn have done over the last decade. Eventually Hawthorn will not be able to justify it's continuing involvment, and will reduce or even stop the support. As a Hawthorn supporter, I want the club to continue to grow and achieve its aim of being undisputably the BEST club in the league.

I don't ever expect to have a Tasmanian team. Our time was before the introduction of Adelaide and West Coast, it has passed and the best we can hope for is to 'buy' games. Tasmania has been exceptionally lucky with the efforts Hawthorn have made so far, and as a Tasmanian, I only hope the political issues do not see this destroyed chasing rainbows.

 

[Glorious couch life]

never really been a Carro fan or agreed with her, but she is pretty spot on this time.
both North & Hawks treat Tasmania with contempt. only keen on sucking the money out of the place & really have no interest with anything to do with Tasmania! the local government has spent millions on sponsorship and upgrading facilities to both clubs request, yet still get treated with contempt.
a great example was last week, when the Hawks played the Kangaroos at Etihad.
the AFL and the two clubs should of at least had the audacity to have played the game at one of the Stadiums in Tassie.

You're consistent, I'll give you that. I guess while you're stinking up the main board at least you're leaving Bay13 alone.
Nobody is forcing the Tasmanian government into a sponsorship arrangement with either club. If the sponsor feels like they're not getting value for money, they'll invest it elsewhere.
Furthermore, the AFL does the fixture genius. Beyond putting in fixturing requests it has nothing to do with the clubs.
I'd love to see Tassie get their own team, maybe one day they will. Until then, at least Tasmanians get to see top level footy in their state.
Oh, and isn't there some rule against quoting entire articles in the OP?

 

[Papa G]

If Tasmania can drum up 13500 members for 2 blow in teams that clearly don't give a flying * about them, how many could they get for their own team?

There is nothing else in Tasmania. They have no other sport. This game is their passion. I agree that it would be a unifying factor in uncertain economic times. The state government would clearly support it financially, the people of Tasmania would get behind, it's a disgrace that the AFL continue to support generationally busted arse Victorian legacy teams with no hope of ever being anything but and forays into areas that clearly don't want them, yet continually ignore Tasmania. The game actually owes Tasmania, yet all it does is take.