AFL Report: Hawks' Tassie venture has failed
- Thread starter ManWithNoName
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Furn2
Norm Smith Medallist
- Sep 27, 2012
- 9,475
- 15,515
- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
The problem with Tassie is that the footy fans there have support vic AFL teams for generations.
So whether it's 4,6,7 or 11 games you're not going to get huge support if you're a current team playing there.
Even a new Tassie team will only be a second team for the majority and that's not enough fir a team to thrive.
So whether it's 4,6,7 or 11 games you're not going to get huge support if you're a current team playing there.
Even a new Tassie team will only be a second team for the majority and that's not enough fir a team to thrive.
- Aug 11, 2012
- 7,011
- 10,797
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
It hasn't failed but it's time is up unless Hawthorn are willing to play 3/4 games a year in both Hobart and Launceston, which they aren't.
AFL now need to move onto the next phase of the Tasmanian Solution which is having 1 team playing games in both Launceston and Hobart. Start off with 6 games across the two cities per year (3/3 spilt), slowly increase it to 8 (4/4 spilt). Then the AFL in about a decade will decided whether to keep the status quo as the permanent long term solution for Tasmania, or fully push the club into Tasmania (11 games; 6/5 spilt), or start an entirely new team if everything on and off field warrants it (incredibly unlikely).
AFL now need to move onto the next phase of the Tasmanian Solution which is having 1 team playing games in both Launceston and Hobart. Start off with 6 games across the two cities per year (3/3 spilt), slowly increase it to 8 (4/4 spilt). Then the AFL in about a decade will decided whether to keep the status quo as the permanent long term solution for Tasmania, or fully push the club into Tasmania (11 games; 6/5 spilt), or start an entirely new team if everything on and off field warrants it (incredibly unlikely).
- Aug 11, 2012
- 7,011
- 10,797
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
Exactly, this is why relocation (or even a partial relocation - ie: 4 games in Hobart, 4 games in Launceston) is the best way to go IMO. Tasmania just doesn't have the population or growth required for a team.
Messenger
No, I’m just disappointed
It's a relocation. With the new equalisation model, no team need agree to that.
It only happen if the afl put a gun to the head of a club.
- May 16, 2014
- 12,163
- 15,984
- AFL Club
- Carlton
Don't think a club will survive playing 6 games in Tassie, 5 Hg's in Melb, Tassie games outweighing Melbourne games..too much loss from Melbourne, not enough growth in Tassie...Hawks and Roos got a good set up, the best set up imo would be for Hawks to play 4 HG's at Launceston, North to play 4 HG's at Hobart.
Hawks could play: North, GWS, Bris, + Vic club (StK, WB, Melb)
North could play: Hawks, Syd, GC, + bigger club (Geelong, Carlton)
Try to leave the WA clubs out of it, only every few years or so. Maybe get the QLD/WA teams rotating if necessary. But WA fans need to realise travelling is part of the game when you're on the other side of the country...it's not like there's a better possible arrangement.
Hawks: Home: 7 Vic, 4 Launceston
North: Home: 7 Vic, 4 Hobart
Not sure what's terrible about that. Doesn't rely on Tassie future growth etc either which isn't happening.
Hawks could play: North, GWS, Bris, + Vic club (StK, WB, Melb)
North could play: Hawks, Syd, GC, + bigger club (Geelong, Carlton)
Try to leave the WA clubs out of it, only every few years or so. Maybe get the QLD/WA teams rotating if necessary. But WA fans need to realise travelling is part of the game when you're on the other side of the country...it's not like there's a better possible arrangement.
- This is giving Tassie 8 games, more than they would be getting if a team just played 6.
- The games are split over Launceston/Hobart, so no North/South angst (if North Melbourne become sole team they will be based 6+ games in Hobart I presume) for missing out, but still building rivalry when North plays at Launceston and vice versa
- Both teams have 7 HG's in Melbourne (+ up to 6 away games in Melbourne) - make Melb fans happy
- Spreads the Melb market further - continue with StK in NZ and suddenly 9 Melb teams isn't so bad
- Requires the AFL and some bigger Vic clubs to be big boys and go to Tassie - will be better, for e.g. for Carlton or Geelong to travel to Tassie and bolster the crowds at Hobart (or Hawks v Carlton at Launceston) then to continue being shafted in the new equalisation deal, we should be trying to encourage North to make it without us landing smackbang in the worst spot for paying other clubs
Hawks: Home: 7 Vic, 4 Launceston
Away: 5-6 Vic, 1 Hobart, 4-5 SA/WA/QLD/NSW
Away: 5-6 Vic, 1 Launceston, 4-5 SA/WA/QLD/NSW
Not sure what's terrible about that. Doesn't rely on Tassie future growth etc either which isn't happening.
Its about memberships, & dont get to sure about the support, WA people left their old VFL teams to support WCE & Freo.
Furn2
Norm Smith Medallist
- Sep 27, 2012
- 9,475
- 15,515
- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
So you would completely abandon Collingwood for a Tassie team ?
d33my
Club Legend
Melbourne Demons - Jake Lever Player Sponsor 2018
Melbourne Demons - Katherine Smith AFLW Player Sponsor 2018
Unofficial Preview of the Year
Melbourne Demons - Ben Kennedy Player Sponsor 2017
Melbourne Demons - Katherine Smith AFLW Player Sponsor 2017
Melbourne Demons - Ben Kennedy Player Sponsor 2016
Melbourne Demons - Jeremy Howe Player Sponsor 2015
Melbourne Demons - Dom Barry Sponsor 2014
Bit different though. For a start the WAFL teams were in a different league, so you could still support your club. Furthermore, big part of supporting Eagles was to stick it up the East Coast.
Better comparison would be WC fans becoming Freo fans in 95, although there wasn't as long for people to become dyed in the wool fans of WCE as there has been for Tasmanians to become fans of VFL/AFL clubs.
Not really the same, before West Coast and Freo came in the vast majority of people over here didn't give a s**t about the VFL.
- Banned
- #87
If the AFL stopped making the hardest travelling teams, with low Victorian support constant Tassie fixtures then maybe it would work.
It's ridiculous. Not only do the two WA teams travel the furthest, travel nearly every second weak, but also get given the out there locations no one wants to play. If the AFL actually cared about fairness they would cut the short breaks and long trips for WA teams.
These games rely on tourists for numbers, given small local population. If you want the crowds then get the higher drawing and in form Vic teams to go there. The Vic tourist dollars are also what the gov is chasing. AFL self sabotage simply to look after favorite sons.
It's ridiculous. Not only do the two WA teams travel the furthest, travel nearly every second weak, but also get given the out there locations no one wants to play. If the AFL actually cared about fairness they would cut the short breaks and long trips for WA teams.
These games rely on tourists for numbers, given small local population. If you want the crowds then get the higher drawing and in form Vic teams to go there. The Vic tourist dollars are also what the gov is chasing. AFL self sabotage simply to look after favorite sons.
We've been there done that.Your turn Collingwood
Everyone else fails, so turn to Collingwood. What a surprise.
Initially Ian Dicker and the board saw the financial mess at docklands stadium about three years before the other muppets. Negotiated a swap from the two docklands games to launceston
Jeff liked the idea of screwing over tassie taxpayers and upped it. His board spent hawk money upgrading the size of the ground which now looks like it will never be needed
If the tasmanians tip in more money for more unattractive games then more fool them. They should insist on some of the bigger victorian teams. An as these games get 60k plus for the hawks ate the mcg its not goint to be the hawks, unless they are an away team
???
Launceston about the same flight time as Melbourne, less chance of delays at airport and on the roads = you get there quicker.
People keep saying it takes too long for WA teams to get to Tassie but it is actually the same or quicker than going to Melbourne. How is that insane?
- Moderator
- #93
TBF, we did negotiate that 2 Victorians teams play down here every year. In 2007, we even had Geelong play a game down here. the fixtures turned around when the AFL werent happy that we rejected North IIRC.
sadly, that got turned around into 1 Victorian, 1 of Sydney/Brisbane(mostly Brisbane). before that current deal, we had Richmond play here, which is still the highest attendance at York Park.
Hawks have done well here. they do a lot in Tassie. but neutrals want to see a contest and decent games. either the hawks or AFL(or both) are failing in that front.
Once saw a report by someone else proving that the transportation in and out of tassie cannot actulay carry all the visitors the government quotes
Look ar the fligth times in webjet and thats believable a- it never looks like an easy trip to me
- Aug 11, 2012
- 7,011
- 10,797
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
Because the AFL are all of a sudden not capable of doing that....?
Playing a Victorian team as the away team massively dents total attendance though. Any of the big clubs and Melbourne (as an MCG club) are likely to add 15,000 to a Hawthorn home game at the G. That's more than the entire crowd down there. The Government may be in it for tourism dollar but from the AFL's perspective it should be just getting a game there that satisfies the public.
It's an away game for the WA teams. They get there 11 home games and derby each year, your 10 away games can be on the moon it's that irrelevant. You make millions a year, if you can't charter a direct flight to Launceston then that's your own problem.
If the Hawks in Tassie are or have failed (and I don't buy that they have) then it's because:
1. Crowds are down generally
2. Either the local market is saturated or they haven't captured the local market (I say it's the first)
3. Hawthorn fans aren't travelling
Personally I think Launceston is really better suited to 3 games a year than 4. That would diminish how often each interstate team plays there as well. And I think they should push for the games earlier in the year. 1 in March and 1 in April at least so it's the time of year when Tassie seems a nice autumn getaway rather than a freezing island in winter.
- Banned
- #97
Bullshit. Money isn't the issue, fatigue and recovery time are.
The complaining here in the media after a Vic team returns post loss, from such an arduous away trip is ridiculous. Both WA teams make that trip, or longer 10+ times per season.
The AFL absolutely needs to stop giving games like Blacktown and Launceston to WC and Fremantle, likewise limit their short breaks. One of the main reasons the fixture is a farce.
But you get a special direct flight back from Launceston, tailored to the exact time you want after the game. It's 15min to the airport, super quick check in, you actually get home quicker than you would from a Melbourne game.
- Banned
- #99
First time I have heard this, do you have a link?
- Oct 30, 2010
- 5,547
- 4,365
- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
tassie is an economic basketcase and the line of sporting failures is a long one.
