Split Tasmanian AFL Team

[stupidlikeafox]

Would splitting the grounds across Tassy reduce the chances of future stadium upgrades compared with a single stadium that would apply better facilities and capacity in order to increase the team revenue streams?

 

[Papa G]

Would splitting the grounds across Tassy reduce the chances of future stadium upgrades compared with a single stadium that would apply better facilities and capacity in order to increase the team revenue streams?

I would think for their population sizes, both grounds are about right. But as we all know, stadium returns are more important than capacity issues.

 

[Papa G]

As somebody who has never been to Tassie, and lets not start a shitfight here, is Hobart the more "cosmopolitan" for want of a better word, city? Has it got more going on?? You'd think you'd have to base the team there for living/training etc?? Would this shit the Northerners off though?

 

[Whowants2know]

As a person who lives in the south of the island, why do we need 2 grounds???? If Melbourne has a population of 4 million and 2 grounds, then how the heck can Tassie with a population 500000 justify having 2 grounds??

And to annoy the northerners, When I go to the mainland to watch the footy, I go to the capital city where all the action is!!

 

[madmug]

Would splitting the grounds across Tassy reduce the chances of future stadium upgrades compared with a single stadium that would apply better facilities and capacity in order to increase the team revenue streams?

I dont see why it would.
The original political policy about footy in one stadium & cricket in the other was plain bloody stupid. Now it looks like we will see some cricket at Aurora as well as footy at Bootpark.
Neither stadium would justify being 40k or anything like that but two stadiums getting filled at each game would offer the best financial return. With our own team then I think both stadiums could grow to some extent. Maybe to 25-30k?

 

[madmug]

As a person who lives in the south of the island, why do we need 2 grounds???? If Melbourne has a population of 4 million and 2 grounds, then how the heck can Tassie with a population 500000 justify having 2 grounds??

And to annoy the northerners, When I go to the mainland to watch the footy, I go to the capital city where all the action is!!

Melbourne is a silly comparison as it is one big city. If the distance between Hobart & Launceston of 200km should be ignored when building just one stadium for the state, Why then does Geelong have a stadium then? its only 80km from the MCG.
Tassie has 2 stadiums now due to politics. We aint going to pull one down now so we may as well get the benefit of using both of them to the best advantage.
As far as cosmopolitan, I would think Hobart is the more developed market for things to do in the city. Launy is a bit quieter but still has things to do, I guess.
As a place to base a team, I said the better access to medical infrastructure, foggy Launy airport etc, Hobart would make better sense as the admin base & training centre.

 

[The King!]

As somebody who has never been to Tassie, and lets not start a shitfight here, is Hobart the more "cosmopolitan" for want of a better word, city? Has it got more going on?? You'd think you'd have to base the team there for living/training etc?? Would this shit the Northerners off though?

Hobart actually feels like you are in a city at the very least.

 

[Gibbke]

Yes, no one from AFL Tas please, they carry too much baggage. & no Kevin Sheedy either please. We have enough nut cases of our own without importing another one

I threw him in because he's been great for GWS...as a brains trust he and Williams have been top shelf. To be honest, I'd hope our team would go through a process as the Hawks did when they got Clarkson, holding firm looking for the right guy and not listening to every other idiot slamming the club for "being too slow" and missing "obvious" candidates like all the old ex-Hawks who were running around free at that time...I'm not saying get Clarkson, although he'd be pretty good, but I am saying get the right guy for our team, the philosophy of which I'd hope is purely football and not theatrics (Sheedy)...

But you wouldn't knock back Ablett, right...?

 

[Gibbke]

As somebody who has never been to Tassie, and lets not start a shitfight here, is Hobart the more "cosmopolitan" for want of a better word, city? Has it got more going on?? You'd think you'd have to base the team there for living/training etc?? Would this shit the Northerners off though?

Cosmopolitan isn't the word for it, but it is noticeably bigger. When I moved to Queensland and went to Toowoomba the first time, I thought I'd found Launceston's parallel universe twin - complete with old buildings and fog. More cowboy hats than Lton though...

My wife is British, and when I took her back home for the first time, she said the building design in Hobart made it look like it was stuck in the 1970's...!

One other thing about Tasmanians is their (once my) distorted sense of what distance actually is. I used to think my teaching job travelling between Launceston and Devonport (1 hour) was a major haul, driving to Hobart took longer than going to Melbourne (including getting to the airport), and gleefully counted up the 350km or so I'd claim on tax, thinking "handy little earner"! The first year I was in Qld, regular work jaunts between GC and Brisbane saw me claim 13 000 k's...blew those notions away. When we went back on that Hobart trip, we got out to Evandale, which I used to consider the sticks when living in Tassie, and said we'd buy there if we ever relocated, because it was closer to the city centre than I am here in the Brisbane suburbs...

What's this got to do with footy? If I thought this way, and attitudes are slow to change back home, I'd bet that a centralised stadium would be a crowd killer. Training sure, but matches would suffer. This is already shown in the attendance breakdown for Hawthorn (not many southerners), and it will probably happen vice versa over time with North. State services everywhere are duplicated, and it's not just a you v me thing - there is a perception for the locals that the state is a lot bigger than it really is...

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

there is a perception for the locals that the state is a lot bigger than it really is...

This is very true. Two hours is a long haul, not the average twice daily commute like it is in Sydney. People in Tas don't commute more than about 30 minutes in Hobart, or 15 in Launceston.
Psychologically a two drive (Launceston-Hobart, more than that if trying to get to Bellerive on game day) in Tasmania is more like a five or six hour drive on the mainland - and how many people drive every second week from Wagga to Sydney, or Swan Hill to Melbourne, for a sporting contest?
A couple of times a year maybe, but not many would do it once a fortnight.

 

[madmug]

This is very true. Two hours is a long haul, not the average twice daily commute like it is in Sydney. People in Tas don't commute more than about 30 minutes in Hobart, or 15 in Launceston.
Psychologically a two drive (Launceston-Hobart, more than that if trying to get to Bellerive on game day) in Tasmania is more like a five or six hour drive on the mainland - and how many people drive every second week from Wagga to Sydney, or Swan Hill to Melbourne, for a sporting contest?
A couple of times a year maybe, but not many would do it once a fortnight.

Correct. The thing to remember is that perception is reality. If your customers (sports patrons) perceive that a regular 4-5 hour (includes Campbelltown coffee stop & piddle, ) return trip to watch sport is too far, then it is & they wont go, or will go infrequently.
Having the two grounds reduces that excuse not to go & should ensure the maximum attendance/support for any Tassie team.
Again its pointless saying we should only have one stadium. We have two, so might as well use them as best we can

 

[DDTiger]

This sports should look at a second division

I quess the Foxtel cup is kinda like this

We need a Tasmanain team, and I think the AFL should get New Zealand involved too

 

[Whowants2know]

This sports should look at a second division

I quess the Foxtel cup is kinda like this

We need a Tasmanain team, and I think the AFL should get New Zealand involved too

And the way the AFL treats Tasmania, New Zealand will have a side and won a premiership before Tassie has a team!

 

[madmug]

This sports should look at a second division

I quess the Foxtel cup is kinda like this

We need a Tasmanain team, and I think the AFL should get New Zealand involved too

No way could we have a 2nd division of the AFL. It would not be supported by the AFL so thats the end of that!! It would cost too much anyway.
It might be fun trying to pick sides & regions who might have a side in such a competition.

 

[Patty Healey]

Tasmanian team, based in Hobart. Simple?

Hawthorn can keep allegiance with Launceston as, Hobart and Launceston hate each other down there.

 

[madmug]

Tasmanian team, based in Hobart. Simple?

Hawthorn can keep allegiance with Launceston as, Hobart and Launceston hate each other down there.

Nice try. One team in Tassie or non. Certain people in Hobart & Launy will have to learn to share, most of us are willing to. We share one cricket team, so it can happen.
It just needs a little share & care, from everyone.

 

[blaze036]

Tasmanian team, based in Hobart. Simple?

Hawthorn can keep allegiance with Launceston as, Hobart and Launceston hate each other down there.

So you are splitting an already small supporter base in two?

 

[Patty Healey]

Nice try. One team in Tassie or non. Certain people in Hobart & Launy will have to learn to share, most of us are willing to. We share one cricket team, so it can happen.
It just needs a little share & care, from everyone.

I wish that to happen as well but I think it will be too hard logistically. What are they going to do, alternate each home game between Launceston & Hobart. I highly doubt that will happen.

Hawks have a strong supporter base in Launceston already, Hobart is the best chance they will have.

I hope, for Tasmania, and the leagues sake, that Tasmania gets 1 UNITED team but I highly doubt it will happen.

 

[TassieEagle]

The Hawks and Roos would have to stop playing home games here if we had our own team, we can't sustain 18 games a year here.

 

[madmug]

I wish that to happen as well but I think it will be too hard logistically. What are they going to do, alternate each home game between Launceston & Hobart. I highly doubt that will happen.

Hawks have a strong supporter base in Launceston already, Hobart is the best chance they will have.

I hope, for Tasmania, and the leagues sake, that Tasmania gets 1 UNITED team but I highly doubt it will happen.

As it has already been said, a lot of clubs use more than one ground. GWS, Hawks, North, Swans, Port, et al. Hawks may have people who buy memberships to watch AFL footy in Launceston. Dont kid yourself that they wouldnt support their own Team in the AFL.
You can doubt all u like. We support one cricket team. Sharing one AFL team would be easy.

 

[Patty Healey]

As it has already been said, a lot of clubs use more than one ground. GWS, Hawks, North, Swans, Port, et al. Hawks may have people who buy memberships to watch AFL footy in Launceston. Dont kid yourself that they wouldnt support their own Team in the AFL.
You can doubt all u like. We support one cricket team. Sharing one AFL team would be easy.

Well then bring one in Demetriou!

I've always said Tassie should be the next state to get a team and have been for quite a while. It's time, surely!

I went down last week to watch the Roos V Swans and the football fever down there was nothing short of FANTASTIC. Night life was also fun in Hobart haha Good ol' Cargo Bar goes alright.

Truly deserve one.

 

[Stopher]

Please excuse any ignorance on my part, as I've never been to Tassie, so don't want to offend anyone!

Now, without knowing from exactly where each of these well-known gents hail, the one thing I do know is there are a number of them who are passionate Tasmanians who are footy lovers, so whether they could be used to be the face of any potential push for a Tassie team. Off the top of my head, Tim Lane is a massive advocate for it and for past players, Richo and Peter Hudson are two genuine greats that could do a lot to help the cause.

As for stadiums, if the AFL is satisfied that there are two grounds that are up to standard now, surely it wouldn't require a huge amount of investment for them both to be used as home grounds on a permanent basis. Someone earlier mentioned Geelong as an example of a team playing home games in two different cities, not to mention GWS who are doing similar with Manuka and Skoda. Maybe a 5-6 game membership for each region (north and south) and swap it each other year so over two years, you get 11 games in your area.

Again, excuse any ignorance on my part, but I'd love to see the day Tassie has a team in the AFL, as they certainly care enough and would get enough public backing to make it work. I just can't see it happening on AD's watch, unfortunately. Hopefully he isn't around much longer though, does my head in.

 

[madmug]

Well then bring one in Demetriou!

I've always said Tassie should be the next state to get a team and have been for quite a while. It's time, surely!

I went down last week to watch the Roos V Swans and the football fever down there was nothing short of FANTASTIC. Night life was also fun in Hobart haha Good ol' Cargo Bar goes alright.

Truly deserve one.

I like the waterfront area. A lot of good bars & restaurants. The Grape wine bar & Knopwoods pub I like, but I do prefer the Talbot Hotel in Newtown. Its a bit more suited for older punters like me, & closer to home

 

[Patty Healey]

I like the waterfront area. A lot of good bars & restaurants. The Grape wine bar & Knopwoods pub I like, but I do prefer the Talbot Hotel in Newtown. Its a bit more suited for older punters like me, & closer to home

Haha yeah I absolutely loved Hobart and will be going down as much as possible but unfortunately can't make the NM v PA game in 2 weeks.

It's so peaceful down there and the people are awesome, the girls go alright too, very willing!

 

[Patty Healey]

Theres a pub when you catch a watercab across from Salamanca to the game right near the dock which is AWESOME.

All the AFL fans were there before and after the game, cracking atmosphere.