Tassie's AFL Team? Never!

[Uglybustard]

On the weekend Tassie beat Queensland in the NAB U18 comp. Pity that any Tassie talent in that team will go offshore. Queensland has 2 teams in the AFL. Tassie has none, and Demetriou has vowed that will remain the case while he is CEO. Meanwhile Demetriou ensures the 2 teams he played for in North Melbourne and Hawthorn survive by playing in Tassie, also ensuring lopsided representation of Victorian teams in a National comp that will not truly be national until Tassie, ACT and NT are represented. But Tassie fans have to make a stand. Nothing will happen until they stage a mini revolution of their own http://bit.ly/LBNIZj

 

[Tazwegian]

On the weekend Tassie beat Queensland in the NAB U18 comp. Pity that any Tassie talent in that team will go offshore. Queensland has 2 teams in the AFL. Tassie has none, and Demetriou has vowed that will remain the case while he is CEO. Meanwhile Demetriou ensures the 2 teams he played for in North Melbourne and Hawthorn survive by playing in Tassie, also ensuring lopsided representation of Victorian teams in a National comp that will not truly be national until Tassie, ACT and NT are represented. But Tassie fans have to make a stand. Nothing will happen until they stage a mini revolution of their own http://bit.ly/LBNIZj

Agreed. It is rubbish. If we had our own AFL team, it would help out state's development of our youth as well. Our under 18s would be competitive with the Vics again. Demetriou killed us.

 

[Kwality]

Agreed. It is rubbish. If we had our own AFL team, it would help out state's development of our youth as well. Our under 18s would be competitive with the Vics again. Demetriou killed us.

I refer to Tassie as traditional VFL raping grounds - Victoria has taken your footballers, from legends to journeymen, now they are picking your pockets & you are letting them.
The rest of Aus is with you, most of us want a team in Tas.

 

[jethro11]

Will never happen with the current Commission. Shame, really.

 

[EssendonNick]

I love a good revolution!

 

[Essendonia]

I love a good revolution!

Make sure you're all signed up!

http://www.tassiefootyteam.com.au/

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Simple really, if the Tassie government were serious they would withdraw or sponsorship of Hawks and Kangas. They would then encourage their population by print and TV to boycott all AFL games.
I simply cannot believe they sponsor Hawthorn and then complain they have no team.

 

[muesli]

Simple really, if the Tassie government were serious they would withdraw or sponsorship of Hawks and Kangas. They would then encourage their population by print and TV to boycott all AFL games.
I simply cannot believe they sponsor Hawthorn and then complain they have no team.

Completely agree, about the Tassie government, they need to stop the handouts to these two clubs and say we are not going to accept anything less then our own team.

 

[blaze036]

Simple really, if the Tassie government were serious they would withdraw or sponsorship of Hawks and Kangas. They would then encourage their population by print and TV to boycott all AFL games.
I simply cannot believe they sponsor Hawthorn and then complain they have no team.

Yes, because disgraceful crowds to AFL games in tasmania WOULD work in their favor...

 

[Essendonia]

Yes, because disgraceful crowds to AFL games in tasmania WOULD work in their favor...

They would argue that they are not willing to attend to support non-Tasmanian teams, but would be happy to attend en masse to see their own Appleboys run out.

Commercially, the introduction of the team is not extremely beneficial or viable financially, but it is something that is simple desired by almost all footy fans and required to make it a national competition in the proper sense.

 

[Freomaniac]

I agree as well.

Just a pity there isnt 500,000 people living in Hobart. If done properly Make York Park or Bellrieve oval have a capacity of 30,000 and try to get 20-25,000 at the gate. you can make the team Profitable or break even.

 

[Tazwegian]

They would argue that they are not willing to attend to support non-Tasmanian teams, but would be happy to attend en masse to see their own Appleboys run out.

Commercially, the introduction of the team is not extremely beneficial or viable financially, but it is something that is simple desired by almost all footy fans and required to make it a national competition in the proper sense.

Maybe, but you can say that teams like North Melbourne aren't commercially viable at the moment as well. I think a Tassie team would have absolutely enormous support statewide and would do better than break even financially. I think the models have shown that it is commercially viable. We would do much better in the short term than GWS and GC. It would be a massive thing for our state to have a team, and it is extremely unfair for the AFL to exclude us. The federal government should step in and demand they put a Tassie team in the AFL. lol.

 

[Essendonia]

I'm behind you one hundred per cent.

It is just obvious that the AFL is expanding for cash, not culture, otherwise Tasmania would certainly have come before any of the north-eastern teams.

Agree with previous poster that TasGov support for Hawks is ludicrous and counter-productive to efforts supporting a Tas team. If not for 'tourism' benefits, not sure that they could legally support the direction of funds.

 

[Kwality]

Completely agree, about the Tassie government, they need to stop the handouts to these two clubs and say we are not going to accept anything less then our own team.

The Hawks sponsorship works for Tas in terms of return on the funds employed, but its a different argument to the team from Tas.

Its not about handouts to AFL clubs, Melbourne based AFL clubs.

Tassie are a proud, productive player in Australian Rules footy & the Tassie taxpayers should be entitled to spend their dollars as they want & thats for their own team.

YES, it'd be a win for Tas & a loss for the Melbourne based AFL teams.

Many Melbourne based AFL fans, not all, would do anything to keep alive clubs that
after 100 years cant attract enough members, cant attract enough sponsors, cant put enough bums on seats
& yet these fans of Melbourne clubs are prepared to destroy the game nationally they claim to love to subsidise Melbourne AFL clubs e.g put a 3rd club in WA, why oh why, what does it do for our game?

 

[madmug]

The Hawks sponsorship works for Tas in terms of return on the funds employed, but its a different argument to the team from Tas.

Its not about handouts to AFL clubs, Melbourne based AFL clubs.

Tassie are a proud, productive player in Australian Rules footy & the Tassie taxpayers should be entitled to spend their dollars as they want & thats for their own team.

YES, it'd be a win for Tas & a loss for the Melbourne based AFL teams.

Many Melbourne based AFL fans, not all, would do anything to keep alive clubs that
after 100 years cant attract enough members, cant attract enough sponsors, cant put enough bums on seats
& yet these fans of Melbourne clubs are prepared to destroy the game nationally they claim to love to subsidise Melbourne AFL clubs e.g put a 3rd club in WA, why oh why, what does it do for our game?

As said before, no club needs to die, they should play in the VFL. Victoria cant have it all their own way. Its either a national competition or its not.
Relocation is also a lot of crap. What they did to Fitzroy was a disgrace. Playing two rentaclubs in Tassie is also a disgrace.
I see last year Demetriou said Western Sydney 'deserves' they own side. A perverse & self serving comment if I've ever heard one .
Some fairness & consistency would be nice to have, but no, its about selfishness & greed. From one place.

 

[EssendonNick]

The fact is that to be a truly national league, there needs to be a team in Tassie.
Whether they are self sufficient or not. How many current clubs are on AFL handouts?
As long as the league as a whole is still making money, each club doesn't need to necessarily be self sufficient.

 

[Strangled Cat]

Would it be Tasmania or Hobart or even Launceston? What would be the best way to do it? Where would they be based? The north v south rivalry has given the AFL an excuse on a platter. It is up to Tasmania to unite as one and fight for what you want. I for one with a lot of people around the country would love to see a Tassie team in the AFL.

 

[EssendonNick]

Would it be Tasmania or Hobart or even Launceston? What would be the best way to do it? Where would they be based? The north v south rivalry has given the AFL an excuse on a platter. It is up to Tasmania to unite as one and fight for what you want. I for one with a lot of people around the country would love to see a Tassie team in the AFL.

Would have to be a shared team I reckon. Split the home games 6 to 5.
I don't like the idea of a club being actually called 'Tasmania' though. Just wouldn't feel right having a state name for a football club. But calling it Hobart or Launceston would ostracise the other cities supporters.
Could pull a Footscray and be called the 'Southern somethings'.

 

[Kwality]

As said before, no club needs to die, they should play in the VFL. Victoria cant have it all their own way. Its either a national competition or its not.
Relocation is also a lot of crap. What they did to Fitzroy was a disgrace. Playing two rentaclubs in Tassie is also a disgrace.
I see last year Demetriou said Western Sydney 'deserves' they own side. A perverse & self serving comment if I've ever heard one .
Some fairness & consistency would be nice to have, but no, its about selfishness & greed. From one place.

Point taken. The VFL is where they came from, legendary clubs like Melbourne have failed to be viable in a national comp, too tough for a Victorian mefears !!

A Tassie side is supported by most AFL followers.

 

[madmug]

Would have to be a shared team I reckon. Split the home games 6 to 5.
I don't like the idea of a club being actually called 'Tasmania' though. Just wouldn't feel right having a state name for a football club. But calling it Hobart or Launceston would ostracise the other cities supporters.
Could pull a Footscray and be called the 'Southern somethings'.

Island Devils, Southern Mariners, Tassie Penguins.

 

[Essendonia]

Would it be Tasmania or Hobart or even Launceston? What would be the best way to do it? Where would they be based? The north v south rivalry has given the AFL an excuse on a platter. It is up to Tasmania to unite as one and fight for what you want. I for one with a lot of people around the country would love to see a Tassie team in the AFL.

You raise a good point.

 

[Gibbke]

Moot point. The AFL would never allow a new franchise to be run by the local hicks, especially if it needed a boost in funding. The AFL wanted NM to relinquish control of their club to them, and while I'm not sure how GWS run things, I'd bet they'd have AFL appointed board members as GC do. A Tasmanian team would be run independently of AFL Tasmania, and wouldn't be representative of either region of the state. As for home ground, they'd probably base it in Launceston in the short term, if Bellerive wasn't redeveloped by then...me personally, I'd call for an even split to actually be written into the club's constitution...

And no matter what pseudonym for Tassie they come up with, I'd still call the team Tasmania...simple as that...!

 

[CrashTestDummy]

A co-operative North (launceston) South (hobart) approach would be required for any Tassie bid. Too much rivalry and distrust

 

[Gibbke]

The current Hawks deal has completely overridden popular North South opinion. No matter how much Southern interests complain about it, York Park gets the games. It started with a premier who saw a way to get the Northern vote, but after that it's all about the Hawks and the state govt coming to terms, irrespective of who starts agitating, and once the Hawks expressed a lack of interest in playing anywhere else, that's where it stayed...a very attractive offer from North involving 7 games a year was shunted, and in 12 seasons Southerners have been totally unsuccessful getting the Hawks to Hobart...that right there tells you where the power is...

An AFL side would see an AFL appointed board negotiate with sponsors and the govt, and would be independant of these North South issues. The public will have their own opinions of course, some will love the situation, others will grizzle, no matter what eventuates, but eventually it's the suits who will dictate and enough people will get on board regardless. This team bears no similarity to the current TSL or anything else down there that is actually run by Tasmanians, because this team won't be run by locals...

I'd think they'd rationalise the grounds and base them at York Park to start with, since it is closer to AFL standard than Bellerive...funding redevelopment THEN becomes a state govt issue dependant on the vote, so it could then go anywhere, but unlike most Tasmanian budgetary decisions there will be significant influence from the AFL...I keep thinking how they managed to influence the NSW and QLD govts to backflip on their own stadium positions and turn the Gabba, Carrara, Homebush, Blacktown and Skoda into elite venues, but there's megabucks in those two state by comparison, and there's also been a backlash on dodgy spending in QLD which saw Bligh get smashed last election...

 

[Kwality]

The current Hawks deal has completely overridden popular North South opinion....

When Tassie gets their own side they need to consider the structure of the admin of the game across the State & it needs to be a Commission as governs the AFL, the WAFC not the SANFL.

& I suggest you'd be crazy to be another AFL club under the Victorian dominated AFL Commission, follow the WA model, its in the best interests of Tas footy. Despite the North- South divide, I'm sure there are Tasmanians prepared to act in the best interests of Tas footy, just as demonstrated by the WAFC & the AFL Commission.

Why the WA model, because Victoria has never done anything in the best interests of Tas footy, from the wholesale rape of the player pool, to the taxpayer subsidy of Melbourne clubs & the continued refusal to seriously consider a team in the AFL