The Divvy Van - He got the Divvy van bluuuues

[Ice-Wolf]

If the AFL had any integrity it would be next year when Essendon are kicked out, otherwise it will be because North gradually play more and more games there, relocation by stealth.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

29 February 2072.

Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland unite and separate from the rest of Australia. After a deadly, devastating and fractious civil war that permanently divided Australia into two new nations - Rinehartistan comprising of WA, NT, QLD and portions of South Australia and western NSW and Nova Eureka making up the remaining states of NSW, ACT, Victoria, Tas and SA.

Obviously the AFL is forced to change and the newly formed NEFC (Nova Eureka Football Conference) starts afresh with 12 teams, one of which comes from Tasmania. The team is called the Van Diemen's Devils.

 

[Engimal]

If you think GWS have problems retaining talent, imagine a Tasmanian team.

Yeah, this would be the biggest hurdle. I love Tassie, but it wouldn't be easy to convince kids from Melbourne to move to Tassie. They'd have to base the team in Hobart for there to be any chance.

 

[Prudster]

They would easily get 30k plus members (ie 11 game equivalent). Tas adds nothing to tv rights? Well what does North etc give? Just because a game is played in Tas it doesn't mean only Tasmanians are watching.

You also have to consider that a large number of Tasmanians live in Melbourne and so would buy memberships for the Vic games and also that the state government would back them financially due to the number of interstate visitors brought in.

Saul Eslake and others have done numbers to suggest Tasmanian would easily be viable and IIRC that was before the recent Bellerive upgrade.

Tasmania would have probably the best ground deal at Bellerive and the best sponsor ie state government behind them. Plus another jumper sponsor.

Not hard to see they would be viable.

So they would instantly have as many members as the smaller Melbourne teams? He's right, adding a team to Tassie doesn't really add many extra tv viewers, even in a long term view. And it is irrelevant what North add, because they are an already established team. If North didn't exist and someone was arguing to add another team in Melbourne, it would make little financial sense.

Those Victorian members would not actually make the team a lot of money. Assuming these are away games, the club would have to pay for the entry of these supporters, which severely cuts into the profits on those memberships. Also, most Tassie or ex-Tassie people already have a team, and some portion of those people wouldn't switch to a Tassie team.

Another thing, would the state governments investment be as valuable if it were for a Tassie team? Hawthorn get Tassie a lot of airtime with the logo on the jumper, but how many people outside of Tassie would be watching Tassie play compared to Hawthorn?

The other problem is that Bellerive isn't that big. The newest redevelopment will take it to about 20k, which means if somehow Tassie did get the 30k+ memberships they would need to be viable, there probably wouldn't be enough seats to get a significant amount of traveling fans, which are needed for tourism, etc.

Then there's the problem of Tassie's economy and population being in decline. It's just not a place where there will be obvious growth, both for the team and for the AFL. A Tassie team is a romantic idea of rewarding a footy mad state, but it just doesn't make financial sense unless you are moving a current team down there, which obviously brings in a whole host of new issues.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

When West Sydney becomes a bigger flop than what it is now.

 

[Gibbke]

Naïve and simplistic, typical Liberal Party bullshit, to put two and two together (the costs of an AFL team plus Tasmania's apparently weak economy), and deduce that the state simply can't afford it...

I point you towards hundreds of sports teams around the world who have no problems keeping a team on the field in economies worse than ours, with fewer economic and player list safeguards and operating costs no prettier than anything the AFL can throw up...

 

[Prudster]

Naïve and simplistic, typical Liberal Party bullshit, to put two and two together (the costs of an AFL team plus Tasmania's apparently weak economy), and deduce that the state simply can't afford it...

I point you towards hundreds of sports teams around the world who have no problems keeping a team on the field in economies worse than ours, with fewer economic and player list safeguards and operating costs no prettier than anything the AFL can throw up...

It's not just whether Tassie can afford it, it's a question of does the long term benefits of having a Tassie team justify the costs. If there were already a team in Tassie, it would probably do okay, but there is very little economic reason to create a team in Tassie, and there is less reason every year.

What relevance do teams in other countries and sports have? For a more relevant comparison, half the teams in the league don't make money, even ones with solid assets, membership bases, attendances and other things which the Tassie team won't have.

 

[SgtSchulz]

New Zealand will have a team before Tasmania.

 

[Pessimistic]

The year after they get an a league team

Tasmanians are taking the wrong approach

 

[LB#16]

If the AFL had any integrity it would be next year when Essendon are kicked out, otherwise it will be because North gradually play more and more games there, relocation by stealth.

Essendon, because of the scandal. North because they're small.

Maybe we should combine both aspects and relocate St Kilda.

 

[Cmarsh]

The year after they get an a league team

Tasmanians are taking the wrong approach

I suspect the a league won't go there for the same financial reasons the AFL won't go there.

 

[Ice-Wolf]

Essendon, because of the scandal. North because they're small.

Maybe we should combine both aspects and relocate St Kilda.

Good Idea combine both aspects, North takes over Essendon and frees up a spot in the league.

 

[Kappa]

The year after they get an a league team

Tasmanians are taking the wrong approach

So.. never?

 

[LB#16]

Good Idea combine both aspects, North takes over Essendon and frees up a spot in the league.

Do you always derail threads with your rambling? If a club moves to Tasmanian it should be a small club like St Kilda.

 

[JackFlash]

I'm not sure about a full time team, but there is a case for a team to play more than 4 games a year down there. The Dogs are off to Ballarat, could another team see Tasmania as a permanent 2nd home? However, what has to happen in Tassie is a team must wear the Tassie colours, the Hawks are part timers and so are North, neither will re-locate down in Tassie full time so why not give the fans down there a team that plays 4-6 home games a year and they play in Tassie colours? The fans would identify better with a team that represents their state as well as maintaining their Victorian fan base, whoever that might be?

 

[Beutbrute]

Well, South Melbourne went North to Sydney so there is a nice balance if North Melbourne goes South to Tasmania.

FWIW there would be a greater benefit in having a team move to NZ, and possibly NT

 

[Albert Ross]

Naïve and simplistic, typical Liberal Party bullshit, to put two and two together (the costs of an AFL team plus Tasmania's apparently weak economy), and deduce that the state simply can't afford it...

I point you towards hundreds of sports teams around the world who have no problems keeping a team on the field in economies worse than ours, with fewer economic and player list safeguards and operating costs no prettier than anything the AFL can throw up...

Name 7.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

FWIW there would be a greater benefit in having a team move to NZ, and possibly NT

Nobody lives in the NT.

 

[Robbo92]

If NZ get a team before Tassie do then I'll probably give up watching AFL.

 

[Call Me Cake]

The reason Gold Coast and Western Sydney got their teams, despite not being AFL dominant territory, is because those places are predicted to grow, or to continue to grow in the future, and thus, aiding the teams in terms of population numbers and ongoing infrastructure.

Tasmania, despite being AFL dominated territory, has none of those on it's side. Hence whilst we'd love to see a Tasmanian team in the heart sense, it has a lot going against it at the moment in the business sense.

 

[JoseMourinho]

Tasmania Hawks!

 

[Starburns_]

Bit of a prediction game. I'm going to say 2026 and it is going to involve North Melbourne. Either North will move there full time after the AFL offers them incentives too good to refuse or North will merge with another team like the Bulldogs.

Bonus points: Predict the name of the Tassie team. In my mind they either become the Tasmania Devils or the Tasmania Kangaroos.

I look forward to revisiting this thread then to see if you were right.

I'm not sure about a full time team, but there is a case for a team to play more than 4 games a year down there. The Dogs are off to Ballarat, could another team see Tasmania as a permanent 2nd home? However, what has to happen in Tassie is a team must wear the Tassie colours, the Hawks are part timers and so are North, neither will re-locate down in Tassie full time so why not give the fans down there a team that plays 4-6 home games a year and they play in Tassie colours? The fans would identify better with a team that represents their state as well as maintaining their Victorian fan base, whoever that might be?

And why would any existing club agree to that? They may as well relocate permanently if they're going to have to wear an entirely different jumper for a percentage of their games.

 

[Shawt]

A two headed mascot leading the crowd in "Never Tear Us Apart"....

Chills, right down ma spine

 

[Waverley]

That's right ladies and gentlemen and Jazny.

It's important not to get carried away after a rookie draft, but I think it's pretty clear to see the Mighty
Aww SNAP!! Hawks recruit the next Buddy on minimum wage!!!

Hawks have somehow just landed someone who is bound to become a household name in the AFL.

Standing at 187cm

Weighing it at 75kgs

Introducing!!!!......


JERMAINE MILLER-LEWIS!!!

Highlights:
http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2014-12-03/welcome-to-hawthorn-jermaine-millerlewis


Omfg. He looks better than Nakia Cockatoo and Geelong took that fairy at pick 10!

Reckon JML will be a big game player too. Will give Essendon nightmares.

I really don't know how we do it. Lol at everyone else who overlooked him. We've already got the best forward line, surely someone else needed this guy more lulz

Happy times at Hawthorn land

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Goo incoming