Hawks to exit Tassie after 2023?

[Pessimistic]

I kept checking during goals, there was not one gold coast fan cheering outside their cheer squad section

 

[MightyHawks]

If Tasmania gets its own team...

Given the AFL own Docklands they’ll definitely want more higher drawing games at that stadium.

More Big 4 and Hawthorn games likely at the expense of Dogs, North and Saints games

Given our Docklands crowds are actually pretty good (even if you take out the Hodge and Roughead farewells) we would definitely be in line for more games. So best we embrace the stadium and negotiate a favourable stadium deal.

Richmond and Collingwood crowds are probably too big to play games at Docklands, Essendon has the sweetheart deal (and could push for MCG games) and Hawthorn (and Carlton) are probably the perfect size.

We should look to lock in 11 home and away MCG games (6 or 7 home games) and the remainder at Docklands

Essendons contract at Marvel expires in 2025 - they'll probably be looking for a 7-4 MCG-Marvel split at that point

If we are to leave Tassie the AFL will want us to have a 7-4 MCG- Marvel split too

IMO there's no chance we'll get 9 games at the MCG, and even if we did we still need to embrace all our home games

If we don't attend our home matches then it hurts the clubs bottom line and that can result in us having to cut some costs such as letting go an HFC employee or two

So when you don't attend our home matches that makes our CFO upset and when you make our CFO upset...

 

[tige19]

Was a nice atmosphere with 30k hawks at the dome today

Would love a boutique 40k stadium of our own

 

[wahawk]

Would love a boutique 40k stadium of our own

It won’t happen mate.

It’s a dream for a lot of Hawks fans but it isn’t happening

 

[Gralin]

Would love a boutique 40k stadium of our own

We'd have to play more games there to afford the cost of it, assuming that Dingley could handle that kind of structure

We'd get locked in like the Cats and not be an MCG tenant anymore, looking at what that did for Carlton and Essendon do you really want that?

 

[Hawkk]

We'd have to play more games there to afford the cost of it, assuming that Dingley could handle that kind of structure

We'd get locked in like the Cats and not be an MCG tenant anymore, looking at what that did for Carlton and Essendon do you really want that?

Exactly,

Every club that has grown has been an MCG tenant

Think Melbourne in the 1950's, Richmond in the 1960's, Essendon in the 1990's and even Hawthorn in the late 2000's.

Move away from the MCG and you seriously limit the ability to grow the club brand, the reason we are a rung behind Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and Richmond for Victorian support is probably because we went to Princes Park in the mid 1970's and Waverley in the 1990's.

Imagine if we went to the MCG in 1980, we'd be massive now.

 

[MrPremiership]

Don't worry about the cost of a boutique stadium, imagine the cost of getting the infrastructure of Dingley up to scratch for 40,000 people to attend a match!!!!

Billions away from handling that

 

[tige19]

We'd have to play more games there to afford the cost of it, assuming that Dingley could handle that kind of structure

We'd get locked in like the Cats and not be an MCG tenant anymore, looking at what that did for Carlton and Essendon do you really want that?

Capacity is the key, if it tipped into the 40s then it wouldn't bother us. The club would also have the ground built to MCG dynamics, for me it's a no-brainer if we had state and federal backing eg Parramattas purpose built stadium, Gold Coasts and North Qld's.

 

[tige19]

Don't worry about the cost of a boutique stadium, imagine the cost of getting the infrastructure of Dingley up to scratch for 40,000 people to attend a match!!!!

Billions away from handling that

This is the issue of course.. A bit disappointing that we are going all the way out to Dingley but long term it has merit as a growth corridor.

 

[MrPremiership]

This is the issue of course.. A bit disappointing that we are going all the way out to Dingley but long term it has merit as a growth corridor.

I think it's a great location as a training base, or for a VFL/VFLW ground. But we're kidding ourselves if we think it will be a location for a boutique stadium, especially inside of 30 years and without SIGNIFICANT government spending for infrastructure.

But that's ok, it doesn't need to be. It only needs to house the best facilities in the league for training. The MCG is a handy venue to play matches at

 

[Gralin]

Capacity is the key, if it tipped into the 40s then it wouldn't bother us. The club would also have the ground built to MCG dynamics, for me it's a no-brainer if we had state and federal backing eg Parramattas purpose built stadium, Gold Coasts and North Qld's.

But it is an issue.
You could build it to the exact dimensions and orientation as the G but it wouldn't be the G. I'd rather a 7-4 split between Marvel and the G than 4-7 split between the G and Dingley which to be honest I think is being optimistic if we had Dingley are our home ground, much more likely to go the Geelong route of 2-9 split like Geelong do. You need to make your money back on that investment and if you own the stadium and can guarantee a big enough crowd you do that.

You think Hawks don't like going to Marvel, I don't see them being more happy with going to Dingley, for many it would be harder.

Add to that we aren't Geelong, we don't have a large % of our supporters in Dingley with the MCG being the harder game to get to.

MCG is where you want to be playing your games, as many as possible.

 

[Hawkk]

But it is an issue.
You could build it to the exact dimensions and orientation as the G but it wouldn't be the G. I'd rather a 7-4 split between Marvel and the G than 4-7 split between the G and Dingley which to be honest I think is being optimistic if we had Dingley are our home ground, much more likely to go the Geelong route of 2-9 split like Geelong do. You need to make your money back on that investment and if you own the stadium and can guarantee a big enough crowd you do that.

You think Hawks don't like going to Marvel, I don't see them being more happy with going to Dingley, for many it would be harder.

Add to that we aren't Geelong, we don't have a large % of our supporters in Dingley with the MCG being the harder game to get to.

MCG is where you want to be playing your games, as many as possible.

Pretty much.

People talk about Waverley Park like it was some sort of Mecca for Hawthorn fans.

Not only are our crowds at the MCG substantially larger (average 45,854 for home and away games since 1997) but our games at Docklands (36,613) are larger then Waverley Park (33,318)

Docklands is a more popular venue for Hawthorn members then Waverley Park ever was which is a bit of a myth debunking...

Geelong is a regional, provincial club with a high concentration of members in Geelong, Hawthorn is not

And the public transport for anyone north, north/west, north/east, or west, south/west of the city is god awful

If Waverley Park was difficult, Dingley would be next to impossible

 

[WWSD]

I think it's getting to the point now where surely the club can survive without the whole Tasmania deal? With over 60,000 members in Victoria alone it's best interest should be to push for as many home games at the MCG as possible. I personally don't like the club playing 4 games a year down there. Not every member is in favour of playing games in Tasmania. Four home games is way too much for my liking.

Just to give you an idea of how bad this is for the Victorian based members out there, this year there has been two periods of waiting almost 7 weeks between one home game in Melbourne to the next. Is that really fair? That's not value for money for the members who pay a ton for yearly membership (which has the Tasmania homes included as part of the package) having to wait so long just to see a home game!

Round 8 - GWS (MCG)
Round 15 - WCE (MCG)
Seven week gap

Round 16 vs Collingwood (MCG)
Round 22 - GC (MS)
Six week gap

 

[tige19]

But it is an issue.
You could build it to the exact dimensions and orientation as the G but it wouldn't be the G. I'd rather a 7-4 split between Marvel and the G than 4-7 split between the G and Dingley which to be honest I think is being optimistic if we had Dingley are our home ground, much more likely to go the Geelong route of 2-9 split like Geelong do. You need to make your money back on that investment and if you own the stadium and can guarantee a big enough crowd you do that.

You think Hawks don't like going to Marvel, I don't see them being more happy with going to Dingley, for many it would be harder.

Add to that we aren't Geelong, we don't have a large % of our supporters in Dingley with the MCG being the harder game to get to.

MCG is where you want to be playing your games, as many as possible.

That's your opinion.

I am a Hawk fan who lives in the inner north and I would love to go to our stadium that is purpose-built for our club and for our fans, driving to Dingley would be no problem particularly as you would know seats are a premium.

I think this discussion would provide plenty of positives and negatives on both sides, however, if we decided to go down that path long term and had the support from the government sector then I know our fans would embrace it. As supporter base we have accepted the Tassie deal, I think we would all be doing back flips if that was replaced with a 4-7 split at our own home ground.

The location of Dingley would also suit St.Kilda, the ground would be used for a multitude of events and sporting clubs in the South East, including Cricket and Soccer. It is a long way down the track, but I believe it would be a worthwhile discussion and would hold commercial appeal for the club.

 

[Carl Spackler]

That's your opinion.

I am a Hawk fan who lives in the inner north and I would love to go to our stadium that is purpose-built for our club and for our fans, driving to Dingley would be no problem particularly as you would know seats are a premium.

I think this discussion would provide plenty of positives and negatives on both sides, however, if we decided to go down that path long term and had the support from the government sector then I know our fans would embrace it. As supporter base we have accepted the Tassie deal, I think we would all be doing back flips if that was replaced with a 4-7 split at our own home ground.

The location of Dingley would also suit St.Kilda, the ground would be used for a multitude of events and sporting clubs in the South East, including Cricket and Soccer. It is a long way down the track, but I believe it would be a worthwhile discussion and would hold commercial appeal for the club.

Not me. I live in Bayside and wouldn’t be doing backflips about going to Dingley for games. A number of reasons:

1. Must drive instead of train. So I’m sitting in long lines to get away from or in to the place.

2. My kids can’t make their own way. Currently my 17-year-old daughter and some friends frequently make their own way to a game at the G. How are they going to do that at Dingley?

3. No Friday nights with mates at the game. How am I supposed to get home and then drive to Dingley by 7:40 on a Friday?

4. No Friday nights with the family. “Meet me after work and we’ll grab a bite and then go to the G.”

5. Zero, zero, zero drinks or dinner options in Dingley. The Adventure Putt Putt perhaps.

 

[tige19]

Not me. I live in Bayside and wouldn’t be doing backflips about going to Dingley for games. A number of reasons:

1. Must drive instead of train. So I’m sitting in long lines to get away from or in to the place.

2. My kids can’t make their own way. Currently my 17-year-old daughter and some friends frequently make their own way to a game at the G. How are they going to do that at Dingley?

3. No Friday nights with mates at the game. How am I supposed to get home and then drive to Dingley by 7:40 on a Friday?

4. No Friday nights with the family. “Meet me after work and we’ll grab a bite and then go to the G.”

5. Zero, zero, zero drinks or dinner options in Dingley. The Adventure Putt Putt perhaps.

Good on you.

 

[Gralin]

That's your opinion.

I am a Hawk fan who lives in the inner north and I would love to go to our stadium that is purpose-built for our club and for our fans, driving to Dingley would be no problem particularly as you would know seats are a premium.

I think this discussion would provide plenty of positives and negatives on both sides, however, if we decided to go down that path long term and had the support from the government sector then I know our fans would embrace it. As supporter base we have accepted the Tassie deal, I think we would all be doing back flips if that was replaced with a 4-7 split at our own home ground.

The location of Dingley would also suit St.Kilda, the ground would be used for a multitude of events and sporting clubs in the South East, including Cricket and Soccer. It is a long way down the track, but I believe it would be a worthwhile discussion and would hold commercial appeal for the club.

Some of it is opinion, some of it is fact.
You cannot replicate the G or the experience of playing on the G in front of a big crowd. The club should be looking for as many opportunities to do that as possible.

We are not Geelong, we don't have the same geographic membership concentration and for our members based on location and infrastructure in place the G is the way to go for maximizing access to games.

Now if the ring rail comes in and there is a station in Dingley that becomes less of an issue but we all know what happened to Waverley when it was built before the infrastructure to support it.

I'm not saying we couldn't draw good crowds at a boutique stadium, but I don't see it working like it does for Geelong. That part is my opinion based on using a bit of logic.

At the moment the club is struggling to come to terms with the first phase of Dingley, we lost a big chunk of promised funding when the Coalition was returned to power and I've not seen any sort of positive update on breaking ground and commencing the build as yet.

There has been no indication so far that the site could even support a stadium let alone any interest from anyone outside of Hawks supporters to build one. It could become reality one day but I can't see it happening in the next 10 years, so we shouldn't be hanging our hat on Dingley to replace Tassie.

 

[Mr Taswegian]

The Hawks president has made it clear if Tasmania doesn't get Their own team,they plan on staying in Tasmania for a long time yet,so if Tassie doesn't get a team you can forget seeing more of Hawks in Melbourne.

 

[Hawkk]

That’s great but Jeff Kennett’s term is up after next year (so unless they get their skates on, it’s likely that the contract will be negotiated under a new president) and Kennett himself has committed to exit after this term

Regardless if AFL Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government are now dealing direct with the AFL it makes it more difficult for Hawthorn to extend the status quo (as Hawthorn has typically negotiated directly with the Tasmanian government)

If the AFL were happy with Hawthorn’s occupation, why have they provided North with the Tasmanian academy and AFLW licence?

One team has been in the market for 10 years longer then the other...

All of these factors make for difficult and troubling waters for Hawthorn at the same time as we try and fund Dingley

 

[Mr Taswegian]

I can

That’s great but Jeff Kennett’s term is up after next year (so unless they get their skates on, it’s likely that the contract will be negotiated under a new president) and Kennett himself has committed to exit after this term

Regardless if AFL Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government are now dealing direct with the AFL it makes it more difficult for Hawthorn to extend the status quo (as Hawthorn has typically negotiated directly with the Tasmanian government)

If the AFL were happy with Hawthorn’s occupation, why have they provided North with the Tasmanian academy and AFLW licence?

One team has been in the market for 10 years longer then the other...

All of these factors make for difficult and troubling waters for Hawthorn at the same time as we try and fund Dingley

The Tasmanian government are also very keen to extend the deal if our AFL bid is unsuccessful.

 

[MrPremiership]

We will be out of Tassie and the AFL will pay us for that. That money will fund Dingley

 

[Mr Taswegian]

The Hawthorn president Jeff Kennet believes the AFL will need to fork out 20million a year for a Tassie team and the Tasmanian government the same amount.I can tell you for almost certain the Tasmanian gov will not pay that sort of money for a team,so it won't happen if that's the case.

 

[Tassie Cryptik]

They pay a mill a game at the moment for 8.
A home team would get more $$.
I can see it happening.

 

[flinchfree]

Think the TV deal is worth at least that much extra per year with Tassie joining the fold.
Do it.

 

[Agent Smith]

If the AFL still want us out and we’re planning to leave anyway then we should take advantage of the situation by striking a deal with the AFL for some financially favourable fixturing. Get some prime time, blockbuster time slots against well drawing sides - as the home side. Talking more Friday nights against sides like Collingwood and Richmond, etc.

On the flip side, the AFL should be across our Dingley finance problems. A substantial monetary assist would be significant enough to seriously consider leaving Tassie.