Apple Isle Showdown: Tas Govt threatens to end Hawks, North deals if no plan for 19th side

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Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein has sent a formal letter to the AFL threatening to end multimillion-dollar contract negotiations with Hawthorn and North Melbourne beyond 2021.

The letter, which was sent to league headquarters in recent days, demands the AFL to lock into a timetable for the introduction of a stand-alone Tasmanian team.

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Can they just get on with it??
 
Need to either merge two Vic teams, or get rid of one Vic team (or either GWS or GC) first. Eighteen teams is the magic number, there needs to be an opening.
I mean I think 20 is the magic number with a 3rd Perth side but that’s just me.



Finals becomes:

Wild Card 1: 7v10
Wild Card 2: 8v9

QF1 and 2 as current
EF1: 5 v lowest ranked WC side
EF2: 6 v highest ranked WC side

Then keep highest v lowest through rest of finals to GF
 
Sep 16, 2006
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I mean I think 20 is the magic number with a 3rd Perth side but that’s just me.



Finals becomes:

Wild Card 1: 7v10
Wild Card 2: 8v9

QF1 and 2 as current
EF1: 5 v lowest ranked WC side
EF2: 6 v highest ranked WC side

Then keep highest v lowest through rest of finals to GF
Wild cards doesn't make sense in the AFL. Its a good system in a conference based US league where it gives a chance to a team who may or may not have been screwed over by the teams in their own conference, but it has no place in the AFL.

Eighteen teams is the magic number. Nine games per round, no single byes for teams similar to how it was in 2011 with seventeen teams. Again: either GC or GWS fold, two Vic teams merge, or a Vic team (my money is on St Kilda) folds.
 

Bulldogs85

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Good luck to them. It's time. At some point the league needs to stop putting dollars ahead of absolutely everything and do what's good for the game and the people that support it.

I'd also add a 3rd team in Perth to round it out to 20.
Why just put 2 teams in Tasmania if the AFL want to round it out to 20
 

banzai

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Wild cards doesn't make sense in the AFL. Its a good system in a conference based US league where it gives a chance to a team who may or may not have been screwed over by the teams in their own conference, but it has no place in the AFL.

Eighteen teams is the magic number. Nine games per round, no single byes for teams similar to how it was in 2011 with seventeen teams. Again: either GC or GWS fold, two Vic teams merge, or a Vic team (my money is on St Kilda) folds.

Why 18 though? Surely last season showed playing each side once can easily be done and its a lot fairer. You can go to 19 and have an 18 game season. The bye can spread the season out more so TV can still have as many Friday night games to make up the money.
 
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I read somewhere Tasmania hope they get a license for a team in 2025
yeah, it won't happen straight away even if we get a yes. We are actually asking for a framework and timeline and that makes sense. I mean, what is the point of signing another 5-year deal with the 2 Victorian teams if our goal is a permanent team in 4 years time or however long its meant to be.

After 20 years, we have finally realised hosting FIFO teams does not help us in our ultimate goal.
 
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Wild cards doesn't make sense in the AFL. Its a good system in a conference based US league where it gives a chance to a team who may or may not have been screwed over by the teams in their own conference, but it has no place in the AFL.

Eighteen teams is the magic number. Nine games per round, no single byes for teams similar to how it was in 2011 with seventeen teams. Again: either GC or GWS fold, two Vic teams merge, or a Vic team (my money is on St Kilda) folds.
No vic side will fold.
 

Bulldogs85

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yeah, it won't happen straight away even if we get a yes. We are actually asking for a framework and timeline and that makes sense. I mean, what is the point of signing another 5-year deal with the 2 Victorian teams if our goal is a permanent team in 4 years time or however long it meant to be.

After 20 years, we have finally realised hosting FIFO teams does not help us in our ultimate goal.
AFL should make it a 20 team competition and place 2 teams in Tasmania
 

ParapMarkets

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yeah, it won't happen straight away even if we get a yes. We are actually asking for a framework and timeline and that makes sense. I mean, what is the point of signing another 5-year deal with the 2 Victorian teams if our goal is a permanent team in 4 years time or however long its meant to be.

After 20 years, we have finally realised hosting FIFO teams does not help us in our ultimate goal.
I hope you get a team, it would be great for the comp. There was a period there from the early to mid nineties with a stagnant/negative growth rate, this really counted against Tassie. I think the population (and continued growth rate) are now as such where the economics are starting to add up. I agree that they need to set a timeline, it would be a disaster to lose out to another code.
 
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I mean I think 20 is the magic number with a 3rd Perth side but that’s just me.



Finals becomes:

Wild Card 1: 7v10
Wild Card 2: 8v9

QF1 and 2 as current
EF1: 5 v lowest ranked WC side
EF2: 6 v highest ranked WC side

Then keep highest v lowest through rest of finals to GF

The game went to s**t after expanding from 12.

There is simply nowhere near enough talent for 20 teams.

Not to mention 20 lots of coaching staff and umpires. And commentators.
 
Good move. Love the game but sick of the campaigners at AFL house using the state for $$$. Ridiculous they dont think we can host our own team with 11 games but we can prop up others for 8 games a year with sponsorship thrown on top.

I think the Hawks have done a great job down here, it certainly hasn't felt a one way street as some other clubs that have dabbled with Tassie games but I'm sure most fans would be understanding of wanting a team of our own. So while it would be harsh on Hawthorn I agree we need to completely pull out or we will continue to be used by the AFL.
 

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I remember when 16 was the magic number and people thought 18 teams was too many. In another 15 years someone will say that 20 is the magic number and 21 teams is too many.

There isn't a magic number that is correct forever really.

In 1997 we went to 16 teams and had about 18,000,000 population. Now we're closing in on 26,000,000.

Giving Tassie a team is absolutely affordable if the AFL want to do it. They've been propping up the northern expansion sides just fine and are happy to do so long term. I'm quite happy for them to do the same for Tassie for the good of the game.


Perth deserve a third team over Tasmania

Not singling you out here, just rebutting this point in general which is always made in threads about Tassie (and i'd absolutely be putting a 3rd Perth team in as well as Tassie to keep the numbers even).

Why? Why does a team have to be the best possible financial option and not just the option that's best for the good of the game? The AFL is a not-for-profit national sports league. Unless ravaged by Covid again, it'll be a financial juggernaut national sports league. If you polled the club members, support for a Tasmanian side would be overwhelming.

Just do what's good for footy and right a long term wrong. Everyone wants this.
 

Bulldogs85

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I hope you get a team, it would be great for the comp. There was a period there from the early to mid nineties with a stagnant/negative growth rate, this really counted against Tassie. I think the population (and continued growth rate) are now as such where the economics are starting to add up. I agree that they need to set a timeline, it would be a disaster to lose out to another code.
If the AFL are not careful they may lose out to the A league or the Nrl if they place teams in Tasmania
 
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I mean I think 20 is the magic number with a 3rd Perth side but that’s just me.



Finals becomes:

Wild Card 1: 7v10
Wild Card 2: 8v9

QF1 and 2 as current
EF1: 5 v lowest ranked WC side
EF2: 6 v highest ranked WC side

Then keep highest v lowest through rest of finals to GF

resulting in 11 finals
if you do Final Five x2, you would have 13 finals = more $$$

either way, the Finals become a 5 week campaign
 
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Canberra and Tassie within 10 years

This is the expansion path that should happen to get to 20.

Tassie is priority atm.

But the same priority is not currently in place with Canberra, so it may take some time.
Giants will still be around using it as their second home and they'd need a better stadium to replace Manuka.
The AFL won't be content with a 19 club comp for more than a few years.

WA3 (Joondalup) are a good shot at being #20, even though Perth is completely fine being a two team market.
 

Rowan18

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This is the expansion path that should happen to get to 20.

Tassie is priority atm.

But the same priority is not currently in place with Canberra, so it may take some time.
Giants will still be around using it as their second home and they'd need a better stadium to replace Manuka.
The AFL won't be content with a 19 club comp for more than a few years.

WA3 (Joondalup) are a good shot at being #20, even though Perth is completely fine being a two team market.
Would anyone in Perth support a third team? Eagles are already one of the best clubs in the league and Freo have carved out the under-dog/battler niche (or the "I don't like west coast" niche). What does the new team offer? Would it even lead to more football fans or just take from the memberships of the other two?
 
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Another East Coast leach? Really?...this league is already completely compromised trying to accomodate a bunch of clubs that can’t survive without the AFL teat.

At least the Vic media will get behind this one, considering Tasmania is basically country Victoria after all.

Plus a good training ground for any Vic Metro kid they ever draft that wants to play for Hawthorn, Collingwood or Richmond one day I guess.

What a load of piddle.
 
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