I don't think the Northern or Southern clubs understand the frustration and disappointment with these decisions about finals venues. All the talk is about the standard of facilities which I understand but no-one ever mentions the home advantage that has been earned then snatched away. Burnie players and supporters left West Park at 4 o'clock last Saturday believing they would be back next week to play the first semi there then find out at 10 o'clock on Sunday morning that the final has been taken off them. This is something that the other 7 clubs in the league don't have to even think about.The answer to this issue is perfectly clear. There needs to be a single high standard venue built somewhere in the North West. It doesn't have to be on the same scale as Blundstone or Aurora, that would be silly but it just has to able to provide a good playing surface without a bike track and adequate facilities to cope with 5 or 6 thousand people for a TSL Grand Final. The North West has a similar population to Launceston but the difference is they are scattered around all over the place in small towns and cities without a major centre. AFL TAs has promised for years to help the North West get such a facility but nothing has happened. Central Coast Council are about to commence building a new twin oval complex at Penguin which may be able to be developed as the type of venue I mentioned above but there are a couple of problems I see with that. Firstly it is not a home base for either Burnie or Devonport, it is for Penguin football club which limits its usage for TSL footy, and also I cant see that Central Coast Council could justify the cost of the spectator facilities required. I think it will be similar to Kingston in many mays, fantastic surface and pavilion but not much in the way of spectator facilities. If only AFL Tas can show some strong leadership on getting a decent venue up here we could forget about this annual bunfight forever.
I think every club has frustrations of one sort or another. However to say they 'earned' a home final is a bit rich. I remember AFLTas saying that it is their competition. So they'll say who plays where. Also if any club 'earned' a home final, surely it was Glenorchy?
People live on the coast because they choose to. However like the health & hospital discussion, not every place can have all the best facilities. We'd go broke trying to provide them.
With a new facility, could you see all the local councils working together to put it ,where? We have enough trouble with AFL games. At least Hobart & Launceston have AFL standard grounds.
Its only Federal & State money that could get something built. AFLTas would have little say in such a thing. Such a facility would have to be multi use. It would have to serve multi clubs too. Sharing is the reality of getting anything.
If it comes to it, Burnie & Devonport can decide to play in the TSL or not. I think leaving would be detrimental to coastal footy in the long run. But also they cant have it all their own way.