Shane Heard
Brownlow Medallist
- Mar 11, 2018
- 10,285
- 17,289
- AFL Club
- Essendon
That’s according to everyone’s favourite narcissistic nutter Ricky “ toot toot” Nixon.
Here he tells the story on his fb page the other day..
“The Tassie Celtics
Tonight is the first of my weekly Football Stories/Ideas this year which has drawn an overseas sponsor soon to be announced.
I want your thoughts and feedback
When the AFL announced that a licence would become available for an AFL Team in Greater Western Sydney in 2005 I put in a bid in for the licence as the Sydney Celtics (the first ever Irish associated AFL Team). The AFL decided they knew better and were worried that having an ethic alliance with another nation might result in people throwing flares at games (unbelievable).
3 years later when GWS was costing the AFL $3M a month they asked if I would reconsider. I said NO.
The AFL has announced last year it will create a Tasmania Team.
To do that they have 3 choices
1. A Start up Club will be real hard (ask GCS) why ? Because it aint a destination Club and the depth of AFL Talent aint great.
2. Relocate an existing team there. That can only be North Melbourne and Gold Coast Suns because Melbourne and Western Bulldogs aint going.
3. A start up Club that had a left field huge point of difference and that is the Tassie Celtics a club with Irish Connections …..that could attract huge interest in Tasmania, Australia and Ireland
A normal start up like GCS and GWS I had my doubts over how successful it could be as a stand alone. Sure with massive draft concessions there could be on field success but start ups need much more including vital supporter membership, TV appeal and ratings, sponsor appeal and for that matter general AFL supporter appeal and the list goes on.
For a decade I regularly flew to Ireland in a bid to recruit Irish players for AFL Clubs. It dawned on me that perhaps there was a much better alternative. One that would have sealed the starting point for International expansion.
So what do I mean by the Tasmanian Celtics ?
The Tasmanian Celtics would be similar to the famous Boston Celtics Basketball Club the hugely successful Sporting Franchise in America. It would have a major Irish influence and be made up of any out of contract first blood Irish players currently playing in the AFL, a certain amount of Players from Ireland and of course those drafted from Tasmania and a supplementary list of other AFL players drafted to the franchise. The exact configuration of the playing list can be debated but it’s a starting point and I would be interested in your comments.
What if the Tasmanian Celtics was owned jointly by the private Tasmanian investors and the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) in Ireland ? Think of the wealthy Irish businessmen in Australia. I can count 10 straight up that would be keen to be involved .
Imagine the interest around the world ? It’s estimated that whilst the population of Ireland is 6.4 million there is up to 96 million first blood Irish living abroad. Every week people would watch Tasmanian Celtics play both here in Australia and throughout the world. Why ? Because it’s their Team it’s not a team struggling like GCS etc
Here are some of the compelling reasons I believe it should be looked at a lot closer and a realistic potential super successful plan
• Tasmania has reportedly one of the fastest growing populations of Irish people in Australia
• They could possibly sign up to 50,000+ members in Australia/Ireland/OS in the first year
• They would attract sponsors from around the world.
• It would be every hero worship stuff for kids in Tasmania and Ireland as well as Irish families in Australia and for that matter the world to play for the Tasmanian Celtics
• If they played one of the top Melbourne based teams ie Collingwood in Rd 1 of their first season at the MCG they would draw record crowds with unprecedented attention not only here but in Ireland
• It would be unique to Australian Sport. A uniqueness that would be a PR dream
• It could be coached by someone like Mark Williams “Choco” and feature prominent Irish Player at the Geelong Zac Thuoy another PR Dream
• It would have such a loyalty connection with supporters not only in Tasmania but the mainland and also Ireland and every ex Irish person around the world ….could be massive !!
• They could play pre-season games in Ireland and do pre-season training camps there
• Eventually games could be played for premiership points in Ireland and the UK and the US
What do you think ? Do you think it’s an option that would have been worth the punt ? If you’re Irish how good would it be to have your own team in the AFL ?
What do you think Tasmanians ?????
Left field but that’s how the Chicken created a lot of successful things in the AFL
#allaboard the Tassie Celtics #ChickenGoesBang !!!!
Boston Celtics, American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. One of the most successful franchises in sports history, the Celtics won 11 of 13 National Basketball Association (NBA) championships from 1957 to 1969”
Here he tells the story on his fb page the other day..
“The Tassie Celtics
Tonight is the first of my weekly Football Stories/Ideas this year which has drawn an overseas sponsor soon to be announced.
I want your thoughts and feedback
When the AFL announced that a licence would become available for an AFL Team in Greater Western Sydney in 2005 I put in a bid in for the licence as the Sydney Celtics (the first ever Irish associated AFL Team). The AFL decided they knew better and were worried that having an ethic alliance with another nation might result in people throwing flares at games (unbelievable).
3 years later when GWS was costing the AFL $3M a month they asked if I would reconsider. I said NO.
The AFL has announced last year it will create a Tasmania Team.
To do that they have 3 choices
1. A Start up Club will be real hard (ask GCS) why ? Because it aint a destination Club and the depth of AFL Talent aint great.
2. Relocate an existing team there. That can only be North Melbourne and Gold Coast Suns because Melbourne and Western Bulldogs aint going.
3. A start up Club that had a left field huge point of difference and that is the Tassie Celtics a club with Irish Connections …..that could attract huge interest in Tasmania, Australia and Ireland
A normal start up like GCS and GWS I had my doubts over how successful it could be as a stand alone. Sure with massive draft concessions there could be on field success but start ups need much more including vital supporter membership, TV appeal and ratings, sponsor appeal and for that matter general AFL supporter appeal and the list goes on.
For a decade I regularly flew to Ireland in a bid to recruit Irish players for AFL Clubs. It dawned on me that perhaps there was a much better alternative. One that would have sealed the starting point for International expansion.
So what do I mean by the Tasmanian Celtics ?
The Tasmanian Celtics would be similar to the famous Boston Celtics Basketball Club the hugely successful Sporting Franchise in America. It would have a major Irish influence and be made up of any out of contract first blood Irish players currently playing in the AFL, a certain amount of Players from Ireland and of course those drafted from Tasmania and a supplementary list of other AFL players drafted to the franchise. The exact configuration of the playing list can be debated but it’s a starting point and I would be interested in your comments.
What if the Tasmanian Celtics was owned jointly by the private Tasmanian investors and the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) in Ireland ? Think of the wealthy Irish businessmen in Australia. I can count 10 straight up that would be keen to be involved .
Imagine the interest around the world ? It’s estimated that whilst the population of Ireland is 6.4 million there is up to 96 million first blood Irish living abroad. Every week people would watch Tasmanian Celtics play both here in Australia and throughout the world. Why ? Because it’s their Team it’s not a team struggling like GCS etc
Here are some of the compelling reasons I believe it should be looked at a lot closer and a realistic potential super successful plan
• Tasmania has reportedly one of the fastest growing populations of Irish people in Australia
• They could possibly sign up to 50,000+ members in Australia/Ireland/OS in the first year
• They would attract sponsors from around the world.
• It would be every hero worship stuff for kids in Tasmania and Ireland as well as Irish families in Australia and for that matter the world to play for the Tasmanian Celtics
• If they played one of the top Melbourne based teams ie Collingwood in Rd 1 of their first season at the MCG they would draw record crowds with unprecedented attention not only here but in Ireland
• It would be unique to Australian Sport. A uniqueness that would be a PR dream
• It could be coached by someone like Mark Williams “Choco” and feature prominent Irish Player at the Geelong Zac Thuoy another PR Dream
• It would have such a loyalty connection with supporters not only in Tasmania but the mainland and also Ireland and every ex Irish person around the world ….could be massive !!
• They could play pre-season games in Ireland and do pre-season training camps there
• Eventually games could be played for premiership points in Ireland and the UK and the US
What do you think ? Do you think it’s an option that would have been worth the punt ? If you’re Irish how good would it be to have your own team in the AFL ?
What do you think Tasmanians ?????
Left field but that’s how the Chicken created a lot of successful things in the AFL
#allaboard the Tassie Celtics #ChickenGoesBang !!!!
Boston Celtics, American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. One of the most successful franchises in sports history, the Celtics won 11 of 13 National Basketball Association (NBA) championships from 1957 to 1969”
