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Independent report into Hobart's proposed new stadium has found the costs of the project have been significantly underestimated

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And yet there are somehow still people who think they can be a success in a far-flung, lifeless, inaccessible suburban shithole like Bellerive.

I think that's symbolic of the problem.

Some people just don't understand the difference between an AFL team and a oversized suburban team,

It's not just talent, it's the support structure, and that costs HUGE $$$.

If Tas isn't looking to have an annual budget pushing $100M, they're never going to be doing anything better than making up the numbers.

Attracting and retaining players for a Hobart team will be a challenge.
Attracting and retaining players for a poorly resourced team that is destined to live in the lower end of the ladder will be a nightmare.

Come late 2027, the players Tas are trying to recruit (and their managers) will need to be convinced that they're not committing career suicide, and seeing lots of money spent (on stadium, etc) will be a big part of that sales pitch.
 
The early Tasmanian election (fought partly on the stadium) has produced a hung parliament. Anti-stadium independents will be among the kingmakers deciding who to support to form government. Will the political chaos in Tasmania see the new stadium scrapped, and with it the Devils?
 
The early Tasmanian election (fought partly on the stadium) has produced a hung parliament. Anti-stadium independents will be among the kingmakers deciding who to support to form government. Will the political chaos in Tasmania see the new stadium scrapped, and with it the Devils?

Lib/Lab will work together to make it happen...So long as they can agree on who gets their noses in which parts of the trough. Expect the price to rise accordingly.
 

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More problems

When the AFL and Fed Govt have capped their costs, 100% of the cost blowouts (which happen 100% of the time no matter how conservative a budget it is claimed to be - because everyone rorts when supping at the teat of the taxpayer) fall on Tasmania and the risk for a small state has always been just way too high.

Its a dumb idea. Its always been a dumb idea. The AFL needs to accept that it can be daytime games only when Tassie plays in Tassie.
 
The politicians in OZ are experts at cost blow outs, especially here in Vic. 13 million for steel boxes that actually cost $2400 each. The balance 12 million for advertising, trucking etc etc. What a f...g joke.
 
Why on earth would a little island state pander to a league thats just helped milk its own state dry funding another regional ground?

Lets be perfectly honest here, whilst Tasmania having its own team would be great to begin with, player retention will be extremely difficult in the long term.
They will become just another feeder minnow for mainland clubs and likely never see success.
 
What disbenefits does it create exactly?
Smells like greenie BS, it’s their island though.
Take a read yourself.

Because unlike the backroom deals done by the Tasmanian Government and AFL House to get this thing built, this latest report from the Tas Planning Commission report is published for all to see.

Given the amount of up-front public money being put into this proposal and the certainty any cost over-runs will be borne by Australian taxpayers, the amount of cheap partisan politicking and lack of transparency around this development should have raised alarm bells from day 1.


 
When the AFL and Fed Govt have capped their costs, 100% of the cost blowouts (which happen 100% of the time no matter how conservative a budget it is claimed to be - because everyone rorts when supping at the teat of the taxpayer) fall on Tasmania and the risk for a small state has always been just way too high.

Its a dumb idea. Its always been a dumb idea. The AFL needs to accept that it can be daytime games only when Tassie plays in Tassie.

Gotta agree here.

People sometimes forget what a small state Tasmania is, so having the Tassie taxpayer on the hook here was always going to be high risk.

If we go ahead with the team, will Bellerive and York Park be good enough to host 11 games a year? I would think so. And if the side ends up being popular enough then the conversation about a new stadium could happen again?


Just think baby steps is the way to go here
 

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I have always been of the belief that people overestimated the financial viability of a Tasmanian team, especially due to its unique geography (Hobart not being that big population-wise) and the lack of opportunities for those of working age, and that people became overly attached to the romanticism of a team in every state.

I think the Tasmanian taxpayer is right to be sceptical and oppose the AFL requirement to build a new stadium.

This report does not dispel my beliefs.
 
Gotta agree here.

People sometimes forget what a small state Tasmania is, so having the Tassie taxpayer on the hook here was always going to be high risk.

If we go ahead with the team, will Bellerive and York Park be good enough to host 11 games a year? I would think so. And if the side ends up being popular enough then the conversation about a new stadium could happen again?


Just think baby steps is the way to go here

Or the AFL and Feds need to chip in more and shoulder more responsibility.

Hundreds of millions have been spent on GCS and GWS. Tassie already is big on football so their help needs to be at start up. Ongoing would be nowhere near the same.

Or they need to ditch the roof idea. Docklands decades on is still crap.
 
I have always been of the belief that people overestimated the financial viability of a Tasmanian team, especially due to its unique geography (Hobart not being that big population-wise) and the lack of opportunities for those of working age, and that people became overly attached to the romanticism of a team in every state.

I think the Tasmanian taxpayer is right to be sceptical and oppose the AFL requirement to build a new stadium.

This report does not dispel my beliefs.

Everybody knows how unviable it is. It’s why the AFL needs absolutely everything to be optimised for the club to even have a chance. Such as a brand new stadium indoor stadium that is ideally located so that crowds and tourism are maximised in the long term.

The AFL’s view has always been pretty clear, it makes very little sense financially - make it less of a financial drag on the game - but if we can give it the best chance then we will do it.
 
When the AFL and Fed Govt have capped their costs, 100% of the cost blowouts (which happen 100% of the time no matter how conservative a budget it is claimed to be - because everyone rorts when supping at the teat of the taxpayer) fall on Tasmania and the risk for a small state has always been just way too high.

Its a dumb idea. Its always been a dumb idea. The AFL needs to accept that it can be daytime games only when Tassie plays in Tassie.
This year was the very case in point for the need for an indoor stadium.

Every single game played in Tasmania this year was a complete shit show due to weather.
 

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Why on earth would a little island state pander to a league thats just helped milk its own state dry funding another regional ground?

Lets be perfectly honest here, whilst Tasmania having its own team would be great to begin with, player retention will be extremely difficult in the long term.
They will become just another feeder minnow for mainland clubs and likely never see success.
I think player retention will actually be really easy for them. Building a stadium though will be very hard
 
Get Dale Elphinstone and Cameron Adams to chip in some coin and get it done

They can use Elphinstone's trucks and equipment to help build the place and they can each have a stand or the ground named after them as a legacy
 
Lets be perfectly honest here, whilst Tasmania having its own team would be great to begin with, player retention will be extremely difficult in the long term.
This one is always funny to me.

Meanwhile, the amount of mainlanders that come on a holiday, leave and come back to live is astronomical.
 
There'll be plenty of players willing to play for Bucks and the increased pay day and have the opportunity to be the first captain or leaders of the Devils - guys the Devils could target like Will Ashcroft, Caleb Serong, Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, Touk Miller, Tom Green, Will Day, Zak Butters and Chad Warner
 

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Independent report into Hobart's proposed new stadium has found the costs of the project have been significantly underestimated

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