Gil seems finally to have worked it out that Tasmania has a value to the game. We've produced a lot & got SFA back out of it. You can't keep draining the place & expect nothing to change. It has changed. The game has been repeatedly drained by the VFL/AFL,underfunded to bugry & has been decimated as result.
What has not received much comment, re the H./Sun article above, is that (paraphrasing) it said most AFL CEO's seemed cautiously open or in favour of a Tas. stand-alone AFL team.
Only two Clubs were said to be not in favour (most likely these 2 unnamed Clubs are HFC & NMFC; & exposure of their public "pro-Tasmania" lies & hypocrisy). It is noteworthy that Kennett/HFC/NMFC never mention the male GR & elite comp. AF decline in Tas.- because they know they cannot defend the indefensible.
What, also, hasn't received much comment is why McLachlan raised the issue of a new Tas. AFL team
now; & allowed these AFL pro-Tas. AFL team comments to become
public? Intriguing.
But why do you think the AFL panicked this year about the state of the game? With TV audience down, its conceivable that the next TV rights will be less which WILL put a strain on the competition. If the falling audience trend continues next season, it will be fascinating to see the fallout
IF the big fall in TV ratings occur again in 2019, it will be very worrying for the AFL & the game- & AFL executives will be wearing brown corduroy trousers.
The sooner they put a team in Tassie the sooner it will fail, then we wont have to stick up with another 50 years of ' Put a team in Tassie '.
Independent financial analyses have shown that a Tas. AFL team will be self sufficient financially ie similar to other heartland states, but would still receive the AFL annual distribution of other heartland states. Good state govt. & private sector support, superb ground deals, probably the most fanatical (per capita) AF state in the country.
Also, Tas. would, almost certainly, come in with a 20th new team- therefore a further increase in broadcasting Rights' $.
Not just star players, if you can't get 18 year olds to live the idyllic lifestyle on the Gold Coast, you aren't going to get them living in Hobart.
Tas. is a 45 minute flight to Melb. Flight bookings well in advance cost c. $150 return.
If Canberra can support professional teams, then Hobart can also (but games split 6/5 with Launy).
Are you aware of the Melb. extended peak hour times, & peak hour traffic gridlock? And Melb.'s general congestion, increasing crime rate & ridiculously expensive real estate?
Geelong is a very successful AFL Club, & is not part of Melb.
It can be assumed that if Tas. got its own team, the disastrous decline of AF there would quickly be rectified; & within 7-10 years, the once fabled Tas. recruitment goldmine of champions & good players would be resurrected. Most would prefer to play for Tas.
It is this once traditional
recruitment goldmine the AFL desperately wants (or
should want desperately)- much more valuable than the Tas. team Balance Sheets and P & L statements.