Tasmanian A-League Bid - Close to Being Fully Backed by FFA

[NUFC Tiger]

Pretty exciting for Tassie if happens. Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky both having considerable wealth also suggests they wouldn't need any financial backing from the FFA to stay afloat.

 

[Punt Road Feral]

If North Hobart is redeveloped but stays in oval configuration then they don't deserve a side.
Their either got to be serious about this long term or they miss out.

 

[nobbyiscool]

If North Hobart is redeveloped but stays in oval configuration then they don't deserve a side.
Their either got to be serious about this long term or they miss out.

I so don't agree with this point at all.

Firstly, North Hobart is a tiny ground by AFL standards to begin with - it's not going to look ridiculous having a football field in the middle of it. The location of the ground is A+, while the "stadium" is very much "pre-loved" the terrace seating around the ground will make for a great atmosphere, and if they can upgrade the playing surface (cos it turns into a bog) the shape of the ground shouldn't matter.

Secondly, I know there are circumstances that are due to their own success - but no one complained too much about the Wanderers playing at the Sydney showgrounds for at least 2 seasons. And no one is really mentioning the running track around Lakeside in the context of the South Melbourne bid.

Thirdly, and most importantly, surely we've learned the lesson over the last few years that empty crowds affect the look, sound and feel of the game moreso than the shape of the ground. North Hobart Oval is the perfect capacity - I'd take the correct sized ground, just up the hill from the city, with a full crowd over the 12k that Sydney get in a 44,000 seat stadium, or the 7k that Brisbane get in a 50k stadium every day of the week.

 

[BobbyMorri]

If North Hobart is redeveloped but stays in oval configuration then they don't deserve a side.
Their either got to be serious about this long term or they miss out.

North Hobart is a very small oval. same dimensions as lakeside i think i heard. you can see pictures of the rugby league games that have been hosted here in recent years. it wont be the end of the world if the stadium is built right.

dont get me wrong, it should be transformed into a rectangle stadium. no AFL/North Hobart City whoever they are nowadays will be able to use the oval for their seasons if the miracle is pulled off. plus every one bar North Hobart "City" have left the oval. it has been dying a slow death the last decade. indeed, the biggest crowds for the oval in the last 5 years would have been the Rugby matches every 2 years or so. but if the support of Wilkie and local football interests depends on it staying an oval, then so be it. that is politics. dont piss anyone off. personally, i think they do need more room for more facilities at North Hobart, and the best way to do that would be to approach onto the ground and bite the bullet. but it will be tough with its heritage.

if i was the state government, then i would try and get some guarantee that a representative side(Rugby and soccer) would come down here and play once every 5-10 years or so If we spent the money transforming it towards a true home ground for those sports in Tassie.

TBH, i am really worried about how much any development will cost. it is the huge sticking point atm with the bid. how, when and how much will it cost.

 

[BobbyMorri]

I so don't agree with this point at all.

Firstly, North Hobart is a tiny ground by AFL standards to begin with - it's not going to look ridiculous having a football field in the middle of it. The location of the ground is A+, while the "stadium" is very much "pre-loved" the terrace seating around the ground will make for a great atmosphere, and if they can upgrade the playing surface (cos it turns into a bog) the shape of the ground shouldn't matter.

Secondly, I know there are circumstances that are due to their own success - but no one complained too much about the Wanderers playing at the Sydney showgrounds for at least 2 seasons. And no one is really mentioning the running track around Lakeside in the context of the South Melbourne bid.

Thirdly, and most importantly, surely we've learned the lesson over the last few years that empty crowds affect the look, sound and feel of the game moreso than the shape of the ground. North Hobart Oval is the perfect capacity - I'd take the correct sized ground, just up the hill from the city, with a full crowd over the 12k that Sydney get in a 44,000 seat stadium, or the 7k that Brisbane get in a 50k stadium every day of the week.

This, so much. it is right next door to North Hobart restaurant district and its pubs. on a major highway basically. and only 30 min walk from the centre of the city and all of its pubs.

if they can get North Hobart to modern standards then it will be, location and heritage-wise, the best in the country. have you seen the major stand. it is bloody gorgeous and much better than the plastic new stands everyone else has.

Also, they redone the surface a couple of years ago. no idea if it fixed the issue it has been having.

 

[craigos]

Wonder if they could look at retractable seating for one side of the pitch, say about 6 rows of seating, that would be the way to go I reckon!

Have a 5-7k stand on the left of this picture where the bottom part extends 6 metres or so onto the field.

This was posted on the outside 90 website, not sure if there is a full version somewhere but this strip would look awesome with green shorts and white socks.

 

[Zidane98]

FFA have said the next round of expansion will be 2018-19 with 2 teams coming on board. I think that's a sensible idea giving plenty of preparation time.

After that 2 more teams could join around 2028/2029. I don't evisage the league ever expanding beyond 14 teams.

 

[Zidane98]

Wonder if they could look at retractable seating for one side of the pitch, say about 6 rows of seating, that would be the way to go I reckon!

Have a 5-7k stand on the left of this picture where the bottom part extends 6 metres or so onto the field.

This was posted on the outside 90 website, not sure if there is a full version somewhere but this strip would look awesome with green shorts and white socks.

Perhaps as part of the bid a 10-15k rectangular stadium could be built in Hobart. Would be a great concert venue and could also be used for league / union games.

 

[darko]

FFA have said the next round of expansion will be 2018-19 with 2 teams coming on board. I think that's a sensible idea giving plenty of preparation time.

After that 2 more teams could join around 2028/2029. I don't evisage the league ever expanding beyond 14 teams.

18/19 makes sense. No need to rush.

 

[darko]

Perhaps as part of the bid a 10-15k rectangular stadium could be built in Hobart. Would be a great concert venue and could also be used for league / union games.

Nice rectangular 15k stadium potentially brings snaller Socceroos games to Tassie as well.

 

[The City Boyz]

Nice rectangular 15k stadium potentially brings snaller Socceroos games to Tassie as well.

Would love for that to happen. Have they ever hosted one before?

 

[nobbyiscool]

Wonder if they could look at retractable seating for one side of the pitch, say about 6 rows of seating, that would be the way to go I reckon!

Have a 5-7k stand on the left of this picture where the bottom part extends 6 metres or so onto the field.

This was posted on the outside 90 website, not sure if there is a full version somewhere but this strip would look awesome with green shorts and white socks.

If I could've liked that post twice, I would've. I haven't been to NHO in over 10 years, but that photo took me right back to my childhood!

FFA have said the next round of expansion will be 2018-19 with 2 teams coming on board. I think that's a sensible idea giving plenty of preparation time.

After that 2 more teams could join around 2028/2029. I don't evisage the league ever expanding beyond 14 teams.

Absolutely agree with the first part of that post. I think I said previously that 2017/18 was too soon for clubs to be admitted, developed, and to start signing players. Ideally, I think we'd have the successful bids announced by this time next year, giving the successful teams a full 8 month lead-in before their first competitive matches in the FFA Cup.

I don't agree with the 2nd part of that post though. If there's an appetite for expansion from fans and from broadcasters, and if there are enough quality bids, we don't need to wait another 10 years for the next 2 teams. From what we're hearing, any of Tassie, South Melbourne, Wollongong and Brisbane Strikers could be ready to go in that time frame - if they're ready, and if the figures stack up, lets get the first 2 in for 2018/19 and the next 2 in for either 2019/20 or more realistically, 2020/21.

Ultimately I reckon we could go to 16 teams, but I reckon 18 is the figure at which you could realistically start considering 2 divisions pro/rel with a 10/8 split of the divisions. You wouldn't do that straight away, but if the FFA are doing a thorough expansion strategy, that needs to be the aspiration in 10 years I think.

 

[darko]

Would love for that to happen. Have they ever hosted one before?

Can't recall it.

Middle East nations make us play in 40 degree heat. Would love to make them play in Hobart in July.

 

[AJ_2000]

Tasmania ($10) & South Melbourne ($26) bids are considered outsiders in the new betting market.

Southern Sydney, Geelong and Canberra are the top 3.

https://bettingsite.com.au/southern-sydney-the-favourite-for-next-a-league-licence/

 

[BobbyMorri]

Geelong, South Sydney. yuck. they already have a-league teams or close enough. the only chance i would get to watch an a league team(or afl or Rugby or anything bar cricket) is to go on a plane and travel the hour to support some Victorian team from a different state.

A person from Geelong just has to travel one hour up the road or by train. i am sure they are missing out big time . *rant/sook ended*

 

[nobbyiscool]

Those odds don't surprise me - but to hear how Gil McLaughlin dismisses Tasmania, to know how much the Tasmanian Government (and it's "subsidiary" Spirit of Tasmania) gives to AFL clubs, to have read how the AFL is treating the Tasmanian Statewide League, and to have heard the Tasmanian A-League bid and how much money they have and how prepared they are, they would absolutely be missing a trick if they ignore Tassie.

Having grown up there, I'm not going to write off the difficulties involved in Tasmanian, and in trying to encapsulate all of Tasmania to support one team - but I think there are lessons that can be learned from the Hobart Hurricanes, and for whatever it's worth I think there's an opportunity for football to "take" an AFL heartland. It's a risk worth taking in my view.

If I was interested in 8-10 month bets, I reckon $10 for Tassie is good odds.

 

[TheKanga]

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...ks-to-sign-graham-arnold-20161214-gtb8x3.html

 

[craigos]

I reckon Harry Kewell working along side a former manager like Merrick would be good and generate a lot of interest. Merrick could look after the background stuff, establishing "culture" whatever that is. Would not want them to go after Arnold, they need to recruit a candidate from outside of the current managers.

 

[JD Tomahawk]

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2016/12...-a-league-tv-deal-may-impact-expansion-plans/

Not Ideal news

 

[Redalert]

Not entirely sure what his complaint is. The TV deal is in line with the ballpark figure that was suggested beforehand.

 

[Zidane98]

Those odds don't surprise me - but to hear how Gil McLaughlin dismisses Tasmania, to know how much the Tasmanian Government (and it's "subsidiary" Spirit of Tasmania) gives to AFL clubs, to have read how the AFL is treating the Tasmanian Statewide League, and to have heard the Tasmanian A-League bid and how much money they have and how prepared they are, they would absolutely be missing a trick if they ignore Tassie.

Having grown up there, I'm not going to write off the difficulties involved in Tasmanian, and in trying to encapsulate all of Tasmania to support one team - but I think there are lessons that can be learned from the Hobart Hurricanes, and for whatever it's worth I think there's an opportunity for football to "take" an AFL heartland. It's a risk worth taking in my view.

If I was interested in 8-10 month bets, I reckon $10 for Tassie is good odds.

I reckon the Tassie govt committing to a 10-15k multipurpose rectangular stadium would get the bid over the line. New multipurpose venue could also host concerts and/or Wallabies / NRL fixtures.

 

[AJ_2000]

They were talking up $80m a season, which would provide them with the ability to increase the funding to the clubs along with supporting new franchises.

Clearly the quantity of the product doesn't link to increased $$$$.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Not entirely sure what his complaint is. The TV deal is in line with the ballpark figure that was suggested beforehand.

I hope you don't deal with money for a living if you think $57m is in the same ballpark as the $80m figure that they've spoken about for 2-3 years.

 

[Zidane98]

I hope you don't deal with money for a living if you think $57m is in the same ballpark as the $80m figure that they've spoken about for 2-3 years.

FTA & Socceroos are extra on top this time round though.

 

[nobbyiscool]

FTA & Socceroos are extra on top this time round though.

The announcement yesterday said that amount included Socceroos games that FFA "owns" (as well as Matildas and W-League.)