Autopsy The AFL Tasmanian Carter Report

[The Victorian]

For those who don't know, the AFL today released a report that was done by former AFL commissioner, Colin Carter.

Tasmania case 'strong', relocating a team one of THREE options

The Colin Carter Report into Tasmania's bid for a 19th AFL licence has been handed down

www.afl.com.au

Available in full: https://mcusercontent.com/7cd32ad25...8abfa/Carter_Review_Tasmania_Licence_2021.pdf

One of the options was a relocated side to which McLachlan told reporters will not be Gold Coast. That has been ruled out.

There are also some mentions of the club in different ways throughout the report. These are quoted below

An older example involves Hawthorn which joined the VFL in 1925 and finished ‘bottom four’ in 28 of its first 30 seasons. In that time, it ‘won’ twelve ‘wooden spoons’ and in no year finished higher than eighth in the 12-team competition. The club wouldn’t have survived today’s commercial assessments but since then has become the most successful club of the modern era.

I wish the football community considers this not to bag the Suns all the time!

A Tasmanian team will be built from the ground up, as were Gold Coast and GWS, and more than a few years of being well-beaten on the field awaits. After ten years, Gold Coast is yet to make the Finals. GWS has been more successful but took six years to play its first finals series. And it won only three games in its first two seasons. Retaining players will become a challenge if on-field results are poor. The ‘go home’ factor will loom large.

Yes, we know too much about this one!

The Draft: The AFL has added seven new teams in the past thirty or so years and its accumulated experience should enable it to handle this appropriately. But the different experiences of Port Adelaide, Fremantle, Gold Coast and GWS are instructive. Port Adelaide was almost immediately competitive. There are lessons here to be learned and applied.

Same here, changes would be made if the AFL started the set up of new expansion clubs again.

Northern Markets: Discussion of Tasmania often elicits comments about the AFL’s expansion teams. Can the AFL afford to do both? Should the Gold Coast be closed and moved to Tasmania? The Gold Coast and Western Sydney were ‘generational’ investments in markets that have 55 percent of Australia’s population but had only two of our 16 teams. Success will be determined in 50 years rather than in five because football’s supporter bases are built over generations. The growth in participation in NSW and Queensland show encouraging progress (Exhibit 12) and any commitment to Tasmania must not undermine the AFL’s intentions in these ‘new’ markets. The AFL might also encourage a more sensible narrative about what is being spent because the narrative will be the same for Tasmania. Too often the public hears about “spending $100 million” on the Gold Coast – which is the multi- year total AFL Distribution but also an incomprehensible number that sounds like a huge waste. Using those same metrics, we are spending $100 million in each of Adelaide and Perth and $550 million in Victoria. The numbers are meaningless but play to a narrative that unfairly attacks newer clubs. A more meaningful number for discussion is what do the two new clubs in expansion markets receive compared to the two most supported Victorian teams (who have been with us for over 125 years)? The answer is about $5 million per club per year which is a modest amount when tackling a large new consumer market.

For some fun, I have added a poll too and your welcome to discuss the developments!

 

[SunnerSS]

I'm yet to see any evidence that supports a Tasmanian team would be profitable business. Limited population growth (how many new fans will they bring to the AFL), aging demographic (so no rusted on supporters) and will still battle retention issues of players not willing to stay in an isolated and cool climate unless well paid.

I think people get too Worked up over loyalty (because Tassie was a football state at one stage) and a few good players have originated from there.
How does Tasmania compete with the population exposure provided from the Northern Clubs? The Heartland of rusted on supporters from the 10 Vic clubs or the die-hard and obsessed fans and wealthy backers of the SA and WA clubs with their fundamentally superior 2nd tier competitions?

Only way I can ever see Tasmania getting their own team is a joint effort to add a 20th licence aswell and boost Broadcast rights $$$$.

Fact of the Matter is The AFL is no longer that sport we enjoyed in the 70's, 80's, 90's it's a Big Business that must be Profitable and Grow financially every year.