Tim Lane - Time for a Tasmanian Team

[Blues_Man]

This is why you play 1/2 the games in Hobart and 1/2 in Launceston. Purchase an extra home game from a Vic club like Sydney and Brisbane have done in the past to make it to 12. 6 in each city....would do well.

As for home finals, that is a different story all together. Maybe the 2 cities could toss a coin over hosting the final to really build interest in the state.....

I guess a stadium will just suddenly appear in Hobart ?... maybe a fairy godmother will wave her magic wand and provide an AFL approved stadium for the southerners ..it ain't gonna happen buddy ..get over it

 

[fishmonger]

I guess a stadium will just suddenly appear in Hobart ?... maybe a fairy godmother will wave her magic wand and provide an AFL approved stadium for the southerners ..it ain't gonna happen buddy ..get over it

Bellerive Oval is currently suitable for international cricket and will be suitable once the redevelopment to make it AFL ready (at minimum for NAB Cup matches) goes ahead. This is already on the cards.


http://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=224&c=1305 AFL at Bellerive Oval

Clarence City Council has swung its weight behind calls for AFL matches to be held at Bellerive Oval and agreed to raise it as an issue as part of the implementation of the Partnership Agreement with the State Government.

Clarence Mayor Alderman Jock Campbell said optimising the use of Bellerive Oval is part of Council's Strategic Plan 2006 - 2011 as well as its Marketing Strategy for 2006 - 2008.

"Currently there are no AFL matches scheduled to be played at Bellerive Oval, and Council is keen to see the number of major sporting events played at the facility increased," Mayor Campbell said.

"We are all aware of the significant financial package announced by the State Government with the Hawthorn Football Club which will see four AFL games at the Aurora Stadium in Launceston each year for the next five years as well as one pre-season match.

"It is clear from this deal, that the Government has a preference for AFL games to be played in Launceston, but there should be scope to bring some of those matches to Bellerive."

Of course, if the AFL chipped in a little (like they are only too willing to for Carrara), it would make it ready now.

Looks pretty ready to me

 

[opng]

Does tassie deserve an AFL side ? Yes
Will tassie ever get an AFL side? No

 

[frankc]

Does tassie deserve an AFL side ? Yes
Will tassie ever get an AFL side? No

Succinct and to the point. The best tassie will get is the Hawthorn deal.

 

[marcus]

Collingwood should relocate to Tassie.
Most of their supporters look like they come from there anyway.

But seriously, it needs to be a successful club like Collingwood.
They can still play an away game at the MCG against Essendon every year.

They can play 11 games a year in Tassie, 7 in Melbourne and 4 in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane or Sydney. Special Tassie ferry packages can be sold with Collingwood memberships.

 

[The Majestic]

I guess a stadium will just suddenly appear in Hobart ?... maybe a fairy godmother will wave her magic wand and provide an AFL approved stadium for the southerners ..it ain't gonna happen buddy ..get over it

There was an idea put forward for a ground in the South it was going to be at the Elwick Show Grounds, and was going to be known as "Glenorchy Stadium" (or at least the project was labelled that.)

Source: http://glenorchystadium.tripod.com/The Glenorchy Stadium was to be built in the Hobart showgrounds in Glenorchy in 1998 if Tasmania was successful in its bid for an AFL team. The stadium would have been the team's only home ground, but the appeal was unsuccessful and the stadium never built.

But so you know I agree there will not be an AFL approved ground in the South unless they decided to try and put forward this oval again but not for a Tassie side but to entice an AFL side down here and moved the cricket to the oval (I'd guess that would happen as well, I am not quite sure I guess it would make sense with that oval having more room.)

 

[Blues_Man]

Bellerive Oval is currently suitable for international cricket and will be suitable once the redevelopment to make it AFL ready (at minimum for NAB Cup matches) goes ahead. This is already on the cards.


http://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=224&c=1305 AFL at Bellerive Oval


Of course, if the AFL chipped in a little (like they are only too willing to for Carrara), it would make it ready now.

Looks pretty ready to me

lol @ on the cards ..you need a dose of reality mate.
Hobartians have been whining and whinging for a footy approved stadium down there since York park was developed...unfortunately whining and whingeing does not get you footy matches...the state government has stated that ALL AFL games will be played at Aurora stadium.
and no funds will be allocated to develop the CRiCKET ground to AFL standard.

If you think it is suitable as an AFL venue from a pic ..then you are more seriously deluded than i first thought

I would love to see a cricket pitch dropped into Aurora stadium and then demand International cricket matches be played there ...but i accept that Hobart has the cricket and Launceston has the footy ...end of debate

 

[Blues_Man]

Collingwood should relocate to Tassie.
Most of their supporters look like they come from there anyway.

But seriously, it needs to be a successful club like Collingwood.
They can still play an away game at the MCG against Essendon every year.

They can play 11 games a year in Tassie, 7 in Melbourne and 4 in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane or Sydney. Special Tassie ferry packages can be sold with Collingwood memberships.

I would have thought most collingwood supporters come from port adelaide ..where the rest of the ferals reside .

I nominate your post for the moron of the year award ..well done

 

[The Majestic]

I think most in Southern Tasmania has already realised there was no chance of AFL in Southern Tasmania, there were many trying to point it out to Scott Wade who wanted games at Bellerive Oval, he got part of his wish, he got the Devils away from North Hobart to Bellerive, but he still has to share them.

 

[Rob]

I agree they play half of their games in launceston and the other half in hobart. Sell 1/2 price memberships for hobart and have memberships for Launceston. People can choose to buy both for the full cost or just one or the other.

I often wonder how the AFL comes to the conclusion that the GC and/or west sydney would be more viable than tasmania.

It's quite simple. Tasmanians already watch the game. No increase in popularity is to be had from bringing in a Tasmanian team.

 

[davidgoes4wce]

I agree that Tasmania should have their own team.

But I think the team should start with a fresh image, not a relocated team. Look at what the Kangaroos have tried to do in Sydney/Canberra. It needs to be a team for the people. People these days are not stupid, and will not follow some 2nd hand garbage.

Im all for a 17th or 18th team in this national comp. I believe in what Jason Akermanis said, we have to possibly look outside our boundaries and somewhere like Japan. Imagine a team from Japan playing in our league, it will boost our great game of ours to new levels.

 

[PAFC66]

Someone should tell him about the team Tassie already has.
The great Tassie Hawks.

Mate Tassy will win a premiership before you do.

 

[PAFC66]

I agree that Tasmania should have their own team.

But I think the team should start with a fresh image, not a relocated team. Look at what the Kangaroos have tried to do in Sydney/Canberra. It needs to be a team for the people. People these days are not stupid, and will not follow some 2nd hand garbage.

Im all for a 17th or 18th team in this national comp. I believe in what Jason Akermanis said, we have to possibly look outside our boundaries and somewhere like Japan. Imagine a team from Japan playing in our league, it will boost our great game of ours to new levels.

If they could kick a ball then maybe. But no. Akermanis is a dipsh.it

 

[Truetiger]

Tim Lane knows **** about footy. biggest noob ever.

Maybe so. However he is right Tassie need a team. The afl go on about a national comp it wont be till they get off there arse and get tassie. So if you think is is a noob well i guess you are as well because everything he said in the paper is right.

 

[Truetiger]

Bellerive Oval is currently suitable for international cricket and will be suitable once the redevelopment to make it AFL ready (at minimum for NAB Cup matches) goes ahead. This is already on the cards.


http://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=224&c=1305 AFL at Bellerive Oval


Of course, if the AFL chipped in a little (like they are only too willing to for Carrara), it would make it ready now.

Looks pretty ready to me

Agree it looks ready and if the afl were to help out and do something right once in there life. Then it could happen as it should. AFL Tassie need a side and there own.

 

[Whispers]

I wouldn't mind a team in Tassie but wouldn't thel patrons get in under the one family ticket??

 

[fishmonger]

lol @ on the cards ..you need a dose of reality mate.
Hobartians have been whining and whinging for a footy approved stadium down there since York park was developed...unfortunately whining and whingeing does not get you footy matches...the state government has stated that ALL AFL games will be played at Aurora stadium.
and no funds will be allocated to develop the CRiCKET ground to AFL standard.

If you think it is suitable as an AFL venue from a pic ..then you are more seriously deluded than i first thought

I would love to see a cricket pitch dropped into Aurora stadium and then demand International cricket matches be played there ...but i accept that Hobart has the cricket and Launceston has the footy ...end of debate

I've been to Bellerive and it reminds me of what the Gabba was like before the Bears moved up from Carrara. It was a cricket ground then too. Amazing what footy can do to a ground.

The Gabba in the mid 1980s before the arrival of the Brisbane Bears

Both grounds are far superior to Carrara in terms of capability for good viewing for the footy IMO.

Carrara Stadium is rubbish compared to Aurora and Bellerive !

 

[Father Jack]

Launceston is the easiest place to get to for the majority of the population, anyone from the Northwest I don't think would bother going to Hobart for the footy. Plus they get the cricket. If money is an issue, why would you dilute it further by moving games between two different grounds? Makes more sense to spend the money on the existing good one.

 

[fishmonger]

Launceston is the easiest place to get to for the majority of the population, anyone from the Northwest I don't think would bother going to Hobart for the footy. Plus they get the cricket. If money is an issue, why would you dilute it further by moving games between two different grounds? Makes more sense to spend the money on the existing good one.

money is not the issue. councils are willing to spend it if the AFL would agree to play there. Back in 1996, when Hobart put a bid in to the AFL, they put a $34 million dollar, 30,000 seat redevelopment of Hobart Showgrounds on the table, but the AFL knocked it back.

but would you bother spending money AFL is not going to allow a team to play there ?

What people don't realise is that if the AFL hadn't wasted millions on Carrara, it would have been converted to a rugby ground by now. Show me a Gold Coast City Council prepared to spend $34 million on bringing Carrara up to standard.

If you think that the council would have bothered spending money keeping it as a dedicated footy ground just so that the Southport Sharks can play in front of 50 people and a dog then you've got another thing coming.

The AFL has already missed the boat on the Gold Coast and it is currently hanging on a thread just to keep its foot in the door. Meanwhile, they have been staring two perfect opportunities to expand the game in the face and sheer stupidity and greed has prevented it from happening ... just so some Melbourne teams (one which the big boss played for) can maintain the status quo. Send North Melbourne back to the VFL and be over with it. The AFL should cut its losses and admit a Tasmanian side into the AFL.

 

[xyakks]

Tasmania could support an AFL team, both financially and on the field. The thing is Tasmania will never get an AFL team, lets face it, New Zealand and Singapore will have a team in the Australian Football League before Tasmania ever does.

Tasmania should just jump on the A-League bandwagon. Getting crowds of around 7,000+ to A-League practice matches at York Park is pretty impressive considering 3 or 4 of the teams in the A-League get less or only slightly more to their regular season matches. This won't happen though, since it's Tasmania, as we've seen New Zealand get a side in the Australia Soccer League before Tasmania.

What about the Australian Basketball League? I won't even bother we all know New Zealand and Singapore have sides while Tasmania is, yep, not involved.

I find it ammusing that the only side Tasmania can boast is a cricket team. What's wrong with Australian cricket, get with it, New Zealand and Singapore should have sides, not Tasmania, what a fass. Tasmania can't even support a team, they don't have a big enough population to produce competitive players, they are a blight on the competition and are bringing it down.

Tasmanians should just get with the picture, you're not apart of Australia, you're worse than New Zealand. Go join some other country, you're not welcome here.

 

[Blues_Man]

Tasmania could support an AFL team, both financially and on the field. The thing is Tasmania will never get an AFL team, lets face it, New Zealand and Singapore will have a team in the Australian Football League before Tasmania ever does.

Tasmania should just jump on the A-League bandwagon. Getting crowds of around 7,000+ to A-League practice matches at York Park is pretty impressive considering 3 or 4 of the teams in the A-League get less or only slightly more to their regular season matches. This won't happen though, since it's Tasmania, as we've seen New Zealand get a side in the Australia Soccer League before Tasmania.

What about the Australian Basketball League? I won't even bother we all know New Zealand and Singapore have sides while Tasmania is, yep, not involved.

I find it ammusing that the only side Tasmania can boast is a cricket team. What's wrong with Australian cricket, get with it, New Zealand and Singapore should have sides, not Tasmania, what a fass. Tasmania can't even support a team, they don't have a big enough population to produce competitive players, they are a blight on the competition and are bringing it down.

Tasmanians should just get with the picture, you're not apart of Australia, you're worse than New Zealand. Go join some other country, you're not welcome here.

gee lets try and work this one out ...Tassie is a mad keen Aussie rules state ...with their second sport being ...you guessed it cricket
people down here aren't interested in wogball or yankball ... so don't try and force it on them. one off matches will always get good support ..as a novelty ..nothing more nothing less .
Tassie can't afford two football stadiums ..let alone a stand alone AFL team .

 

[fishmonger]

Tasmanians should just get with the picture, you're not apart of Australia, you're worse than New Zealand. Go join some other country, you're not welcome here.

you are a disgrace.

 

[Dude Lebowski]

I guess a stadium will just suddenly appear in Hobart ?... maybe a fairy godmother will wave her magic wand and provide an AFL approved stadium for the southerners ..it ain't gonna happen buddy ..get over it

By fairy godmother do you mean the Tasmanian Labour Party.

 

[pazza]

Tasmania has made the right approach in getting the fundamentals right to make a challenge to get a team.

Firstly, the Government under Jim Bacon, a former Melbourne footballer, set up a task force to get things moving. It approached a Tasmanian footballing icon in Peter Hudson to head the task force and it was decided to have York Park developed in such a way that it could host AFL matches, after the previous experiment of North Hobart Oval failing somewhat miserably a decade earlier.

The business plan put in place was to get firstly 1 game then increase incremently to the current position. Aurora Stadium, as York Park is now known as officially, is quite the venue these days - and I have heard there is still further work to be done there, to increase the capacity to near 30000.

I suspect in order to achieve that, a team totally based in Tasmania is what is required. I have been impressed how Tassie's VFL team has been able to get good to very good crowds at home each week (and more than 10000 to VFL finals at Bellerive), so there is the base there to work from.

 

[catters05]

I guess a stadium will just suddenly appear in Hobart ?... maybe a fairy godmother will wave her magic wand and provide an AFL approved stadium for the southerners ..it ain't gonna happen buddy ..get over it

Um where do they play cricket in Hobart?