Tasmania

[Dr. Gonzo 24,221]

How about this; 11 home games at the MCG and 11 away games at our opponents home grounds. Yep makes sense to me. Darwin, Tassie, Docklands etc can all GAGF.

[Craig Drinker 179]

Maybe we should change our name from Melbourne FC to Australia FC then we wouldn't have to limit oursleves.

Better still how about Global FC?

Great thread!

[Little Richard 6,262]

Maybe we should change our name from Melbourne FC to Australia FC then we wouldn't have to limit oursleves.

Better still how about Global FC?

Great thread!

Could go back to China and become the Beijing FC? I'm sure there is a large, untapped supporter base over there...

[Nasher 33,616]

IF your where are NO 1 draft pick would you go live in Tassie for 12 years, no offence Nasher, the AFL will never have a team in Tassie for that reason, they no the side will never hold its players, buy obviously there not going to publicly say this, it's as simple as that.

Umm, okay. No offence taken, I think my argument makes way more sense though.

What's the strength (if any ) of other codes in Tasmania?

Is there a concern for the AFL in that regard?

Soccer has some traction, but I don't imagine it's any worse than in Victoria. Mostly I think it's because it's a really easy game for kids to participate in and mums like it from a safety pespective. When I drop my kids off though, all the kids at the school are kicking oval balls, not round ones.

[DeeSpencer 25,713]

How about this; 11 home games at the MCG and 11 away games at our opponents home grounds. Yep makes sense to me. Darwin, Tassie, Docklands etc can all GAGF.

What a wonderful idea.

Although the OP idea for 14 home games also has merit if we can get the first 11 at the MCG I'd be happy for someone to pay us for 3 home games somewhere else

Tasmania should be grateful for the opportunity they have of footy in both their large country towns. Ballarat and Bendigo certainly don't get the same treatment from the VIC government.

Potentially a trial of North as the Tasmanian team getting maybe 4 home games and 2-3 away games in Tasmania (Hawks, Saints, Dees, Dogs all potential for one game a year hosts) makes sense to me.

Run a 5 year trail of North as the Tasmanian team playing 2 home in each city (with these games not paid for by the Tassie gov) and 1-2 away in each city (sponsored by Tassie gov) and see if North catch on. If not Tasmania should settle for deals like the current ones with North and Hawthorn and should start working on a proposal for its own team. However it would have to be self supported because the TV money isn't there and the AFL has already seen the teams weakened by GWS/GC.

I'm not against AFL in Tasmania I just like to see some evidence for how it benefits Tasmania (besides if they got their own team) and how it benefits the competition.

To me, footy in Tasmania for the sake of it being a traditional football state makes as much sense as playing games in Swan Hill or Orbost for the same reason.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Tassie wants an 8 game a year side that might not be hawthorn or North. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-06-26/tassie-wants-one-team-only-

Im probably going to get torn down for this but consider this possibility. We play 8 home games in Tassie and perhaps retain 6 home games at the G as well, as some kind of benefit. Maybe with other sides home games we end up playing 10 games at the G? We get some dough and probably eventually get successful again which means big crowds at the G and better time slots, ( anyone remember them?) sponsors etc etc etc

i just cant see how we're going to thrive ( as opposed to just survive) unless we do something like this. Either this or the AFL builds a boutique stadium somewhere and we get something like Geelongs stadium deal. Which is a bit unlikely. Its true money won't solve all our problems but it would sure take care of a lot of them. I'd rather go 6 - 10 times a year and actually enjoy it ( almost forgotten the feeling) than go more and see more of the way it is right now.

Am I being sacreligous?

thanks jeff... don't trip on your way back to glenferrie?

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

I dunno guys......the thought of us playing some home games in Tassie and the bulk of them here does have its merits.

Afterall, they say two heads are better than one!

(No offense intended Nash!)

[MadAsHell 4,212]

While I don't like the idea of playing home games interstate, whether that's in Darwin or Hobart. It does carry some weight, at least in the short term to make us more financially strong.

The only way I'd consider it is if we could get some sort of deal with the AFL that we'd agree to play 8 home games in Tassie, 3 home games at the G, 5 away games at the G but with some sort of deal that Victorian Members still got entry to all the away games and still had a designated seating area in the Northern Stand for example like we do at our home games. And then 6 games for our interstate travel or trip down to Geelong.

If you used this years fixture for example we could have looked at something like this:

Home Games at the G:

Round 1 v Port Adelaide

Round 10 v Hawthorn

Round 11 v Collingwood

Home Games at Launceston

Round 3 v West Coast

Round 7 v Gold Coast

Round 15 v Sydney

Round 18 v North Melbourne

Home Games at Hobart

Round 4 v GWS

Round 14 v Western Bulldogs

Round 17 v Brisbane

Round 21 v Fremantle

Away Games at the G:

Round 2 v Essendon

Round 6 v Carlton

Round 8 v Richmond

Round 13 v St Kilda

Round 23 v Western Bulldogs

Other away games:

Round 5 v Brisbane (GABBA)

Round 9 v Fremantle (Pattersons)

Round 16 v Geelong (Skilled)

Round 19 v GWS (Skoda)

Round 20 v Gold Coast (Metricon)

Round 22 v Adelaide (AAMI)

The only down side with that draw is that after the round 13 away game at the G to St Kilda, unless you made the trip down the highway in Royund 16, we wouldn't see the Dees again at the G until Round 23. But it gives you an idea of how we could still keep an equal presence at the G and make some money in Tassie.

The long term goal of course would be to get to the stage that when Tassie want their own team, we'll be financially strong enough to return to the G full time for 11 home games a year.

[diesel 420]

I find this topic interesting. IMO the Hawthorn and North models were never going to be long term sustainable. Tassie always wanted and will eventually get its own side despite the naysayers. I would suggest this talk is actually designed to flush out an established Melbourne Club into committing and eventually relocating to Tassie. Not such a bad arrangement for that teams supporters because they will get to keep a larger part of their identity than was retained for Fitzroy when it merged with Brisbane.

One or perhaps both of Hawthorn and North are going to see a large part of their revenues dry up in a few years time. The work that club will have put into establishing a following and a relationship down there will be largely wasted. It may be that Melbourne with a base in Casey and a single game in Darwin look like they are on the smart track?

[rpfc 28,441]

Look, I hate to be arrogant, dismissive, and patronising (oh, who am I kidding - I do enjoy that...) but this is coming from AFL Tasmania...

It's as if Tassie local competition is whingeing up the chain. All the other parties, you know, the ones with actual power, are simply giving their input: the AFL says 'no comment' and the next day says 'yeah, we will read their stuff', and the Tassie Govt says 'yeah, this would be good!'

Those two would have to be the ones driving it for this to be even remotely considered. One has got 99 Problems and giving Tassie a team ain't one, and the other already sold its Tassie-team soul to Hawthorn then the Kangas.

The PR team that the Tassie Govt uses for the drive for a team has not been involved which means the Tassie Govt is not involved.

I hate to break it to AFL Tasmania but not only will you not get 'one team to root for' (as if that will make AFL in Tassie prosper) but you won't get a team called Tasmania for the foreseeable future.

They should just give it a rest - they're embarrassing themselves.

[Craig Drinker 179]

I can't believe this thread is still going!

Oops! I just contributed to it!

[Rogue 585]

We should stay as far away from Tasmania as possible.

In fact, that's what we're doing already (sup, Darwin).

The long term goal of course would be to get to the stage that when Tassie want their own team, we'll be financially strong enough to return to the G full time for 11 home games a year.

Or when Tasmania finally get their own team - you know they already want their own team, right? - since you already play eight games a year there you're the Tas team by default.

[[email protected] 101]

If I was an outsider loooking in with no vested interest I would say that the Dees are almost certainties to go to Tasmania after the AFL now effectively pulls our strings and has their fist firmly up our backside.

The Name is obviously the key issue. I am sure the AFL could come up with some wanky compromise. Melbourne Tassie Devils or some carp. If they want it to hapen and some market research gurus OK's it we are farked.

I am from Tassie and I am obviously all for it.. lol Call me selfish but if it means saving MFC don't knock it... We are a football State.. there are benefits here.. Ask Hawthorn.....Why would they have to change the name or the emblem. ?? Tasmanians are happy to see the Hawthorn Hawks and the North Melbourne Kangaroos keep their names etc... All Hawthorn has to do to show the Tasmanian connection is display the word Tasmania on the front of their jumper and it's not a very large "emblem". I do think 6 games would be a better number... Boy am I going to cop some shyte on DL over this post....

[[email protected] 101]

We should stay as far away from Tasmania as possible.

In fact, that's what we're doing already (sup, Darwin).

Or when Tasmania finally get their own team - you know they already want their own team, right? - since you already play eight games a year there you're the Tas team by default.

Tasmania is a much better proposition than Darwin... You could if you try probably pick two champion teams comprising Tasmanian players that have been "stolen" from Tassie over the years.. Starting with just a few.... Hudson. Stewart,Baldock, Hart, ...not a bad start , ,(and it's only a start) Melbourne has benefited greatly from Tassie players... Garland and Howe on current list,Brad Green, and many more..Yes , Tassie needs it's own team but why would the other clubs want it considering the abundance of top players they milk from here ?? They don't want to cut off their noses to spite their faces.. GWS doesn't and never will have the local talent that we grow here.. They are just living on imports from other areas.. So too is the Gold Coast.. This topic has been talked about for decades down here but the AFL refuse to accommodate the idea..It seems now they are trying to create some half baked idea to have Tassie more involved without allowing them to have a home grown team...That idea benefits Tassie very little...Suck out all the talent, reap the benefits Tassie offers but stuff giving them their own identity !

[dee-luded 2,959]

I dunno guys......the thought of us playing some home games in Tassie and the bulk of them here does have its merits.

Afterall, they say two heads are better than one!

(No offense intended Nash!)

Hmmn, & after the tassie deal, we could also push the Beijing angle....

I wonder what Caro would think?

[deanox 9,927]

I don't like it that this has raised its head as an option in the weeks after the afl "takes over" our club.

I imagine afl tasmania have played this card now on purpose.

Also I don't trust any deals to play home games in tassy but keep 8 in Melbourne. Look what is happening to the "merged" Fitzroy team. 10 years on the deals started to fall apart, they don't care any more. About the Fitzroy heritage.

[mjt 640]

This thread a waste of time, Tassie will never have a team, it won't happen, if GWS works and after time it probably will the AFL will put another team in NSW, eventually in 40 yrs time the AFL would truly like to have 4 teams in NSW.

[[email protected] 101]

Its good I live in WA then.

Lots of work over here.

A Tasmanian once told me the only reason they live in Tasmania is because they can't swim. You must know the ones who can swim.

LOL

Whoever the Farkwit was who said that to you I say to him/her jump into Bass Strait and head for Melbourne NOW !! especially if you can't swim ! Alternatively, If you don't like the place it's only $49.00 Via Jetstar Thank God, WA is so far from here ...(or any where else) People from there tend to lose touch with the rest of the country and generally wouldn't know where Tasmania is... lol....

[[email protected] 101]

Hmmn, & after the tassie deal, we could also push the Beijing angle....

I wonder what Caro would think?

CARO to Garry : ... "Good Call Bad Call Gawwy ???" The two headed jokes are soooo immature and old hat (or hats) and all been heard before... they are boring... All Tasmanian men have two "heads" , I hope... Don't Victorians ??? or do I have to explain that to you? p.s. from my last couple of visits to Melbourne, I would be inclined to say that Melbourne is more "qualified" to push the "Beijing" angle... Thought I was in China... ! (no offence intended to the Chinese Community)....

Edited June 28, 2013 by [email protected]

[[email protected] 101]

I don't like it that this has raised its head as an option in the weeks after the afl "takes over" our club.

I imagine afl tasmania have played this card now on purpose.

Also I don't trust any deals to play home games in tassy but keep 8 in Melbourne. Look what is happening to the "merged" Fitzroy team. 10 years on the deals started to fall apart, they don't care any more. About the Fitzroy heritage.

At least the "Lions" won a hat trick of Premierships... which is something that can only be dreamed about for us at this stage.. that only exists in our once mighty Club's past... (distant) ....Just saying

[[email protected] 101]

This thread a waste of time, Tassie will never have a team, it won't happen, if GWS works and after time it probably will the AFL will put another team in NSW, eventually in 40 yrs time the AFL would truly like to have 4 teams in NSW.

Thank you for your wise words and obvious knowledge of the AFL's future intentions.. Demitriou himself would be less informed than your good self...

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

With the right structure and people running the club the MFC should be striving to play more games at the MCG. That is the home.

I don't pay MCC/MFC Membership each year to watch the Demons play in a white jumper when at home.

AFL Map of Tassie can go and get.

[[email protected] 101]

Not very strong at all, two headed kids don't make good sportsmen. Howe and Punter were the lucky ones.

AND Peter Hudson , Royce Hart, Darrell Baldock, Ian Stewart, Brad Green, Matthew and Stephen Febey,, Garland ,who currently plays for the Dees in case you haven't noticed (not just Howe) and hundreds of other topline past and present sportsmen and women in a variety of sports...If I didn't think you must be joking I would have recommended you visit Dr. Frankenstein with the view to adding another head to your shoulders (become a Tasmanian) because it appears that one brain doesn't appear to have provided you with adequate intelligence... ..Just joking.. Sort of...

[rpfc 28,441]

Tapped. Market.

Move. On.

[mjt 640]

Thank you for your wise words and obvious knowledge of the AFL's future intentions.. Demitriou himself would be less informed than your good self...

Accept it , deal with it, MOVE on.