Debunking the myths that stand in the way of a Tassie side

Why a Tasmanian AFL team is more than a pipedream

 

It’s a mystery to me why Tassy hasn’t been given a team yet. Its footy heartland. Participation rates are the canary in the goldmine. Ignore at your peril Gil. It would be a shocking dereliction of duty to ignore the base and lose Tassy while wasting time and resources on a vanity project in the Gold Coast.

Btw this Godfrey bloke appears to be just the type of hard headed realist needed to head up a strategic review of the Suns.

Allow Tasmania to field their own AFL team or drop the name Australian Football League, simple as that. 

Let's simplify it even more for the dummies at league headquarters 

Drop the Gold  Coast Suns. No future for them. 

New name without a tassie team  ' Football league '  That is a truer representation of what we have now.

Unless a side relocates, the finances just don't add up.

They want access to the AFL $12M distribution, their Government to tip in $8M, but where does the rest of the $40-50M per year needed to run an AFL club come from? 

It isn't memberships, that barely scrapes together a couple of million for any club. 

Sponsorship is a major input, but it needs a bucketload to still get to the break-even point. 

The AFL is subsidising GWS / GC to the tune of $30M each per year.  And they are doing that to "create" television time, that the networks are prepared to pay.  Even they cannot afford another money drain, which wouldn't create more air time to sell ( you need two teams for that).

North is already half way there.  That is probably the best chance for the Tasmanians.  Especially if their government swings the support money to them instead of splitting it with Hawthorn.

 

North should play all home games in Tasmania and be guaranteed 9 away games in Melbourne (not Geelong) with the revenue from their Melbourne attendees going to them.

It's a good deal all round.

As to splitting games between Hobart and Launceston I'll leave that to the Tasmanians. Physical location of players, admin and training ground would be a sensitive discussion but as Tasmania are paying the piper I suspect it should be in Tasmania. (Perhaps there could be a transition period of 2-3 years to allow for family and player relocation.)

And of course hawks can pack their bags.

Edited November 28, 20204 yr by Diamond_Jim

Would love to see a team in Tassie.  Unlike GWS and the Suns they'd have some soul and that will have them off to a good start.

The romance of a Tassie AFL team is all well and good but they would never be able to retain players. How many 18 year olds would be excited to move to Hobart?

Can you imagine players staying for long periods of time at a Tassie based club? They’d have to pay overs to retain/recruit players surely. 

24 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

The romance of a Tassie AFL team is all well and good but they would never be able to retain players. How many 18 year olds would be excited to move to Hobart?

 

23 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

Can you imagine players staying for long periods of time at a Tassie based club? They’d have to pay overs to retain/recruit players surely. 

Geelong seem to do better with recruiting and retaining players than any other side. 
 

Sleepy hollow + good surf beaches seem to be a winning combination. Most afl players are in long term relationships by 25, married with kids soon after. The simple life appeals.

Clearly it’s harder with Vic clubs targeting players that they don’t do to Geelong, but it’s possible. If you got Chris Fagan and David Noble to do what they’ve done in Brisbane you’d get similar results. 

29 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

The romance of a Tassie AFL team is all well and good but they would never be able to retain players. How many 18 year olds would be excited to move to Hobart?

A Tassy team would be no different to any other team as regards retention. If they’re successful they’ll retain and if not then they struggle.

The same argument could be said if the AFL were starting a team in Geelong now. All the youngsters want to leave, who would want to live in Geelong rah rah, whereas as in fact, Geelong is cited as a lifestyle choice, amongst its other selling points. Why can’t Tassy be the same? Hobart is a beautiful spot.

5 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

 

Geelong seem to do better with recruiting and retaining players than any other side. 
 

Sleepy hollow + good surf beaches seem to be a winning combination. Most afl players are in long term relationships by 25, married with kids soon after. The simple life appeals.

Clearly it’s harder with Vic clubs targeting players that they don’t do to Geelong, but it’s possible. If you got Chris Fagan and David Noble to do what they’ve done in Brisbane you’d get similar results. 

you just beat me to it @DeeSpencer

This bridge was burned decades ago when the 'A'FL was created by using the cheapest available method.

Selfishly, maybe I don't regret it as it is hard to imagine Melbourne being one of the half dozen (instead of ten) Victorian clubs selected for 'promotion' to the top tier. 

Then again, properly executed, the AFL system could have had a relegation system between an absolute top-tier and a highly competitive and well resourced second tier.  Instead, what we have is one giant tier that is just a bit short of elite, and then a second tier that at times can border on the half-arsed.

6 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

North should play all home games in Tasmania and be guaranteed 9 away games in Melbourne (not Geelong) with the revenue from their Melbourne attendees going to them.

It's a good deal all round.

As to splitting games between Hobart and Launceston I'll leave that to the Tasmanians. Physical location of players, admin and training ground would be a sensitive discussion but as Tasmania are paying the piper I suspect it should be in Tasmania. (Perhaps there could be a transition period of 2-3 years to allow for family and player relocation.)

And of course hawks can pack their bags.

Perhaps Tasmania should have 2 head(quarters)

The most enjoyable part of Tasmania having their own stand alone side would be seeing how Jeff Kennett tries to plug the $4 million annual shortfall in his own club's finances whilst simultaneously trying to fund their $130 million elite training facility in Dingley. 

Finances aren't the only thing causing the AFL to drag their feet.

Tassie doesn't give them anything the don't already get. It doesn't grow the game. You could argue GC and GWS don't either, but they are at least in non-AFL states, so there is that argument.

People in Tassie will support a team, regardless of whether it's in Tassie or not.

10 hours ago, Better days ahead said:

It’s a mystery to me why Tassy hasn’t been given a team yet. Its footy heartland.

The AFL don't give a flying rat's tossbag about areas that already play Aussie Rules.  They're in a war against rugby league (which RL has only recently woken up to) and are hellbent on infiltrating enemy territory. Hence GWS. To a lesser extent the Gold Coast as North screwed up their carefully laid plans there.

 

8 hours ago, george_on_the_outer said:

Unless a side relocates, the finances just don't add up.

That's how it will happen, if it happens.

Edited November 28, 20204 yr by Mazer Rackham

6 hours ago, Better days ahead said:

A Tassy team would be no different to any other team as regards retention. If they’re successful they’ll retain and if not then they struggle.

The same argument could be said if the AFL were starting a team in Geelong now. All the youngsters want to leave, who would want to live in Geelong rah rah, whereas as in fact, Geelong is cited as a lifestyle choice, amongst its other selling points. Why can’t Tassy be the same? Hobart is a beautiful spot.

Geelong appeals to those who surf or like that lifestyle.

Being in Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Torquay, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet or even Moggs Creek is very different to Hobart.

Let’s not forget, Tassie and particularly Hobart is bloody cold and wet in winter. Would take a very special type to want to relocate down there to play

12 hours ago, Better days ahead said:

It’s a mystery to me why Tassy hasn’t been given a team yet. Its footy heartland. Participation rates are the canary in the goldmine. Ignore at your peril Gil. It would be a shocking dereliction of duty to ignore the base and lose Tassy while wasting time and resources on a vanity project in the Gold Coast.

Btw this Godfrey bloke appears to be just the type of hard headed realist needed to head up a strategic review of the Suns.

The AFL hate having a uneven team competition, a 20 th would have to come in at the same time, or a team will have to relocate

2 hours ago, Mickey said:

Finances aren't the only thing causing the AFL to drag their feet.

Tassie doesn't give them anything the don't already get. It doesn't grow the game. You could argue GC and GWS don't either, but they are at least in non-AFL states, so there is that argument.

People in Tassie will support a team, regardless of whether it's in Tassie or not.

Who cares about growing the game? 
 

The people of Tasmania deserve to have a team to support and watch every week like we do.

10 minutes ago, BW511 said:

Geelong appeals to those who surf or like that lifestyle.

Being in Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Torquay, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet or even Moggs Creek is very different to Hobart.

Let’s not forget, Tassie and particularly Hobart is bloody cold and wet in winter. Would take a very special type to want to relocate down there to play

That's ok they can base the team in Launceston in the middle winter less rain, 

Every time the argument for Tassie gets brought up I feel a little sorry for them. 10-15 years ago there probably could’ve been a better chance for them to get a team by pointing to the additional revenue that an extra game for TV rights will bring plus the fact that there would be support for them pretty much guaranteed so you wouldn’t be scraping for fans at the ground. 

But the lack of growth for the game clearly trumped the decision and GWS and GC got the nod. Incredibly I think GWS has a decent potential to go into a real footy club. The Gold Coast on the other hand seems to be where sport goes to die. The AFL have thus far tried everything to get them competitive and they are still getting left behind. Perhaps the recent concessions will get them functioning (and they at least looked better this year) but I just don’t see any buy in from the locals. Despite all that the AFL seem determined to keep persevering with them.

I think it really sucks for them but unless a Victorian club gets into dire circumstances financially (North seems to be the ones that’s always talked about) and is essentially forced to shift there then I don’t see how logistically they’ll get a team. 

Edited November 28, 20204 yr by Pates

35 minutes ago, Pates said:

Incredibly I think GWS has a decent potential to go into a real footy club.

Agree in that GWS has the Canberra market which also gives them access to the Riverina crowd.

Mind you their Western Sydney crowds have been abysmal despite their success as a team.

1 hour ago, BW511 said:

Geelong appeals to those who surf or like that lifestyle.

Being in Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Torquay, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet or even Moggs Creek is very different to Hobart.

Let’s not forget, Tassie and particularly Hobart is bloody cold and wet in winter. Would take a very special type to want to relocate down there to play

 

1 hour ago, don't make me angry said:

That's ok they can base the team in Launceston in the middle winter less rain, 

Relocated to Hobart area almost 3 years ago. Great city to live and work in. Real good work/life balance. Has heaps going for it in terms of restaurants, cafes and culture. Only gets 50mm more rain per year than Melbourne. Zero traffic compared to Melbourne. 
A case could be made that if a young 18 wanted to sow some wild oats he would have more option in the big city, but don’t clubs try to discourage that anyways. 
Loved living in Melbourne and I’m not saying anything bad about it,and there clearly must be reasons the AFL has not put a team in Tasmania yet. I just don’t see that quality of life here and ability to retain players is one of them. 
 

A lesson from the hub might be that you do not need to be home then away during the season.

If Tassie home games were scheduled mainly in the 1st half of the year it would be a much warmer propostition.

And also if the Qld and WA home games were in mainly in June/July/August it would escape the blistering March and April weather. Not sure if it is feasible but we have seen stranger things happen. And we have also seen "home" games in far away locales. It is good having the MCG where we get four seasons in one day.

13 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

The AFL don't give a flying rat's tossbag about areas that already play Aussie Rules.  They're in a war against rugby league (which RL has only recently woken up to) and are hellbent on infiltrating enemy territory. Hence GWS. To a lesser extent the Gold Coast as North screwed up their carefully laid plans there.

 

That's how it will happen, if it happens.

I think this is right. My guess is the GC will have to relocate there. It seems the obvious solution. Tassy want a team but don’t have one. Gold Coast have a team but have no members or broader community support.