Done deal.

19th licence to be officially announced by AFL in the next couple of months. Mate of mine was down there mid week and will be involved in (without being specific) some capacity in the new stadium/precint 

17 minutes ago, Travis Boots said:

Done deal.

19th licence to be officially announced by AFL in the next couple of months. Mate of mine was down there mid week and will be involved in (without being specific) some capacity in the new stadium/precint 

Just move Gold Coast down there. They can adjust their name to Cold Coast.

Edited April 1, 20223 yr by Demon Disciple

20 minutes ago, Travis Boots said:

Done deal.

19th licence to be officially announced by AFL in the next couple of months. Mate of mine was down there mid week and will be involved in (without being specific) some capacity in the new stadium/precint 

About time.  Should have had a team before GWS and GC imo. 

Edited April 1, 20223 yr by DemonOX

3 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

About time.  Should have had a team before GWS and GC imo. 

Logic and AFL Execs do not compute Ox.

9 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

About time.  Should have had a team before GWS and GC imo. 

No growth. They are all already invested in a club. I really don’t get this attitude. Is it naïveté or do people really think we shouldn’t bother in the northern states?

2 minutes ago, rpfc said:

No growth. They are all already invested in a club. I really don’t get this attitude. Is it naïveté or do people really think we shouldn’t bother in the northern states?

Yep, just because the AFL HQ made an absolute mess of it doesn't mean the ambition is correct.

Karmichael Hunt. Israel Folau. Geezus.

As for Tassie, there have been so many promises and slipping schedules that even when there is a signed contract to look at I'll trust it about as much as a Submarine Procurement Agreement.

I've always believed in a massive boost to the second-tier competitions and feel like Tassie could have been well served by that, but I'm not Tasmanian and won't attempt to speak for what they want.

Fantastic news, but for selfish reasons I hope they won't be nicknamed the Devils. 

24 minutes ago, rpfc said:

No growth. They are all already invested in a club. I really don’t get this attitude. Is it naïveté or do people really think we shouldn’t bother in the northern states?

It’s not naïveté rpfc. What club are tassie invested in, is it the Hawks and NM u are referring to.?

If so I’m sure the Tasmanians would rather support their own team ( or have them as their second team)  than a couple of ring ins

I know it’s a different sport but the Jack Jumpers get good support locally. 

51 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Just move Gold Coast down there. They can adjust their name to Cold Coast.

Nah, send North Melbourne down there, rename them South of Melbourne, should satisfy the Launceston and Hobart divide

10 hours ago, Nascent said:

Fantastic news, but for selfish reasons I hope they won't be nicknamed the Devils. 

I've got no problem with them being called the Devils.  I think it's by far the most natural and logical thing for them to be called and one that their population down there could all rally behind, which is important, because as a lover of the game more broadly, I think Aussie Rules needs Tassie to have a team and for it to succeed as a club.

If the league is big enough to have Crows, Magpies, Eagles and Hawks, Lions, Tigers, Cats and Dogs, then I think it would be fine to have Demons and Devils.

In fact I'd look forward to having an evil battle of the underworld against a potential Tassie team.

10 hours ago, DemonOX said:

If so I’m sure the Tasmanians would rather support their own team ( or have them as their second team)  than a couple of ring ins

I support for Melbourne. Always have, always will.

Just about everyone I know is in the same basket for whatever filthy team they go for.

On the Devil name, no issue at all from me seeing as it is the name of an animal and not just an alternative name for a Demon.

Tassie Magpies sounds good to me.

We have too many teams already, relocate North or Gold Coast

Tassie Thylacines (just rolls off the tongue)

As a Melbourne supporting TasWeigan, I fully support the name of the "Devils". The marketing will have the animal as the face of the club... there won't be a hint of similarity at all to 'Demons'.

Devils is perfect for Tasmania. 

12 hours ago, DemonOX said:

About time.  Should have had a team before GWS and GC imo. 

Why? The Tasmanian population is 540,000 with a bit split in loyalties between Hobart & Launceston. Sydney Swans started playing in 1982 and had the Sydney market to themselves for 30 years before GWS started in 2012. Sydney and Brisbane/Gold Coast are expansion markets with significant population bases. I have no problems with introducing a Tasmanian team but am happy for GWS (especially) & GC to have come in first.

44 minutes ago, Jibroni said:

We have too many teams already, relocate North or Gold Coast

I think it's a bit rich for any Melbourne supporter to argue about relocation of other clubs. Would you have been happy for either of the mergers with Hawthorn or North to have gone ahead and Melbourne as we know it to not exist? The arguments for or against North & GC are entirely different in any case and they shouldn't be grouped together IMO.

14 minutes ago, Sydney_Demon said:

Why? The Tasmanian population is 540,000 with a bit split in loyalties between Hobart & Launceston. Sydney Swans started playing in 1982 and had the Sydney market to themselves for 30 years before GWS started in 2012. Sydney and Brisbane/Gold Coast are expansion markets with significant population bases. I have no problems with introducing a Tasmanian team but am happy for GWS (especially) & GC to have come in first.

Tassie is an AFL loving state where Brisbane and Sydney are the crap league states which is why it’s been so hard to get any traction don’t get me wrong it’s good to see the swans and lions do well over the years though. 

I still think Tasmanians will attend the footy even if it’s not the team they follow but u might find it will be their second type team  they follow   

We will have to agree to disagree SD. 

  It's not so long ago that if the AFL announced a Tassie team with the nickname Devils we'd assume MFC was being relocated to Tasmania.

I lived in Tassie twice, and can tell you they love their footy. The north/south divide is very real, so I reckon they will need to play home games in both Hobart AND Launceston. Not sure how it would work but can't see a way around it.

The main arguments against have always been around business model/finance/sponsors etc... - can Tassie sustain the huge financial beast that is an AFL club? Hopefully they have worked that out.

As for the name, the Devils rings true, but there has always been conversation around giving due homage to their convict heritage.

12 hours ago, Nascent said:

Fantastic news, but for selfish reasons I hope they won't be nicknamed the Devils. 

Knowing the AFL, they'll probably call them the Jets or the Mets or the Dodgers. They might even call them the Yankees. Or the 49ers. Or the Jazz.

 

11 hours ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

Nah, send North Melbourne down there, rename them South of Melbourne, should satisfy the Launceston and Hobart divide

North Antarctica. Keeps the heritage and suits the climate.

1 hour ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Knowing the AFL, they'll probably call them the Jets or the Mets or the Dodgers. They might even call them the Yankees. Or the 49ers. Or the Jazz.

Apple Isle Mariners. Has a nice ring to it .

Or the Tasmania(n) Spirit. 🤮

Edited April 2, 20223 yr by Nascent

well at least we are at the right end of the ladder for the mass of early draft picks that will be heading across Bass Strait.

Can see a few clubs wary of losing marquee players anxious to top up their bank balances.

Would be interested to see what would have happened draft wise over the last five years had they been in existence and given preferential access to Tasmanian draftees.

Hopefully the Government gives them a "free clean"stadium like Geelong has or I can't see them ever breaking even.

The splitting of home games between Launceston and Hobart while understandable politically will never work longer term.

And of course which Melbourne teams will be sent South after the eight odd interstate teams are slotted to play down there

3 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

I've got no problem with them being called the Devils.  I think it's by far the most natural and logical thing for them to be called and one that their population down there could all rally behind, which is important, because as a lover of the game more broadly, I think Aussie Rules needs Tassie to have a team and for it to succeed as a club.

If the league is big enough to have Crows, Magpies, Eagles and Hawks, Lions, Tigers, Cats and Dogs, then I think it would be fine to have Demons and Devils.

In fact I'd look forward to having an evil battle of the underworld against a potential Tassie team.

I think you're right and of course the branding would revolve around the animal and be distinctly different. Devils and Tigers makes most sense and it won't be Tigers. 

Wouldn't surprise to see a Cartoon Tasmanian Devil stylised with little devil horns though.

Perhaps they can get the license from looney tunes.

Edited April 2, 20223 yr by Nascent
Doubled up words