Ouch!

Why? No offence but you really should stop looking at this from a Melb/Mainland centric view of 'success'. This post is probably a bit of a wider perspective for several of the people this week being incredibly pessimistic about this announcement. Tas population is approximately 540k. Greater Hobart is basically half of that. So, a stadium of 23k represents about 1/10th of the population, Personally I would prefer they were closer to 27-30k. Using your own logic, should the MCG have a capacity of 500k? because the greater Melb population is 5mil. This team will be designed to be more like Geelong, and they have done extensive modelling by looking at the Green Bay Packers model in the US, arguable the most successful team based in a 'small town' IMO. Kardinia park has had several upgrades over recent decades but that was getting it from what approximately 26k through now to possibly 40k. Why would this stadium need to be more than Kardinia Park from the outset? Let the club grow, also having a huge capacity ground that is half empty would be bad design. Anyone see round 1 game at GWS this year? I'd prefer the Tas team playing in a 23k capacity ground and having it near capacity for most home games rather than being half empty and 50k. I've seen a lot of people moan about the dilution of the talent pool, Population in the last 10 years has gone from 23mil to just under 27mil. The diversity of players (both men and womens) has never been greater. Clubs have to turn over more players each season combined than it takes to fill another AFL list, and whilst I think the way that GWS and Gold Coast got special access wasn't done right, I think a model that gives Tassie access to a pool of picks with an expectation to on trade them to other clubs would more than offset that nervousness. Just a few of other thoughts, this team before it plays it's first game, I would seriously be surprised if the team doesn't have a higher membership than the Gold Coast and GWS. Secondly, Tasmania in general has been starved of national sport outside of cricket. Look at the success that has occured in the NBL with the Jackjumpers, first 2 seasons and this club massively overachieved on the court getting to the finals in both seasons. But off the court has been crazy, in this last season, it sold out it's memberships in 26 minutes, almost every home game has been a sell out, the stadium has needed to be upgraded quicker than planned. Then there are the other aspects here. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-04/jackjumpers-success-causes-grassroots-basketball-pain/101917976 Participation up by 46% in the north of the state with 500 teams wanting to play. Basketball Tasmania requiring a further 26 courts across the state to cater for demand. Thats 2 years! The announcement of this stadium has now prompted the head of the A-League to jump up and insist that the ground is able to be configured to play soccer also, why would that be the case do you think? Tasmania is a state that has a small population, but has often punched well above it's weight with many sports. Cricket and AFL in particular, Grassroots football is not doing well down here, and as a result the number of AFL players being drafted is sadly lacking, but bring a team in (hopefully 2027 or 2028) but bring it through the VFL, and prioritise the talent pathways immediately both for girls and boys and that will change incredibly fast. Hawthorn and North Melbourne as clubs would have struggled to survive without Tas Govt funding, I have no doubt that the flow on effects of having the games played here beneficial to the state, but I'm sick of it TBH, I'd prefer a Tas side. Furthermore don't get dragged into the commentary that the games like the Hawks v Adelaide ar ein front of small crowds, and thats indicative of what a Tassie side would end up playing in front of. Thats like me saying go and watch North v Freo at the MCG , oh and you better bloody enjoy it and be greatful for how AFL football is being bought to you. Tasmania doesn't want North, Hawthorn, or the dregs of a failed venture from anywhere else. They want a Tasmanian team, we deserve a Tasmanian team, and this stadium and the plan that has been put in place should give it the best chance of success (as a club) who knows about the on field success. Also if James Sicily is reading this, given that my perception is that AFL players play golf, go to cafe's, surf or play playstation in their downtime, I am pretty confident that Tasmania has most of that covered. Oh and Old Dee this ones for you, your comment that Tasmania is overcast and cold most of the year perhaps is one of the more ill informed comments I've seen from you recently, which is saying something. Does it get cold in the winter, sure. Do we get wind, yeah, but unless you were one of the contestants on 'Alone' down in the SW of Tas, you are simply just wrong. Hobart's climate is not that dissimilar to Melbourne (less rain in winter, and perhaps a degree or two colder, but better air quality) ... and no we don't want Tarryn back thanks! :)

you can't be serious can you? they can cos they don't care. How many games have we played at Kardinia Park over the last 10 years. How many have Collingwood, Carlton or Essendon played @ the cattery?

Hmmm, think Damien Peverill play for Essendon? but might have been on our list. Adem had a brother Damien who played in the VFL.... was on the MFC supplementary list. (Older brother I think)

are many of us here complaining that it's too harsh? and those who are (perhaps look @ their usernames :D) If anything I think most are saying that Buddy's is too lenient, rather than the other way around.

I agree 100%, Buddy lined up the Sydney player, and he copped the point of the shoulder on his chin. People also trying to justify it with Buddy being tall and head high contact will always be harder... Sam Collins is 194 key defender and wasn't bent over the ball. Am also curious to see how Shane McAdam's bump will get graded, a very similar launching with the shoulder up at the player to Pickett's, but the player was hurt, he came off a very long run up to line up the player, unlike Pickett though, surely cannot be considered careless.

I agree that it might not be one of his KPIs, but 9-17, if he can flip it around it could be worth a win or two. I agree in the practise matches he was kicking well. I suspect he runs until he's exhausted himself, and when he takes shots in games he needs to just settle a bit.

Hey Binman, I think that would be a record for the number of times nibbler is typed in a post :D 17 by my count. Regardless of the role, he needs to convert the goal chances. I get his value, however that should be his floor, his ceiling goes up when he puts scoreboard pressure on. He gets shots on goal, he and Trac have to convert.

But I'm sure Hunter would know about Lobb being at the.... oh yeah right. Hunter would have only seen one season of Darcy. So really he'd be commenting about Ugle-Hagan and Naughton. Which I guess is fair enough. But all 4 are not nimble at ground level.

Yet May is the only one of our players that lined up against Richmond, yes sure it's a practise match, but the way our team moved the ball, that was very impressive. Richmond are a stronger team than the doggies in my view, and we picked them apart with ease. Too much being made of the 4 talls for the dogs I think. Then after this week we only get stronger as these players filter back into the team.

Ok, but for what role? Baker plays as a wing, we have Langdon, Hunter, Brayshaw, with JJ & Howes that can play that role for us and arguably better than Baker. I'm not bagging out Baker here, but Laurie and Chandler are going to play different positions. Compare them perhaps to Anthony Scott or someone like that as a fair comparison.

They have Jones as an upgrade at full back, they did not need Lobb, it's still bizarre why they chased him so hard. Why compare Baker to Chandler. Compare Baker to Hunter. Chandler has worked hard and deserves the chance in the team. McVee has been rewarded for a solid preseason. Laurie and Tomlinson are surprises I admit, but even without May, Salem, Fritter and Viney Cannot agree the dogs are stronger on paper.

Hmmm, seeing that line up of the dogs isn't as strong as I thought it would be. Not anything super scary in their back 6, nothing on that bench that is all that alarming, we match or beat their midfield but we have better depth to run through there... They got a good trade with Jones, but I still fail to see what Lobb offered them, they lost Hunter and bought in Baker (with respect) but thats not a positional upgrade for them. Yes they are going in with the 4 talls, but they don't really have other options, it's not just a case of Bevvo being bold. I honestly think they are the best players they can field... Thommo for us is a bit of a surprise, but it's round 1, will back in the selection committee. Dees by 21.

I agree he's an important player, but I felt he with 9-17 (and Trac with 19-31) killed a lot of our momentum pushes last year with goal kicking accuracy. Trac has the midfield to his bow, and whilst appreciating the defensive pressure and elite fitness of ANB, if you are getting the chance to have that many shots on goal, conversion has to be better.

I think you misunderstood what I meant, I meant that I'd be giving him a full season in the VFL before stamping his card as being ready for the scrapheap. More a reference to the comment being this is their final chance, ie if they don't make it now, they'll never make it. I might not have been super clear on that, apologies.

I agree, but I'd like to think they've earned the chance. McVee and JVR seem the most likely, although I think Chandler will be given the chance, even though he's not new blood as such.

I'm curious how it can be 'A' final opportunity. I might be poking holes here, but it's either the final chance or its not. If not, it's an opportunity, not a final one. 🤪 Edit: Oops pressed submit too early, I actually had a view here that JVR has plenty of time, and I don't see any reason to rush him if TMac, BBB and Fritsch are all fit and healthy, although he's a different player and could fit in there. I don't know about Bailey Laurie, because I don't know who he replaces.... can't see too many opportunities to replace anyone in the team.... I'd like to see him get a full season in the VFL before putting him to the sword.

So... part of his justification is that his uncle Byron played at Port, ummm... and Melbourne, actually played more combined games of football whilst in Victoria than he did in South Australia. and, his manager is Peter Rhode, who was the footy manager at Port, so obviously would try and lure him to Port, except he played more than 100 games for us, and almost 50 games with the dogs, and he's a Victorian. Talk about mental gymnastics to get create a headline that barely exists!

yeah, it's worked fine with Nth and basically a bunch of teams that would run a loss if the game was in Melbourne.... You see what happens with Collingwood playing the Hawks in Launceston for the practise match.... Bellerive won't handle marque teams playing here, and the ground is in a residential suburb! They objected to the lights and there are noise and light covenants that mean you can't have a game go past a certain time, and it cannot host concerts etc This stadium is not just about AFL, it's just that the team would be an anchor tennant.

Except no one who has a team wants them to relocated, and Tassie doesn't want a relocated team either, it's not going to do well for membership. I think Gil and the AFL Commission would be acutely aware of the success of the Tassie Jack Jumpers (note also they didn't get here without the Stadium either, admittedly it was bought from Glenorchy Council, and was subsequently redeveloped. But their membership I think is now capped, they didn't have a spare seat basically to any game this season, and they've made the GF and Semi finals in the first 2 seasons. With a team that people didn't think was up to it! They are now causing issues due to the fact that it's now being identified that we don't have enough courts in Tassie to keep up with the popularity of the sport at lower divisions, all in the space of 2 years. I back that they put in the work to determine this model, and the stadium I personally think works too, the site is currently an industrial wasteland, it will be built and incorporated into a precinct that will have other facilities and amenities around it. Biggest concern is traffic congestion, all roads lead thru there basically. Fed Labor will come to the party, but for the precinct as a whole more than just the stadium.

very good reason, it's in Bellerive on the bluff, there are houses everywhere around it and there is no parking facilities, to get it up to a scale that they want, would require a lot of construction work, and Tasmania has a higher population of NIMBYs than most places on earth.

For me, Brisbane Melb Freo Richmond Geelong (don't care bout the rest)

Looking at DD's feedback and thinking on Cat B players. What do clubs or these players lose by them coming in via the regular draft. I guess you lose an element of surprise on the other clubs, but that has to be increasingly slim too. I guess then why have rookie spots at all? Given most clubs seem to dump older players in it at the end of their career, not exactly rookies. Just have a primary list, let these players nominate for the draft and be done with it.... simple. Doesn't stop us from seeking these guys out to put onto the list from other sports or international (at the end of the draft)

Disco Turner and Chandler most likely for me. Chandlers second half of the VFL season was pretty impressive, and we need him to be heaping pressure on Spargo & ANB the latter just killed momentum in games time and time again with his inaccuracy in front of goal. Like to see JVR and AMW knocking on the door hard and hopefully getting a taste of senior footy too.

Hmmm, I was hoping to get this thread to 100 pages, given it was a pure hypothetical brainfart on my behalf! Welcome Brody to the MFC, and you're welcome Tim Lamb!

cos he's not a forward. He's not a ruck, and Port are interested in him as a key back. He still could help our key forwards though.... by playing key back when we play port.