Tasmania like a dog with an AFL bone
By Paul Carter, 26 Jun 2008 Paul Carter is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- Andrew Demetriou, Gold Coast, Queensland, Tasmania, western Sydney
Tasmania’s dogged bid for an AFL team shows no sign of letting up, with a poll the government says meets key demands for a league franchise.
The government-commissioned poll released today shows 48 per cent of the 1,000 Tasmanians surveyed support the state having an AFL team.
Twenty three per cent of those surveyed said they would consider becoming financial members of a locally-based AFL team.
Economic Development and Tourism Minister Paula Wriedt says the second figure “is an extremely important statistic”.
“It shows the AFL that almost one-in-four people would think about taking up a membership, and memberships are the lifeblood of any AFL team,” Wriedt said.
“This result gives us the confidence to take forward a business case to the AFL.
“We always suspected we had the passion to sustain a Tasmanian team, now we know we have the level of support the AFL will demand.”
Wriedt, who is spearheading the government’s AFL bid after former premier Paul Lennon quit politics in May, says the poll effectively shows that tens of thousands of Tasmanians are waiting to support a local AFL team.
The government is spending large amounts of money on the bid on behalf of its Aussie Rules-mad population.
That is despite the AFL repeatedly telling Tasmania it is committed to establishing teams on the Gold Coast and in western Sydney.
The government is this week due to decide the successful tender to take Tasmania’s bid to the AFL before the end of this season.
It sought tenderers in May, with a June 6 closing date.
Up to eight professional sports lobbying agencies applied.
The announcement of the successful tender is due next week.
Lennon officially launched the government’s bid for an AFL team licence in April.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said then that the AFL believed south-east Queensland and western Sydney to be best-placed as the venues for the league’s 17th and 18th licences issued in 2011-12.
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The Crowd Says (6) | Page 1 of Comments
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- Andrew Demetriou, Gold Coast, Queensland, Tasmania, western Sydney
June 26th 2008 @ 1:51pm
Michael C said | June 26th 2008 @ 1:51pm | Report comment
Hmmm,
I’d love, love, love Tassie to come in,
but, the AFL, having no existant bye – will prefer NOT to bring in a single team to create a bye – - as, that does not provide extra tv content – - the AFL need 2 teams to come in – - effectively at the same time (minimal period of unbalanced fixture with a bye).
So – for Tassie to come in, we need either:
an AFL club to fold,
an AFL club to move to Tassie to take up the position,
a 20th team/club
options for the 20th club:
NT (FNQ) – - perhaps play 3 matches out of Darwin, 3 out of Cairns, 1 or 2 in the Alice – - and, importantly perhaps play a Gabba ‘Home’ match vs the GC, or a Carrara ‘Home’ match vs the Brissie Lions.
And, importantly – - this would result in every state and territory (other than the ACT – but, who really cares about Canberra!!) with a team – - truely national – - and, more teams OUTSIDE of Victoria than within.
Hmmm, I could already envisage a mid winter trek to Darwin or the Alice to see my Rooboys play (a good excuse to make the trip – - having never yet got around to it).
June 26th 2008 @ 2:24pm
True Tah said | June 26th 2008 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
Michael C,
what are the consequences of the AFL not putting a team in Tassie?
If the A-League put a side in Tassie, would it obtain a huge following straightaway – at AFL’s expense?
Maybe this is a bit far-fetched, but if a Super Rugby side based in Melbourne played a handful of games in Tasmania, would it get much support? I know Eddie Jones and Justin Collins (ex-All Black) were both from Tassie, but I don’t think their rugby pedigree is from the Apple Isle though.
June 26th 2008 @ 3:29pm
Michael C said | June 26th 2008 @ 3:29pm | Report comment
True Tah -
I really don’t know.
Is there a possibility of Tasmanians effectively protesting against the AFL admin by effectively converting heart and soul over night? (relatively speaking – and therefore being potentially ‘lost’ to AFL).
I doubt it.
(figuratively speaking) All the culture and infrastructure is geared to Aust Footy.
A Tassie soccer team MIGHT capture summer hearts and minds. And, MIGHT be seen as a pre-cursor to a full AFL team one day. Or – - it might be that they realise that’s the best they can get.
Would that give soccer a win by default? Being the next best thing?
It’s all crystal ball gazing – - but, the reality is that with finances tight, basketball has illustrated that you don’t succeed just by theoretically filling an apparent ‘void’. And, in a way, the ARC illustrated that the ‘next best thing’ is highly likely to fall flat. Gauging the chances of an AFL team in Tassie via crowds for the Tassie Tigers VFL team would be equally flawed.
And that’s the thing – - there ARE a couple of Tassie teams floating around, the Tigers in the VFL and the Mariners in the TAC Cup. They aren’t totally devoid of a ‘state team’, however, they are of a team in the AFL. So – - in some respects, they already have the ‘next best thing’ for the issue at hand.
Now – whether the soccer community in Tassie could independantly support a HAL team, or, rely upon attracting curious Aust Footy folk during summer to survive…….that’s another question.
June 26th 2008 @ 3:37pm
Michael C said | June 26th 2008 @ 3:37pm | Report comment
just additionally,
the main place in recent times the AFL really lost ground was Canberra – - but, via proximity to Sydney, the NRL and Super 14s really were a natural ‘fit’ – - that ‘Federal Highway’ has it ALL OVER the ‘Barton Highway’!!!!
Tassie – - totally different in that respect.
btw – I still reckon a Super 14(?) team in Melbourne would do alright – - but – - still, perhaps at the expense of the Storm. But – an expanded season, not sure – - the current season doesn’t really overlap the AFL much.
The thing I’m always thoughtful of re. crowd support – is that when you’ve grown up on AFL, there just isn’t enough happening in soccer or Rugby – - they are, by comparison, docile sports – - so, being ‘out of phase’ with the AFL is fine, but, head to head – - in an AFL market – - it’s a very big ask.
June 26th 2008 @ 3:59pm
True Tah said | June 26th 2008 @ 3:59pm | Report comment
Thanks for pointing out the situation re: Tassie.
Most Tassies I’ve met follow a team in the AFL anyway, so I don’t think they would be “lost” to AFL overnight if an A-League side was dropped in Hobart.
I think a big problem with a Tassie side is the fact that, unlike all the other states, there is a more even distribution between Hobart and Launceston in terms of population, so where would the side be based?
Which companies would sponsor the side or would it effectively be a Tasmanian Government enterprise?
I agree that a Melbourne Super rugby team would threaten the future of the Storm, and would probably get an angry response from the NRL.
As someone not brought up on rugby and not AFL, I don’t necessarily agree that rugby is any more docile though, AFL may be a contact sport, but rugby (along with NFL and NRL) is a collision sport/
June 26th 2008 @ 4:52pm
Michael C said | June 26th 2008 @ 4:52pm | Report comment
TT -
I must admit, the figure of perhaps 1 in 4 thinking they’d jump on board as members – - I guess, and we’ll see it on the Gold Coast – - I guess when it comes to creating a mostly home grown club – - that, then – perhaps – people will be willing to drop their old AFL club and go over to the local entity. AFL wise anyway. We’ll see soon enough.
Certainly though, AFL folk in summer supporting a HAL team – - we know that’s happening already with MVFC — and it hasn’t hurt the AFL one bit (seemingly).
Tassie has always had troubles re. the North vs South, in footy, cricket etc – - the North isn’t just Launceston, but Burnie, Devonport etc. The Tassie Tigers play at various grounds around Tassie, I think last week they might have been at Burnie.
what I meant by docile – - is, that Rugby Union is still :
-not overly free flowing
-can get bogged down in slow or negligible progress via REAL scrums etc
-the Australian style of play can tend to be a little less dynamic than perhaps it should be – - i.e. perhaps Deans will bring a little more judicious use of field kicks and field goals to accumlulate winning scores – - rather than this apparent anti-goal kicking mentality that seems pretty pronounced in Australian Rugby (both codes).
A lot depends on the ability to alternate mind set to happily watch an off-side defensive mindset game.
and, the collision aspect – - is sometimes a little over rated for AFL people – - because, invariably, only one of those involved will have any pace entering the contest – the other fellow is mostly just waiting for him to try to break through, and so the collision is not much more than a tackle – for us, a real collision is like what Judd and Lloyd had last week, and Judd is doubtful this week. Both players approaching the ball from opposite directions at pace, and, in this case, the 2 captains – - niether willing to shirk the issue, and ‘crunch’. That’s the AFL definition of a collision!!! (that, and those very vigorous shepherds, or the perfectly timed shirt front on the fellow kicking the ball………don’t worry, they’re in there, just sometimes you don’t get to see the replay unless watching foxtel without ads after every goal!!!!!).
cheers