It has been in the works for almost a year now. A rumour that has had all rugby and league fans in Tasmania looking forward to a rare top-flight sporting opportunity in Hobart.
Next year, Bellerive Oval (or Blundstone Arena) will host two AFL games, with North Melbourne having a new part-time home in Southern Tasmania.
One of these games, though, will feature the new Greater Western Sydney Giants – a choice that has many die-hard Tasmanian AFL fans up in arms. After being an AFL heartland for decades, Tasmanians will be forced to watch the team that killed off Tasmania’s AFL bid for the next decade.
The thing that really has AFL fans so incensed in Hobart is that the Giants are from an NRL heartland, and that their most high-profile signing was an NRL superstar.
This is aside from the fact that this particular brand looks and sounds as if it should be playing ball in San Francisco and not Sydney. I can almost see Tim Lincecum and Brian “Fear The Beard” Wilson lining up for the “Giants” come next winter.
Tasmania is an AFL heartland, this cannot be taken away from us. But apparently the state as a whole has lost a little dignity through the North Melbourne deal, and I for one believe it may be a rather long nail in the coffin for a Tasmania AFL team bid.
So imagine my surprise when a rumour I had heard at the start of this year rang true. The NRL is also making its way to Hobart. That’s right. The NRL is coming to the ends of the earth (for rugby league at least).
A pre-season NRL match is set to be played in Hobart on the 18th February next year. And the two teams set to hit it out are two of the strongest clubs in the NRL over the last ten years. It’s not the whipping boys making the trip.
Instead, the Melbourne Storm and the Brisbane Broncos will be playing at North Hobart Oval. Funnily enough the game itself is being largely sponsored by a local Aussie rules football team. Tasmania last saw an NRL game way back in 1998 – before the Storm’s inaugural season.
All this means that I no longer have to watch GWS play to see a Bronco star in action.
Could this all be a start of a beautiful friendship? One can only cross their fingers and hope.
No Personality
Guest
I love rugby league so much that i think time stands still and we are in 1999 still trying to break free the shackles of ignorance. Admit it Rugby Union and football kicks our ass internationally and aussie rules walloping us domestically. Rugby league is the best game of all but no one knows that down in CATS country because its said at 10:30pm on thursday night where i only tune in or i hear on telecast from fatty or rabbs that an nrl game or origin game has been dished out to international audiences, but was it a success or hoax. Rugby league was a game created for everyone from the humble and renegade beginnings in the north of england straight to the southern hemishphere where it enjoyed success in australia and rugby league godlike idolising papua new guineans, the word needs to be spread, played, loved but mostly enjoyed.
AC
Guest
Tassie is a AFL state so they should have a team. Problem is demographics - Tasmania is a state (like SA) which has a population problem - stagnant. So, not really attractive. The AFL has to/must gain popularity in NSW or QLD. These two states are powerhouses when it comes to population growth and dominance. Never the less it would be nice for Tasmania to have its own AFL Team. As for the NRL going there permanently it doesnt appear to be a good option.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
The Code War here was threatening to be my literary vietnam, so im trying to be less flamable when posting :p
Jaceman
Guest
Tassie will be the 19th team in 5 years time....Its just a matter of the Stat govt coming to the party - the AFL is playing hard ball so the Govt will eventually cave in..
Unbiased Opinion
Guest
I don't want to start a North/South Divide here. But people from the North-West coast (happily!) drive up for the Footy anyway so it wouldn't be much different here.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
wookie sorry jumped in too quickly, assumed you were anti the visit which was not the case.Give myself an uppercut/.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The_Wookie You are anti promotion of a code,in foreign territory,if it happens to involve two top line NRL teams?The local Aussie rules team,,happens to think it is a worthwhile idea.. To satisfy the people who follow rugby league in that state(,though they be small in number they do exist therer),and to provide incentive for the grassroots and local rl competition(which is growing).The game is actually played there. That is reason itself to have a promo match,with the strong chance of follow ups,and those fans who will also seize the opportunity to visit Tassie to watch the game.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
This. Theres nothing wrong with the NRL playing a trial match down there, or indeed any kind of match down there. If the FFA want to setup a team let them. The cost base for setting up an FFA team is much less than setting up an AFL team. Hawthorn play 4 matches a year, and get decent crowds, North Melbourne will be playing another 3 down there. And these are all proper season matches for the most part. Hawthorn are on TV and sponsored by the Tasmanian Government. Why worry about a one off match at all?
Pecs McGee
Guest
It depends on whether you include north-west Tas (Burnie, Devonport). But there are more people living in close proximity (reasonable driving distance) to Hobart than there are around Launnie.
Cappuccino
Guest
This is true. Of all the major football codes, the A-League is most likely to have a team in Tasmania before the others. In February, an actual League match (as opposed to a pre-season friednly) will be played in Tassie, between Melbourne Victory and Gold Coast. With Harry Kewell playing, it will probably draw a capacity crowd- hopefully it will be the beginning of the world game becoming mainstream in Tasmania.
kovana
Guest
cheers
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I think he means,that fans who enjoy both rugby codes are looking forward to the trial game.No suggestion of a RU team taking part.
trakl
Guest
Maybe the author means that there are some rugby fans in Tasmania who like both the league and union codes?
kovana
Guest
"A rumour that has had all rugby and league fans in Tasmania looking forward to a rare top-flight sporting opportunity in Hobart. " What has Rugby got to do with this? From the article it doesnt mention any RU team taking part.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
it's a promo trip,there is no intention to establish an NRL team in that state full stop.There are nthn state expats(one of the miners trapped underground in that state was a Broncos fan),NZedders and the odd sport person who like a bit ofe verything involving sweat and tears. Good on the local Tas rl and the AFL code people who are behind the venture It also assists tourism,and that is a good thing.BTW have never visited the place,heard it is a foodies paradise and picture card pretty.Love my Cascade and Boag,not keen onBbob Brown though.
Unbiased Opinion
Guest
The north of the state has a larger population than Hobart.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
The idea of a Tassie NRL team is about 10 times more ridiculous than the idea of an AFL team in Newcastle. And that's pretty ridiculous.
Football United
Guest
it seems that the only one who's paranoid so far is you? Melbourne draws better crowds than some sydney crowds so i think it's far to say that you are not only paranoid but also ignorant and therefore not in any position to say anything worthwile
Rabbi
Guest
Nice to see the afl paranoiacs at it again. Any league expansion would involve Perth, Wellington, central coast, central Qld, or png. Given that Melbourne fails to make a profit or draw decent crowds, I doubt that the nrl are going to tas as anything more than an attempt to win a few more fans. Don't worry afl, the heartland of your parochial little game is safe. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Australian Rules
Guest
I appreciate the author wanting a Tasmanian team in a national football comp...but it just won't happen. Until recently, Tassie was one of the only areas in the developed world where the population was actually shrinking. That has improved slightly in the last couple of years but it's population growth is currently half that of the national average (0.8% compared to 1.6%). Compare the total Tassie pop of 500,000 to that of GWS (about 2M and climbing). I'd love to see Tassie get a team but the commercial incentives just aren't there. Tas is AFL mad and has provided the game with many legends, but the 18th licence going to GWS dashed any hopes for a Tas AFL team anytime soon. BTW the article doesn't mention the fact that the Hawks play 4 games in Launceston every year and that the Tas govt is their major sponsor. But as for NRL...expanding into the Apple Isle would be a pointless exercise. Tasmania as an expansion area simply isn't worth it.