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Time for the Tasmanian Devils in the AFL

David Mohr new author
Roar Rookie
19th March, 2019
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David Mohr new author
Roar Rookie
19th March, 2019
48

It’s time the AFL Commission put an end to the expansion debate by giving a firm commitment and timeline – and the Tasmanian Devils should be a team.

Let’s look at some of the arguments put forward by opponents of a team for the Apple Isle.

Tasmania can’t afford it
The Tasmanian Government gives $7 million a year to Hawthorn and North Melbourne for the privilege of hosting less-attractive home games, usually against non-Victorian teams.

This could be diverted and perhaps increased towards a home team and would be recouped by the Tasmanian economy, with revenue from tourism associated with visiting supporters to Devils’ home games.

Add to this a $20 million grant annually, commensurate with money given to other expansion clubs, and there is $30 million in the coffers already.

There is also capacity for good sponsorship deals with local and interstate companies, who would find a Tasmanian brand attractive. Membership would also be strong, with 20,000 possible initially, many from a loyal Tassie diaspora around the country.

The Gold Coast Suns made a $1.6 million profit last year after a $23.7 million grant and a membership of just 11,000.

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Tasmania is a captured market and therefore not of interest
AFL in Tassie is under pressure from basketball, which has good prospects of gaining a team in the NBL.

Footy clubs across Tassie are going into recess and a once strong heartland is bleeding. An AFL team will rejuvenate the code in the state and return it to its former glory.

Tasmania’s population is too small
With 510,000 and growing – with about half of that in greater Hobart – there are smaller areas in Australia with teams in national competitions. Townsville, Wollongong, Cairns, Gosford, Geelong, Sunshine Coast, Canberra and Bendigo all have top-level teams.

Tasmania’s economy is on the move and has a lower unemployment rate than Queensland and Western Australia. There is a new-found confidence in how the state is progressing and we have a record number of visitors.

Tasmanians will just continue to support their current favourite team
Once loyal and proud Tasmanians see a team wearing the famous green, gold and primrose, they will get behind it.

Tassie currently has 10,000 Hawthorn members alone and many people are members of other clubs. A healthy number will shift but, importantly, many new fans will join.

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Of course, on the positive side…

Tasmania is one of the first places to play our great game
This proud state has produced so many champions and has a reputation for producing tough footballers.

The red mud of Scottsdale, the gravel oval at Queenstown, the exploits of Baldock, Hudson, Stewart and Hart are all part of our footy folklore.

If everything is reduced to TV ratings and expansion markets, and a heartland is left behind, are we losing part of the fabric that made footy such a unique game?

Including Tassie is a pushback to a soulless, purely economic vision.

A 19th team opens the door for a 20th
Include Tassie and Canberra or Darwin, and we are very close to a true national competition.

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It is time to stop the standard ‘Tassie deserves a team but there are challenges’ line and give us a firm timeline for entry.

The Tasmanian Devils will add a team that many people will adopt as their second team, seen as the underdogs from the Apple Isle.

It took cricket administrators until 1977-78 to give Tasmania entry into the Sheffield Shield, and since then we have more than held our own in domestic cricket, winning crowns and producing two Australian captains.

2022 would be a perfect time for entry as that’s when the current Kangaroos and Hawks deals lapse. The Devils vs Collingwood in a cauldron like UTAS Stadium or Blundstone Arena, how good would that be?

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