With the Jordan De Goey saga dominating headlines and Collingwood being front-page news as a whole, the noise from across Bass Strait has lessened.
The campaign for a 19th team situated in Tasmania seems to have stalled amid the chaos of the Pies during their bye round. The talk of the town has more closely surrounded the aforementioned out-of-contract star De Goey.
The Tassie side has been an agenda item for years, posed to the AFL nearly a decade ago in hopes of adding to the competition’s national reach.
However, it seems at this stage of planning, the idea sits at its most vulnerable.
Opponents and advocates for growing the game have cried out for this to happen at the earliest of conveniences, but in the eye of the beholder, the league is in a steady state.
With a weekend of mouthwatering contests forecast ahead, media personalities including the outspoken Eddie McGuire raised the point regarding the unnecessary reason to bring the game into disrepute.
McGuire, forever contributing to football’s heated debates, said the inclusion of another side “might be a disaster”, sending alarm bells ringing to AFL board members on talk show Footy Classified.
(Photo by Getty Images)
This conversation has sparked discussion in the past, reflecting on the decision to add the Gold Coast Suns as well as Greater Western Sydney to the competition as expansion clubs.
The Suns are yet to reap the rewards since they were welcomed on board to the big league.
Fears concerning the potential Tasmanian side follow down a similar path. That is much of what the naysayers base their argument on.
The validity of the Gold Coast standpoint has departing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan in a position not yet ready to pull the trigger despite pressure from the public mounting and time left on his clock being in short supply.
As for the current 18 teams spread across the other five states, planning for the future remains up in the air.
Draft picks are the focus of uncertainty as the Tassie verdict can create a burden on list management staff tasked with recruiting talent.
With the unknown pending in the balance, their job is made all the more tough.
But as for the head coach who remains at the forefront of the decision-making process, their ability to be flexible will be drawn on as it was tested to the max with the COVID hurdle playing a part.
The last two interrupted seasons have paved the way for clubs to adapt and with the Tasmania side being on the cusp of heading in either direction, teams will only look to lean on their experience to handle the times of uncertainty.
In spite of this, clarification needs to be set straight with a timeline ordering the plan of events step by step.
The AFL must give sides the opportunity to not be left in the dark on the matter with closed-door talks and in turn come forward in shedding some light on the dilemma involving a 19th team.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Tasmania seems to be the one place on the planet absolutely desperate for the AFL and willing to do anything for them. The AFL has taken full advantage of this attitude, gotten them to stump up millions for other teams and spend multi millions on the stadiums. Tasmania to the AFL is the ugly girl one dates to get their dads money while stringing them along. Instead of putting Tasmanians into huge debt to pay for a stadium which is just an excuse and not needed after which the AFL will probably find some other excuse, Tasmania needs a catfish style expose to save themselves from the scam artist.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
The requirement for a new stadium should kill the idea really. It basically destroys any hope of getting a truly statewide team shared between north and south.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The success of Geelong shows the way. Big difference between a lowly populated heartland, and "growth markets" like Gold Coast & Western Sydney, where barely anyone cares, and you'd be lucky if 1 in 10 people are even slightly interested in the sport! No excuses to quote Tasmania's population as some evidence it can't work, because we've already seen with Geelong it can!
Micko
Roar Rookie
No way! You don't split up your most dominant heartland supporter stronghold. Whatever the VFL's (massive) faults, it was the only feasible option. No point aggravating and ostracising those fans in Melbourne/Victoria. And I say this as a West Australian.
Republican
Guest
I concur. Then seasons would culminate in a Soo.
Republican
Guest
......Suns & Giants should never have been concocted. Tassie isn't responsible for missing the boat while the A.C.T. have been treated with similar patronising expedience by the AFL.
Republican
Guest
.......& Kennett has been talking up NZ for yonks. Sacrilege. His and those like him, expose a breathtaking hypocrisy and double standard. The AFL are first and foremost a business more dependent than ever on the multi national, while it is clear that power brokers i.e. Kennett exclusively dictate the narrative for our codes future at this tier. The peoples game it is not. Gillon's recent tele negotiations in the US. will only dilute further, the AFL's said custodianship of the indigenous code, ensuring an entrenched dependence on these off shore financial behemoths.
Republican
Guest
Held to ransom by the virtuous bloke who gave Melbourne Crown Casino and who epitomises the power of plutocratic influence.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Hobart is the 2nd driest capital out of the 8
XI
Roar Guru
I think we should have had a national league start up instead of had the VFL expand nationally.
Morty61
Roar Rookie
Geelong population is 269,000. Hobart is dryer than Melbourne. AFL is an Australian League not the VFL. Tasmania should be in or out but not a fix for struggling Victorian clubs. Tasmanians would not support a relocated team full stop.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
Not sure Roos club and supporters would want that anytime soon.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
yes, more attention should be on the Tasmanian issue. I will be very disappointed if it does not get a team.
Opps74
Roar Rookie
The announcement will happen sometime before finals I would imagine...I always thought Tassie should have come in the 90s, then when they missed out should have come in when Suns or Giants came in...however, the population and growth in Sydney and in particular on the Gold Coast has been significant...I believe Tassie population as a whole state is around 550000 or there about...I think a 19th team will really expose the top end talent to have over 850 players playing the elite level...I think 16 teams was the right number of clubs because it shows how many mediocre players there are...hate to say it but the North relocation debate just makes sense...and Tassie can't be seen as spoilt kids...if we don't have own team we don't want one...Tasmania Kangaroos needs to hop along ????