After years of endless campaigning, those efforts have finally resulted in Tasmania securing an AFL license to commence in 2027.
Earlier this week, all 18 AFL club presidents voted unanimously to allow a 19th team to enter the competition in the next expansion stage.
Unlike the additions of GWS and Gold Coast over a decade ago, this decision to build a team in the south island seems to have all the makings of potential success.
A population of over 500,000 means that Tasmania would be the smallest state to own a club, but that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
Two of the biggest rival codes in the form of NRL and the A-League are yet to tap into the Tasmanian market, representing a golden opportunity to exploit and offer both footy and sporting lovers of the state something to cherish truly.
The establishment of the Tasmania JackJumpers in the NBL has proven to be a popular drawcard so far, albeit containing a stadium capacity in Hobart of 4,800. Demand for basketball at the grassroots level has gone through the roof thanks to a 46 percent increase in the number of players wanting to participate in the sport.
For this particular project, it feels like there’s more of a plan behind it compared to other expansions which we are still yet to see full potential maximised.
Griffin Logue is tackled by Tyler Brockman in Launceston. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
To the AFL’s credit, they’re handling the process with mature caution, allowing the Tasmanian club to enter in four years’ time and not rushing straight into proceedings.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed $240 million in federal funding towards a brand new 23,000-seat stadium with a roof located in Hobart off the waters of Macquarie Point. This is a reasonable stadium size for a new club, creating the best facilities to propel them forward.
Ultimately, whatever steps the AFL decide to take next, it must ensure Tasmania is coveted with an identity as a focal point.
That begins with being recognised with a well-suited name like the ‘Tasmania Devils’ and sticking with their traditional colours of green, yellow, and maroon.
Tassie has an advantage compared to the likes of the Giants and the Suns in that they have pieces of history to cling onto and have already made a big contribution to the league ever since the late 1800s when they participated in Origin rivalries as well as hosted games up in Launceston.
There’s been a few suggestions popping up for a potential merger between Tasmania and a current club such as North Melbourne which has undoubtedly struggled to attract a strong fan base who have their own identity issues to solve.
For Tasmania’s sake, this can’t happen. For this project to fully take flight, they need to move away from that and build their own identity, which includes starting with some Tasmanian-grown players and maybe a coach and a CEO from the region who understands the area and youth set-up.
Financially, the AFL will provide its fair share of assistance to get them off the ground. In saying that, they need to be able to stand on their own two feet or else they shouldn’t be in the competition just for expansion’s sake. Look at how the extra benefits handed out to the Suns have worked out for them over the years.
Not one single finals appearance coupled with the embarrassing crowd attendance has resulted in their status in the competition being clouded in doubt and coming under question time and time again.
In Tasmania’s case, they already have an identity and plans in place to start growing their brand in a blink of an eye.
After years of repeated rejections while falling agonisingly short in the race with the two most recently developed clubs, will Tassie prove Andrew Demetriou wrong and show the AFL that they’ve ignored a hidden gem all this time?
Micko
Roar Rookie
I think they should be majority yellow/gold with green as well. Too many dark teams, with Adelaide & Port wearing majority navy blue & black (two colours already done excessively) and West Coast went navy blue for a while, and Freo's shade of purple has gone excessively dark in the last decade. GWS should've been majority orange.
AR
Roar Rookie
Despite the protracted growing pains, if the AFL could go back in time, I don't think it would change its decision to put teams into the Gold Coast or Western Sydney. It was always a 25 year plan from the start. They're at the half way point. However, it would definitely change some key parts of the strategy. SUNS - they topped up a very young list with ageing B-graders, had poor home ground facilities for too long, picked the wrong man in Ablett (great player, poor captain who never connected with the GC), and still haven't cracked into the beach culture habits of the local community. GWS - absolutely loaded with draft picks, recruited and traded in a bit better (their captains became genuine leaders), but I always bristled at the split between Canberra and Western Sydney. Plant your flag. For the same reason it was also disappointing that Blacktown was abandoned so soon. The AFL had put millions of its own cash into that redevelopment and it looked like they were bailing out, early, of a region they were asking to be accepted into. And the Folau and Hunt gimmicks have obviously aged terribly. I think it just goes to show how bloody difficult expansion is, especially into areas with little to no footprint. There's a reason other codes don't even try it.
AR
Roar Rookie
Interestingly, the only reason that no VFL/AFL club had green on its guernsey..??? (except for Freo, briefly)... Because, around 1900, the colour green was far more expensive to produce in quality dyes than other colours. For some reason, it just didn't work well on cloth. thankfully I think textile technology has improved a bit since then.
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Trumped by a curly one?
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but the "where are you from?" question is a big part of why the AFl setup the Suns on the Gold Coast - there are plenty of ex-Victorians there. There is some reasonable logic to say, let's give them a team of their own. In some ways the Suns was a more logical (easier?) choice than the Giants. I still maintain the AFL has to have these teams in existence for the sake of growing the code. Should they have gone about things differently? With the benefit of hindsight, quite possibly. For a start I suspect the powers that be thought of them as 5-10 year projects before they could be left to their own devices. My guess is they're both 20-25 year projects. Certain signings weren't good - Folau being the obvious one for the Giants. And Ablett was a mistake for the Suns. He (or a player of his stature) should have been brought in after five years, not from the start. The gulf in class and experience was just too big at the start - he was wasted.
Ace
Roar Rookie
MRL, that would be the AFL not VFL. They have had a stint in the VFL before . Tassy shared , along with Werribee, North Melbourne players There will be a first year in the VFL to. acclimatise before stepping up to the AFL roster
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I think the AFL should grab Hobart by the Tassie might intone #45 had he been Aussie
mrl
Roar Rookie
About time Tasmania got a team in the VFL.
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Yes Demetriou and Fitzpatrick were plain wrong and allowed Tasmanian footy to atrophy for over a decade in the pursuit of future market in states not ready for expansion. It’s to their eternal shame. As for identity, there’s no doubt a team with a single state behind it and a solid history born of state of origin will deliver something individual. My only suugestion which may not be popular? That bottle green and dark maroon needs to be lightened up to make more broadcasting impact and make merch easier to market – not everyone wants dark coloured gear.
AR
Roar Rookie
"The AFL must ensure Tasmania has their own identity" Oh don't worry, I think you'll find that the new Tasmanian AFL club is the most Tasmanianish thing to ever to tassie out of the apple isle.
Christian Montegan
Roar Pro
I think if the AFL had their time again, they would have looked to other alternatives ahead of the Suns and Giants. You can point out that publicity and the economy have benefited which you're right in saying, but the biggest problem comes down to geographical location. There was a great article last year by Dwayne Grant outlining the issues of GC’s location. I thought this part was interesting... ‘Demographer Bernard Salt once quipped that on the Gold Coast “everyone is from somewhere else”. “If you’re at a barbecue in Melbourne or Sydney, the question you might be asked is ‘What school did you go to?’ or ‘Which company do you work for?’ or ‘Where do you live?’,” Salt continued. “I’ve noticed on the Gold Coast the social question that is quite legitimately asked of everyone is ‘where are you from?’.”’ Look at the success that the Western Sydney Wanderers achieved right from the start in the A-League. They were able to exploit a market with high demand and popularity in the Western Sydney area.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
I wonder whether this announcement will reduce some of the criticism of the Suns and Giants? Personally I would have introduced a Tassie team before the Suns and Giants, working on the theory that you satisfy your heartland, and only then look to expand. Now that’s taken care of, Australian Rules fans really have no excuse not to support the clubs in the non-heartland parts of the country - if they genuinely want to see the code be properly national.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
I do not think you can say that the Suns have "embarrassing crowd attendance. Maybe on some days, but overall their attendances are as good as their NRL rivals, & occasionally are better. But the real success is the increased local participation & awareness, along with publicity for the AFL. And for the local economy, visitors from interstate, like me, who wouldn't usually visit the Gold Coast, even for a holiday.