The new Tasmanian AFL club will launch its nickname and colours in March ahead of the team’s entry into the competition in 2028.
Tasmania was granted the AFL’s 19th licence last May, contingent on the construction of a new roofed waterfront stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart.
Kath McCann, the executive director of the Tasmanian club, has spent time at AFL House in Melbourne discussing plans for the newest team.
“We’re going to be launching the club in March,” she told SEN on Saturday.
“We’re going to find out the name, the colours, the foundation jumper, the logo and foundation membership.
“Over 6000 Tasmanians completed the survey and the community forums gave up some pretty clear directions, so I’m pretty excited and hopefully we’ve nailed it for the Tasmanian people.”
The map of Tasmania is a popular choice to be front and centre on the jersey, while the Devils – used by Tasmania’s youth teams – is a strong favourite to be the nickname.
McCann is intent on building a unique club in Tasmania to harness the energy of people living on the apple isle.
“We don’t need to replicate a model of another club, or another place, because we’re our own place,” she said.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, AFL chief Gillon McLachlan and Deputy PM Richard Marles. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
“It’s really working with the AFL team to understand that, and there’s no better way to do that than actually to get them here (to Tasmania).
“I had one of the other senior staff say to me, ‘Kath, I’m drinking the Tassie Kool-Aid. You’re already my second club’.”
In December, plans for a $70 million high-performance training centre for the new club were announced, to be built at parklands on the eastern shore of Hobart.
The government says the centre will be completed in 2026.
Three-time Brisbane Lions premiership winner Alastair Lynch is among the club’s nine-strong board of directors.
Hobart-born Richmond great Jack Riewoldt has been given the task of travelling the state to capture the grassroots ‘DNA’ of Tasmania.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
It looks like a surf life savers uniform to me. It's not great. But then again, all of the non-traditional footy jumpers are awful - GWS, GC, Freo's original jumper, Port's original jumper, Adelaide. They're all ugly. The problem red-green colour blind people have is discerning between those colours - they look the same.
RT
Roar Rookie
No red? Does that mean the Gold Coast jumper is not so hideous for you?
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
With the Tassie map, you can use Trump’s nickname, C U Next Tuesday.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
What about us poor red-green colour blind suckers? It'd just look green, or red.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
It's quite Christmassy too. It'd be good to have a team that has some festive spirit.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Oh I hope they do that. That'd be so typical of the AFL.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
The hope us tgat Tassie being an Australian Football stronghold that it is the consortium that make the running on such things.
Knoxy
Roar Rookie
Why do I have the horrible feeling that the AFL is going to completely butcher this and reveal some hideous cartoon jumper design with a silly name like 'Greater Southern Australia' or something similar. I really hope they get this right.
Knoxy
Roar Rookie
Maybe. Not a fan of green and red combo personally, never liked the South Sydney Rabbitohs jumper. However I guess it could look good with a minimal red trim. Either way, green should be the primary colour.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Green and Red, it's a colour combo that plays on the psyche.
Rusty Brooks
Roar Rookie
Hell yes.
Knoxy
Roar Rookie
Green should be the main colour with white trim. No more than two colours. Also hope they have a classic football jumper design. Keep it simple.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
pathetic the AFL is, not even a few seasons playing in existing stadiums is being tolerated
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
How can it be anything but red n green? The colour range of apples. (I do lament the lack of supply of "Golden Delicious") Plus, being complementary colours, it'd stand out
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I love a trip up the Derwent where l can reach the climax of my journey in the Central Highlands
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Well... they could, but the League has held them back.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
Pity Tassie team cannot enter AFL sooner
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I'll never like the name, but I respect it because it's distinctive, relevance to the club, and popular with its supporters. Honestly, I only mentioned the name because bringing it up normally gets a rise out of people.
.kraM
Roar Rookie
Big fan, wasn’t at first, though.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Better than the Jack Jumpers...