Should Tasmania have an AFL team?

[bulldogtragic]

As much as we don't like our rivals it absolutely should not be a Melbourne club. They all have history and die hard supporters. Short memories as Bulldogs supporters if we are advocating for a team to lose it's identity like we almost did.

I know it won't be the Suns or the plastics, but it should be.

The flip side is those clubs could set up a flag. Demand:

11 Home games (would be great home ground advantage)
No less than 6 Victorian games as away side (allowed to wear old jumper, like Brisbane)
5 other interstate games
Ground upgrades, especially lighting
Finals played in Tassie
Debt paid out
Significant cash into the bank for relocation
State of the art training facilities built
10% Salary Cap boost (akin to , but not specifically, COLA)
20% Soft Cap boost
AFL to pay Clarkson to set the club up for two years (keeps his money as not coaching)
In 2024, if wanted, pay Clarkson to be head coach to run the VFL side and develop kids, then take over
Tassie as an Academy with full rights on all kids
1 x Extra Mid First Rounders for 3 Years (must be traded for players)
Maintain access to existing F/S from club then both clubs going ahead


Hawks nearly merged with Dees
North wanted to merge with Fitzroy
Saints aren’t a well run club


If a club could all but ensure a flag with loads more guns, more cap and the best coach with a great home ground advantage and elite training set up. Maybe others might discuss what the terms of surrender are??

[Axe Man]

The flip side is those clubs could set up a flag. Demand:

11 Home games (would be great home ground advantage)
No less than 6 Victorian games as away side (allowed to wear old jumper, like Brisbane)
5 other interstate games
Ground upgrades, especially lighting
Finals played in Tassie
Debt paid out
Significant cash into the bank for relocation
State of the art training facilities built
10% Salary Cap boost (akin to , but not specifically, COLA)
20% Soft Cap boost
AFL to pay Clarkson to set the club up for two years (keeps his money as not coaching)
In 2024, if wanted, pay Clarkson to be head coach to run the VFL side and develop kids, then take over
Tassie as an Academy with full rights on all kids
1 x Extra Mid First Rounders for 3 Years (must be traded for players)
Maintain access to existing F/S from club then both clubs going ahead


Hawks nearly merged with Dees
North wanted to merge with Fitzroy
Saints aren’t a well run club


If a club could all but ensure a flag with loads more guns, more cap and the best coach with a great home ground advantage and elite training set up. Maybe others might discuss what the terms of surrender are??

I get what you are saying but clubs are not purely a business, it's an emotional issue.

Say the Bulldogs finances go to pot over the next couple of years (certainly a possibility in these uncertain times), would you be happy for us to move to Tassie?

[Murphy'sLore]

Why did Gill rule out the Suns? They're not exactly setting the world on fire where they are. Is it pride?

[hujsh]

Why did Gill rule out the Suns? They're not exactly setting the world on fire where they are. Is it pride?

The Suns are meant to be there for long term strategic reasons so the AFL would maintain that those same reasons still apply. On field performance wouldn't be relevant to that.

[bulldogtragic]

I get what you are saying but clubs are not purely a business, it's an emotional issue.

Say the Bulldogs finances go to pot over the next couple of years (certainly a possibility in these uncertain times), would you be happy for us to move to Tassie?

If we were broke, hadn’t had a flag in a long while and doubted we ever could… maybe. If the terms were right. I’d at least think hard about it.

But we are well off now, won it 2016 and in a window with a great list. So I’m probably the wrong person to ask.

[Murphy'sLore]

The Suns are meant to be there for long term strategic reasons so the AFL would maintain that those same reasons still apply. On field performance wouldn't be relevant to that.

I get that, but how long term are they thinking? What's it been now, ten years? Regardless of on field performance, have they made any traction up there at all?

I only wish our federal government thought as long term as the AFL.

[jazzadogs]

The flip side is those clubs could set up a flag. Demand:

11 Home games (would be great home ground advantage)
No less than 6 Victorian games as away side (allowed to wear old jumper, like Brisbane)
5 other interstate games
Ground upgrades, especially lighting
Finals played in Tassie
Debt paid out
Significant cash into the bank for relocation
State of the art training facilities built
10% Salary Cap boost (akin to , but not specifically, COLA)
20% Soft Cap boost
AFL to pay Clarkson to set the club up for two years (keeps his money as not coaching)
In 2024, if wanted, pay Clarkson to be head coach to run the VFL side and develop kids, then take over
Tassie as an Academy with full rights on all kids
1 x Extra Mid First Rounders for 3 Years (must be traded for players)
Maintain access to existing F/S from club then both clubs going ahead


Hawks nearly merged with Dees
North wanted to merge with Fitzroy
Saints aren’t a well run club


If a club could all but ensure a flag with loads more guns, more cap and the best coach with a great home ground advantage and elite training set up. Maybe others might discuss what the terms of surrender are??

But would Saints fans really get the same joy of finally winning a flag when it's the Tasmanian Saints on the dais?

North are clearly the most likely candidate, but I would be sad if it happened. They only had a few thousand members less than us this year.

[Grantysghost]

But would Saints fans really get the same joy of finally winning a flag when it's the Tasmanian Saints on the dais?

North are clearly the most likely candidate, but I would be sad if it happened. They only had a few thousand members less than us this year.

Fitzroy supporters didn't for the majority did they. It just aint the same. Now I'm older, to be honest I don't care as much. As long as there was a reasonable tie to the past and a significant number of games in Melbourne. But the terms would have to appealing. A few games a year aint going to cut it. 5....maybe.

[bulldogtragic]

But would Saints fans really get the same joy of finally winning a flag when it's the Tasmanian Saints on the dais?

North are clearly the most likely candidate, but I would be sad if it happened. They only had a few thousand members less than us this year.

No so much Saints. But North already playing their, Thomas a Tassie kid, and their inability to turn the 90’s into a more sustainable club makes me think they never will. They’ve been Nomads since then and only Tassie seems to have stuck. If they were the ones and managed it well, that could work the best. But it’s easy with no skin in this game to say it. If their Vic members got 6 replacement games and the colours, jumper, heritage was honoured then there are worse outcomes. I’d rather an expansion club go, but that’s not happening. I do want to see a Tassie team, but 19 doesn’t work. The AFEL should use a gigantic carrot to make North get serious.

[Murphy'sLore]

North are already halfway there.

[bornadog]

North have wiped our their debt.

Saints have debts over $12 million

[soupman]

Saints most vulnerable for mine. North for all their faults are at least solvent. Haqwks would be my pick all things being equal but thats more cause i dislike them.

Regardless not huge on moving a club down there unless it's necessary for their survival and they are on board. Would like to think sport is as much about the non financial stuff as possible, and for a lot of these clubs its too much hurt to give them for what in return?

Gold Coast and GWS are both locked in going forward and I don't buy into any of the arguments to move them.

[Axe Man]

The other option is 2 new teams as an extra game increases TV money, etc. Can the league support 20 teams though? Is it spreading the talent too thin? And of course where does the 20th team come from? A third Perth club?

[Grantysghost]

Gil's thoughts on the report :

"The case can be made for a 19th licence," AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said on Friday, though adding the best form of that team was less clear-cut.
"But re-location of an existing team, if a club is prepared to take that path, or a joint venture between Tasmanian stakeholders and a Victorian team that secures strong support in two markets from the outset, would arguably produce a more sustainable outcome and therefore should be considered before a 19th licence."

[bulldogtragic]

The other option is 2 new teams as an extra game increases TV money, etc. Can the league support 20 teams though? Is it spreading the talent too thin? And of course where does the 20th team come from? A third Perth club?

The Northern Territory is currently putting a bid together.

Talent is a concern. Say in rough terms they need 50 players each. So 100 for two sides. That’s roughly 5 players off every list on average. So I’d guess every clubs fringe players move into their best 23. That looks pretty average across all 18 teams. The standard of games drop, but the afel TV deal increases as you say.

For me a club relocates or nothing should be done. I don’t like the idea of thinning out the talent pool further.