AFL reaches in-principle agreement with Tasmania for 19th team

[Bulldog Joe]

Thanks for your insight. It's really interesting to hear the historical context. I'll DM you to learn further, if you don't mind.

I seem to be having trouble replying at the moment but will get back to you soon.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

From the perspective of a new Tasmanian - I moved down here 12 months ago and live in a small rural community - I am incredibly excited about what this will do for the state.

There's a level of tribalism that I had no idea about before I moved down. If you're from Tassie, there are 'Tasmanians' and than there are 'Mainlanders' and they're very different things.

I think a lot of that comes from life being a bit more of a struggle for people that are born and bred Tasmanian. There's less work down here, education levels are some of the worst in the country, young people leave as soon as they can, health care is poor, there's not much public transport and locals have been largely priced out of the property market in the last 5 years...even the weather is harsher and wilder. It's a beautiful place and the people are warm and generous, but there's definitely a feeling that they've been given less and had to do more.

There's a huge desire for something that belongs to the state and a new club is absolutely the right way to go. The Jack Jumpers are massive down here and the NBL has nailed it by getting in first and giving the state a team that belongs to it. In saying that, this is a pure footy state in the same way that Victoria is, and this team will be successful and be something for people down here to rally around and be proud of. I think it'll unite the state in the same way the Cats unite Geelong.

I think one key thing will be making sure it's a team that belongs to Tassie and not to Hobart, and that means playing games in Launceston. There's a big north/south divide down here that exists because most of the state's wealth and facilities are Hobart-centric, so you do risk alienating the rest of the state if games are only played in Hobart.

Really excited about this, glad it's happening and I hope the Northern Territory are next. Footy is a game for the people and this is a terrific move towards recognising that.

This is a very good summation of football in Tasmania with the risk of it being too Hobart centric at the peril of Tasmanian football. Hawthorn has been very successful in its promotion of AFL football in Launceston and to ignore both the North and the North West of Tassie, would be at the peril of an AFL Tasmanian team. The huge cost in building a new Stadium in Hobart, when current football Stadiums, could be upgraded at minimal cost would appear illogical, given Tasmania’s small population. The arrival of Hawthorn and North Melbourne has seen the Tasmanian Government spend millions of dollars in the sponsorship of both Clubs to the detriment of local Tassie football where the standard of local football has dropped off alarmingly. Tasmania being a wonderful feeder in the past of quality players such as Baldock Stewart Tassie Johnson, Royce Hart, Crosswell Davis, Matthew Richardson, Colin Robertson and Scratcher Neale to name a few is quite significant.
Being an Australian Rules State it deserved representation before Gold Coast Suns and GWS where the almighty National TV rights won precedence over Tasmania.
Justice has finally been achieved.

[boydogs]

$750 million for a stadium is ridiculous. It just needs to be Ballarat level and there are already two of those here

[GVGjr]

$750 million for a stadium is ridiculous. It just needs to be Ballarat level and there are already two of those here

The time it takes in Australia to complete building works is where and why the costs spiral.
The construction costs for Brentford FC in the premier league to build a new stadium was £71 million and it fits 17,500 fans and they funded it by buying and selling players. It's quite an impressive smaller stadium.

A Mars level stadium would not be good enough to set-up a new team in Hobart. It works for us because we only go there 2 weeks for season.
This needs to be a significant investment but I agree 750 million is way too much. A great multi purpose stadium should be able to be built for half of that.

[bornadog]

The time it takes in Australia to complete building works is where and why the costs spiral.
The construction costs for Brentford FC in the premier league to build a new stadium was £71 million and it fits 17,500 fans and they funded it by buying and selling players. It's quite an impressive smaller stadium.

A Mars level stadium would not be good enough to set-up a new team in Hobart. It works for us because we only go there 2 weeks for season.
This needs to be a significant investment but I agree 750 million is way too much. A great multi purpose stadium should be able to be built for half of that.

The cost is high beacuse they want a roof over it due to weather.

[GVGjr]

Gil is heading down to Tas tomorrow so we might find out if Tassie get the venue and the 19th side down there.

750M is way too much though and given how unproductive our projects are and the fact that typically large scale projects in Australia blow out by about 40% we need to budget for at least a Billion.

I wonder what could be done to get the costs down? This should be able to be built for 400M and no wonder it's not getting more of the Tassie public behind it.

[Bulldog Joe]

Gil is heading down to Tas tomorrow so we might find out if Tassie get the venue and the 19th side down there.

750M is way too much though and given how unproductive our projects are and the fact that typically large scale projects in Australia blow out by about 40% we need to budget for at least a Billion.

I wonder what could be done to get the costs down? This should be able to be built for 400M and no wonder it's not getting more of the Tassie public behind it.

The requirement for a new stadium is beyond unreasonable.

There are 2 stadiums already that will accommodate the fans. At most an upgrade on one of those for way less money would suffice.

If a new stadium is required it is just the out for the AFL

[GVGjr]

The requirement for a new stadium is beyond unreasonable.

There are 2 stadiums already that will accommodate the fans. At most an upgrade on one of those for way less money would suffice.

If a new stadium is required it is just the out for the AFL

Upgrades aren't sexy enough to attract substantial investment. We should have and could have renovated what we already had at the Whitten Oval to bring them up to speed but to be able to spruik big spends we had to go into a whole disruption of the club to get it done. Still for many people they'll be able to add the achievement of spending a substantial sum of tax payers money to their resume.

[Bulldog Joe]

Upgrades aren't sexy enough to attract substantial investment. We should have and could have renovated what we already had at the Whitten Oval to bring them up to speed but to be able to spruik big spends we had to go into a whole disruption of the club to get it done. Still for many people they'll be able to add the achievement of spending a substantial sum of tax payers money to their resume.

That is a separate issue.

The money required for a new stadium in Tassie is unlikely to ever generate sufficiently as a commercial return.

[soupman]

Imagine spending $750M on a stadium that's going to host maybe 8 AFL games a year and specifically not host other sports. God professional sports leagues are so entitled.

[GVGjr]

Imagine spending $750M on a stadium that's going to host maybe 8 AFL games a year and specifically not host other sports. God professional sports leagues are so entitled.

It's a lot of money isn't it? You have to wonder where it all goes.

[Axe Man]

I wonder what could be done to get the costs down? This should be able to be built for 400M and no wonder it's not getting more of the Tassie public behind it.

Call the Qataris, they have some pretty good efficiencies around stadium construction. I believe slave labour and not being concerned with pesky safety standards are the keys.

[bornadog]

Call the Qataris, they have some pretty good efficiencies around stadium construction. I believe slave labour and not being concerned with pesky safety standards are the keys.

That is what they do in Singapore as well.

I don't understand why Tassie's inclusion in the AFL is dependant on a swish stadium. Why can't the two current stadiums (Hobart/Launceston) be renovated. Wouldn't cost much.

Either the AFL want a 19th team or they don't.

[Bulldog Joe]

That is what they do in Singapore as well.

I don't understand why Tassie's inclusion in the AFL is dependant on a swish stadium. Why can't the two current stadiums (Hobart/Launceston) be renovated. Wouldn't cost much.

Either the AFL want a 19th team or they don't.

The 2 current stadiums already host matches.
They are ready to play without renovation.

[GVGjr]

The 2 current stadiums already host matches.
They are ready to play without renovation.

The concern I keep hearing is that if they don't build a great facility then much like Gold Coast the player retention will be a challenge.