The Tasmanian AFL bid refers to proposals for a Tasmanian-based Australian rules football team to eventually join the Australian Football League Men's and the Australian Football League Women's premierships.[1] While eight formal proposals have been made since 1992, informal proposals had been raised dating back to 1987, with the expansion of the Victorian Football League into a national competition.
The eighth formal proposal, a $150 million government-backed AFL bid made in 2021 for entry in 2027 (the other seven having been rejected by the AFL), had originally been scheduled to be voted on by the 18 AFL club presidents in late September 2022. The AFL reached an in-principle agreement with the Tasmanian Government in November 2022 [2], with the AFL stating that granting Tasmania the 19th license was subject to the approval of construction of a new $750 million roofed stadium at Macquarie Point in central Hobart.
Following the Prime Minister's announcement, on 2 May 2023, all 18 AFL club presidents voted in favour of admitting a Tasmanian team. [5][6][7][8]
After the AFL Commission has formally granted Tasmania the 19th licence, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan will travel to Tasmania to officially announce the team's admission into the Men's and the Women's AFL premierships.
Australian rules football has been played in Tasmania as long as the mainland states with the first clubs formed in the early 1860s. The state hosted the national football carnival in 1924, 1947 and 1966.
In 2004 the Board of Management of AFL Tasmania named a Team of the Century for the state. It had 18 on field and seven interchange players as well as an umpire, coach and assistant coach.
1991–1993: AFL expresses interest and Tasmania declines licence
With the AFL's Sydney licence in dire financial trouble, the AFL began taking an interest in Tasmania as an option for a side and flagged it as a potential relocation option for struggling Melbourne club Fitzroy. The Tasmanian government offered AUD$70,000 a season to the AFL for Fitzroy to play 2 games at the North Hobart Oval.[9] In the first of these games in Round 6, 1991 AFL season, 13,335 spectators witnessed Hawthorn belt the home side 231 to 74. In the Round 13 match, 13,746 witnessed St Kilda defeat Fitzroy.
In February 1992 Roger Curtis, then president of successful Tasmanian State League side Clarence, flagged the inevitable decline of Tasmanian football without the presence of its own AFL side.[10] Curtis said that "The only way to get the kids playing football here is to give them access to the best product available and that, of course, is AFL football...You would have to call the side 'Tasmania' as fans simply won't follow a relocated side with its traditional name, even if it was Collingwood".[10] In response, the AFL offered the TFL a rescue package of AUD$250,000 on the condition that the league spend more on junior development.[10]
In the 1992 AFL season Fitzroy fared slightly better with a win against the West Coast Eagles in Round 9, however the poor turnout of 8,819 was considered disappointing by officials. In Round 17, a crowd of 10,265 turned out to see Fitzroy defeated by Essendon. However Fitzroy had made a significant loss on its 1992 home games in Tasmania and it was ruled financially unviable to continue and the club exited Tasmania.[9]
In October 1992 the AFL Commission voted on axing the Sydney Swans as the club had accrued over AUD $9 million dollars of debt.[11] With Melbourne clubs siding against the Swans, the AFL was desperate to offset the potential loss of the Swans to the national competition and the AFL offered the TFL an AFL licence.[11] However the TFL declined the licence fee, reported to be around AUD $4 million claiming it was "10 years away" from being ready.[11] In addition to finding money to pay the licence fee, the TFL would have faced significant travel costs to send a team to the mainland every second week. As a result of Tasmania declining a licence, the AFL had to prepare a multi-million dollar assistance package to keep the Sydney club viable.
1994–1997: 16th AFL licences
In April 1994, Tasmanian Sports Minister Peter Hodgman spoke to the AFL about the possible introduction of a local team to the league and had raised the possibility of state funding.[12]
Between 1994 and 1997, the bid was prepared for a Tasmanian team that involved the construction of a 30,000-capacity stadium at the Hobart Showgrounds in Glenorchy, at the cost of approximately $30 million.[13]
2008–2011: Tasmania beaten by Gold Coast and Western Sydney
The AFL's continued rejection of the Tasmanian AFL team has raised significant controversy, with the Government of Australia launching a Senate inquiry in 2008 which AFL Commission CEO Andrew Demetriou and chairman Mike Fitzpatrick both declined to attend.[15] At the enquiry, Tasmanian senator Kerry O'Brien brought into question the AFL's commitment to the game in Tasmania, and stated that he believed that with continued neglect, the popularity of soccer could overtake Australian rules football in Tasmania.[16] There are already more children playing soccer than Australian rules football in Tasmania.[17]
The AFL argued that the New South Wales based participation numbers were in excess of that in Tasmania,[18] furthering their argument that a team in Western Sydney was a higher priority. The Senate enquiry found that insurmountable cultural barriers would make such a move non-viable.[19]
In April 2008, Tasmania's former premier Paul Lennon revived the push for an AFL team by travelling to AFL House in Melbourne where the latest bid was officially launched. Although Lennon subsequently retired in May, the responsibility of steering the bid went to Economic Development Minister Paula Wriedt. Wriedt said Tasmania only made the case for a Tasmanian team, and were not trying to beat the Gold Coast or Greater Western Sydney to be the 17th or 18th club.[20]
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou has said: "They probably do deserve a team, we shouldn't dismiss the contribution that Tasmania has made to our game... They are absolutely entitled to put forward a proposal, but the commission has already decided where the 17th and 18th teams are going."[21]
The bid received a significant boost on 30 July 2008, with the announcement that the confectionery company Mars committed to being the proposed club's major sponsor.[22]
Some media commentators have speculated that the AFL holds Tasmania open as a soft target for relocation of struggling Melbourne clubs. In 2010, there was increased speculation due to North Melbourne's commitment to move four home games annually to Hobart's Bellerive Oval.[23]
2011–2017: Off the AFL agenda and bare draft crop
In April 2014, AFL deputy chief executive Gillon McLachlan said he supported a "single team representing Tasmania". He stated Tasmania would be the next team to join the AFL, but that this would not happen for at least a decade.[24]
In 2016, the Garlick report confirmed that a stand-alone Tasmanian team would have to wait until current broadcast deals expire at the end of the 2022 season to enter the AFL.
For the 2016 AFL National Draft no Tasmanian players were drafted. The following year only one player was drafted.
In April 2017, the Tasmanian Government indicated its interest in relocating the Gold Coast Suns to Tasmania in the event the club collapses.[25]
Early 2018: AFL steering committee and A-League team bid
In early 2018, AFL Tasmania CEO Rob Auld resigned, and the following day Burnie and Devonport withdrew from the Tasmanian State League, citing lack of funding making them unable to field sides, thus leaving the competition without any team from North Western Tasmania.
The same week, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan was quoted as saying he "had a really clear plan for Tasmania"; that week, the AFLX launch took place as well as an announcement that the Gold Coast Suns received $25 million in subsidies for 2017.[27]
On 16 February 2018 the A-League, a key rival of the AFL, announced it would expand its competition by two teams for the upcoming 2019–20 season and flagging that a Tasmanian bid was a key contender, though the bid was rejected in June 2018 after being cut from the FFA shortlist.
On 23 February 2018 during an interview on SEN, newly appointed AFL Tasmania CEO Trisha Squires did not have a position on whether Tasmania was better off with two fly-in-fly-out Victorian sides or its own side.[28] She also described talk of a standalone Tasmanian team as a "distraction".[28]
Subsequent to these events, a steering committee was formed in March. On 3 July 2018, the committee delivered its findings. [29]
McLachlan announced the following recommendations to rebuild and unify Tasmanian football over the next three years:[30]
The AFL will invest an extra $1.4 million in Tasmania in 2019.
Create three regional administration hubs to help run community football.
Generate AFL affiliation with community leagues.
The TSL will remain the state's top-tier competition and continue to receive AFL funding.
Extend Tasmania's junior pathways from under-12s to under-18s with more opportunities to play in intrastate tournaments. Junior levies will also be removed.
A full-time under-18s Mariners program with Tasmania to compete in the TAC Cup from 2019.
Tasmania was granted a provisional licence to re-enter the VFL in 2021.
There will be greater investment in the talent pathway for women, with a girls' side to take part in TAC Cup from 2020.
A Tasmanian advisory board, made up of Tasmanians, will be set up to oversee the changes
All programs are to be re-branded under a name to be decided by the Tasmanian people.
Mclachlan also stated the success of these plans would help determine a potential date for a Tasmanian team to enter the AFL.[30]
Late 2018: Political and social pressure and branding announcement
On 26 June 2018, Tasmanian Nationals Senator Steve Martin moved a motion calling for the AFL to commission business plans for the inclusion of a Tasmanian team in the men's and women's national league.[32] At the time Senator Martin did so with the support of Coalition and Labor senators.[32]
On 21 September 2018, Trisha Squires announced that representative Tasmanian football teams administered by AFL Tasmania would be known as the Tasmania Devils and would wear green, yellow and maroon.[1]
On 22 March 2019, Caroline Wilson broke the story that the AFL had set Will Hodgman, Tasmanian Premier, guideline requirements to house an AFL team being:[33]
It was noted that Tasmania had 90,000 members for the existing mainland AFL clubs in 2018.
Late 2019: Taskforce formed
In mid-2019, a taskforce made up of people from the Australian business community was formed with the intent of gaining an AFL licence.[34] The taskforce is being chaired by Brett Godfrey.[34]
The Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania also backed the push for a stand-alone Tasmanian AFL team, saying it would have substantial positive impacts on multiple facets of the state's economy, and reiterated that "A Tasmanian AFL team [should] play out of both the North and South of the state, with a relatively even number of games in both Hobart and Launceston each year...We believe this principle must be accepted as fundamental to further discussion about an AFL team in Tasmania to completely destruct any perceptions of a 'Southern' or 'Northern' team...Rather than seeing this as a challenge in the formation of the team, we see it as one of its strengths in being a unifying force within the state and maximising the resources of all regions."[36]'
On 16 May 2019, the AFL applied for a trade mark with IP Australia for the Tasmania Devils logo, sparking speculation that this would be the logo for a new Tasmanian AFL team.[37]
On 23 August 2019, Caroline Wilson reported that the taskforce would be applying for a provisional AFL licence before the end of the year.[38] The taskforce has aimed to enter the competition in 2025, when the extended broadcast rights deal expires. Plans to build a new stadium and training facility at Hobart's Macquarie Point were also revealed, while the VFL team's entry could also be delayed to 2022 to develop local talent. On 8 November 2019 the Taskforce run petition surpassed 60,000 pledges in support of a Tasmanian AFL team.[39]
2020: Tougher Tasmanian stance and Coronavirus
Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein adopted a noticeably more aggressive stance on the need for a Tasmanian team in the AFL compared to his predecessors
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2019–20 has led to diverging views on the viability of a Tasmanian team being added to the Australian Football League.
Some have argued that the combination of reduced operating costs of existing AFL clubs, the increased debt taken on by existing clubs, and the need for the league to increase revenue and cash flow post-pandemic mean that a Tasmanian team in the league has never been a more viable and competitive option. This was noted by the state's newly appointed premier, Peter Gutwein, who stated that "Now is an opportunity for the AFL to actually start with a blank sheet of paper and to determine that they should have a national competition in the future and that Tasmania should have an AFL team at some stage in the future - and for them to consider whether some of those outlying clubs that they have poured so much money into are part of the AFL’s future moving forward".[41]
Gerard Whately responded to Gutwein's comments saying that "I think he is tired of the niceties and the condescending idea that, 'yes Tassie deserves a team', but this harnesses the challenge. All the thresholds Tasmania is being asked to clear, a great many of the current clubs couldn’t meet and even less so in the current circumstances. It was dispensing with the niceties and getting down to business — 'if you want a national competition, it needs to be in Tasmania and you’ve got plenty of teams that are faltering by your own standards'. It was bolshie and it does risk burning a lot of the goodwill but goodwill hasn’t got Tassie anywhere".[40]
While Tasmanian AFL Taskforce chairman Brett Godfrey has promised to continue pushing Tasmania's case at the appropriate time, he remains optimistic about a 2025 entry date, and has also expressed interest in a Tasmanian team entering the competition earlier in the event an existing AFL club collapses as a result of the crisis.
On the other hand, Collingwood President Eddie McGuire has stated is that it could take ten years for the AFL and its clubs to recover, likely pushing back Tasmania's AFL team aspirations in the short to medium term.[42] In this regard, Nick Riewoldt stated Tasmania would still have an opportunity to contribute to the game and its recovery.
Since the crisis effectively forced Tasmania to close its borders, the prospect of Hawthorn and North Melbourne moving their Tasmanian games to Melbourne has been raised; a decision on this is yet to be finalised, and the 2020 season was suspended on 22 March. If these deals were to be voided, it would likely save the Tasmanian taxpayer around $8,000,000, which were the existing commitments with North Melbourne and Hawthorn for 2020. Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett described the prospect of AFL games not being played in Tasmania in 2020, and therefore not honouring the agreement between Hawthorn and the Tasmanian government, as being "very selfish".[43]
2021 bid
2021: Government and AFL clash, Carter Report
In February 2021 it was reported that the Tasmanian Government had issued an ultimatum to the AFL, reportedly refusing to negotiate an extension of the deal, set to expire in 2022 that allowed North Melbourne and Hawthorn to play three-to-four home matches a year in the state, until the AFL gave the government a firm timetable for the introduction of a Tasmanian team.[44]
One week later the AFL formally responded to the government's request and rejected its demand for a concrete timeline, instead pledging to set up an independent review into the merits of Tasmania's bid which would report back no later than early 2022.[45]
This was met with a scathing response from Premier Peter Gutwein, who accused the AFL of stonewalling, and that "after receiving our business case 12 months ago, it beggars belief the AFL has not been able to consider it fully over the last year and now, to add insult to injury, want to take up to another year before providing clarity on the future of a Tasmanian team".[46] In a statement released shortly thereafter, the AFL highlighted the financial and investments risks stemming from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the football industry, as justification for the decision to conduct a formal review rather than provide the government with its desired timeline.[47]
The independent review was overseen by former AFL Commissioner and Geelong Football Club president Colin Carter.[48] The Carter Review was completed well ahead of schedule and presented to the AFL Commission in late July 2021.[49] The following month the report was released to the public. The review determined that a 19th licence could be awarded to a stand-alone Tasmanian team, but that a relocated team or a joint venture team between Tasmanian stakeholders and a Victorian team "would arguably produce a more sustainable outcome and therefore should be considered before a 19th licence".[50] The report did find however that the "economic barriers to a 19th team" could be overcome with the ongoing assistance of government and league funding.[51]
Premier Peter Gutwein was annoyed that the report did not categorically advocate for a 19th licence; in response, he threatened to bar North Melbourne and Hawthorn from hosting any further home matches in the State. Subsequently, a deal was struck between the Tasmanian Government and the AFL that retained these deals: Tasmania hosted two matches in the 2021 Finals Series (both moved from Melbourne due to the ongoing pandemic), while the parties mutually agreed to put the matter to all 18 club presidents in March 2022.[52][53]
2022: New Hobart stadium proposal
This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Cover events of April to December 2022. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2023)
Media reports in March revealed that the AFL club presidents meeting that month would discuss Tasmania's bid, and also likely set a date for a formal vote on the matter, possibly in August 2022.[54]
Sports journalist Sam Edmund has noted the support of the AFL Commission means it would require the support of seven (i.e. one-third plus one) of the 18 club presidents, as opposed to 12 for the two-thirds majority required if the league delegated the decision to the presidents, in order for a Tasmanian club to be granted an AFL licence.[54]
Shortly after, Peter Gutwein unveiled designs for a proposed 27,000-seat, retractable-roof stadium to be built at Regatta Point on the banks of the River Derwent, within walking distance of the Hobart City Centre.[55][56] The construction is estimated to cost $750 million, with a completion date of 2027, and is contingent on the bid being successful.[57]
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan announced on March 6 that a review had concluded the AFL had the finances and resources to support a Tasmanian team in an expanded competition, with the AFL suffering far lower than expected losses in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[58] At the AFL club presidents meeting ahead of the 2022 season launch three days later, McLachlan said that while the ongoing work around Tasmania's bid remains confidential, that "The framework is there, the discussions are getting meatier, and the heavy lifting will be happening over the coming months."[59]
On March 12, McLachlan, while noting the rules regarding a vote, confirmed the AFL wanted the support of a clear majority of clubs (i.e. a minimum of ten clubs voting in favor) before granting entry to a Tasmanian team, saying "it will be done with the support of our clubs, whichever way it goes," and that this would be "an industry decision".
McLachlan also stated the AFL would remain in constant contact with the 18 clubs and their presidents on the bid, while the AFL confirmed a Tasmanian team would require significant State Government financial backing to secure their admission.[60]
On the same evening, in an interview, McLachlan explained the process around the Tasmanian bid for an AFL licence:[61]
I think the commitment and the boldness being shown by the state government, and I'm optimistic it has bipartisan support, is making people pay attention - when you're tabling indoor stadiums, and being bold about funding commitments and solving problems, as each problem gets solved, or looks like being solved, the chances increase.
I am not going to comment on percentages, and it could go either way but the conversation is real. Whatever decision is made, it needs to be owned by the industry, by the commission and the clubs. You may not get total consensus, but there has to be a room of presidents and the commission who want it.
My point is, and that is the technical answer, but substantively, expansion is a huge industry decision that needs to be owned by the presidents and if it is getting down to votes, it needs to be a decision that is good for football.
It was also confirmed that the AFL Commission would formally submit the bid's proposal for a Tasmanian team to the club presidents in August. Once the proposal is submitted, the AFL Constitution states that a two-thirds majority of the club presidents (i.e. 12 votes) would be required to vote against the proposal in order for it to be rejected.
While no formal decisions have yet been made about the timing of a Tasmanian team's entry into the competition, a possible 20th AFL team, or the actual number of AFL club licences, 2027 has been identified as the date for a Tasmanian team's entry into the AFL.
On 18 November 2022, it was announced that an in-principle agreement on commercial terms for Tasmania's bid for a 19th licence has been reached. The agreement was announced by AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff where they described it as a "great step forward".[62] But the timeline around a final decision remains unclear. AFL Boss Gillon McLachlan then indicated an announcement on Tasmania's bid was "close" but wouldn't specify a timeframe or commit to sealing the deal before his tenure as chief executive finishes at the end of the year. McLachlan then stated [63]
"The decision requires the support of our AFL clubs and we are having productive discussions there," "In recent days we've come a long way with our clubs. "They've had detailed information around every aspect of the bid. We've got generally very positive feedback." It appears the final piece of the puzzle is locking in funding for the construction of a new stadium on Hobart's waterfront, which could carry a price tag of $750 million".
The Tasmanian government's funding commitment includes $12 million per year over 12 years, plus $60 million towards a high-performance and administration complex.[64]
2023: Stadium funding announcement, Tasmanian team admitted to AFL
This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Cover all events in 2023. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2023)
Positions of AFL clubs
The 18 club presidents have publicly stated their position as of September 2022, including Hawthorn and North Melbourne, who have the most vested interest, as these receive Tasmanian government funding. [65]
While the clubs are notionally independent bodies, the AFL retains ownership of five clubs - the GWS Giants, the Gold Coast Suns, Sydney Swans, Adelaide and Port Adelaide - and is also the sole voting member of three of those clubs (the Giants, Swans and the Suns). This means they will vote according to the AFL's wishes.
Richmond president Brendon Gale, who was born and raised in the state, has given unconditional support for a Tasmanian team, and Hawthorn Football Club president Jeff Kennett also supports a team in Tasmania. However, Kennett wishes to discuss the timing, and also does not want a Tasmanian team to fail: he has also not ruled out the relocation of his club to Tasmania in the future.[66]
While North Melbourne Football Club chief executive Ben Amarfio stated that the club supported the Tasmanian bid, he would only vote yes if convinced it was financially viable: he has raised concerns on this due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[67] Former long-time Collingwood Football Club president Eddie McGuire has given support for Tasmania's entry in 2030, on the proviso that significant government investment is made to infrastructure and game development, including a new roofed Macquarie Point Stadium at Hobart, and a twentieth licence for either of a Northern Australia team or a third Perth team (based at Perth Stadium) being granted.[68]
After the announcement of federal funding for the Macquarie Point Stadium, which ensured Tasmania's entry, a phone link between AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and the 18 club presidents that afternoon revealed 16 of the 18 clubs were in favour of Tasmania's entry, well in excess of both the seven clubs required and the ten clubs required for a clear majority, though McLachlan was still attempting to achieve a unanimous vote in favour. [71] It is believed that only Collingwood President Jeff Browne and Sydney CEO Andrew Pridham raised concerns at a meeting in Adelaide prior to Round 5 of the AFL season.
In 2001, after the collapse of the Tasmanian Statewide League, the Tasmanian Devils Football Club was formed and competed in the Victorian Football League. At the end of the 2008 season, AFL Tasmania decided to withdraw the Devils from the VFL competition in favour of restarting a new Tasmanian league encompassing the entire state.[72]
The AFL intends to field a Tasmanian team in the Victorian Football League from 2026 (most likely to be the Tasmania Devils returning after 18 years) as a precursor to the team entering the Australian Football League the following year. [73]
Tasmania has an association with the Victorian under-18 football competitions, the NAB League Boys and NAB League Girls, that act as a pathway for emerging AFL and AFL Women's talent.
AFL clubs from Victoria in Tasmania
As Tasmania is the last Australian state to house an AFL team, and is also a heartland state of the code (unlike New South Wales and Queensland), the league has often used the state for Melbourne-based clubs to host games in Tasmania. These arrangements are subsidised by the Tasmanian state, and local governments.[74]
Tasmanian news website and newspaper The Mercury has been a vocal supporter of the bid.[75][76]Kevin Sheedy has argued that Tasmania is not too small for an AFL team. He stated that population is irrelevant, and that a Tasmanian side could draw support from abroad in a similar way to the Green Bay Packers.[77] In 2008, Tasmanian bank MyState offered $300,000 over three years in sponsorship of a team.[78]
Left: Bellerive Oval would serve as the club's home ground in Hobart. Right: Tasmania's potential second ground, UTAS Stadium (York Park) in Launceston.
Due to the population split of Tasmania between Hobart and Launceston it has been proposed that a future Tasmania club use two home grounds Launceston and Hobart which are approximately 200km apart.
It has often been suggested that the home games could be split between the two population centres with Hobart hosting six games a year and Launceston hosting five.[citation needed]
Hobart
Hobart is Tasmania's largest city with a population around 230,000, which is comparable to Greater Geelong (home of the AFL's Geelong Football Club). The record crowd for an Australian rules game in Hobart was 24,968 for the 1979 TANFL Grand Final at North Hobart Oval.
A Tasmanian AFL team's main home venue would be a new stadium at Macquarie Point, to begin construction in the near future, and be completed by 2029.[88]
Launceston
Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania housing nearly 90,000 people which is comparable in population to the Federal Division of Fremantle. The northern half of Tasmania is home to half the states population. It is the economic centre of Northern Tasmania. The record crowd for an Australian rules game in Launceston was 20,971 at York Park an AFL minor round fixture in 2006.
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↑ Clause 27(a) of the AFL Constitution states that if the AFL Commission approves certain extraordinary motions, including the admission of a new club, a two-thirds majority of the clubs is required to veto the Commission's decision: thus, with the AFL Commission having agreed to the entry of a Tasmanian club, at least seven of the 18 clubs (i.e. one-third plus one) were required to vote in favor of their entry.
↑ "Our crusade to end Tassie's footy snub". The Mercury. 11 March 2008. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2008. And today ... the Mercury launches its season-long campaign, Tasmania – It's Time, to reignite the push for a Tasmanian team in the AFL.
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