AFL coaches welcome the 19th team in Tasmania wary of what’s to come

There’s overwhelming excitement in Tasmania over confirmation of a 19th team and a 2028 start date with coaches conscious of the impact on existing clubs.

What Hobart's new AFL stadium at Macquarie Point could look like. Picture: AFL

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has already begun “strategising” with his list manager to deal with the potential of compromised drafts to help build the new Tasmanian team as Sydney coach John Longmire pleaded for NSW not to be forgotten.

As the AFL community reacted to the historic announcement of a 19th club premiership winning Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said the news was “fundamentally good” for the game and has no concern over a possible dilution of the national talent pool.

In confirming the news, with the Tasmanian team set to come in to the competition in 2028, outgoing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said the move was “not only good for Tasmania but good for our national game.”

“There are big days and there are really big days. For our national game of Australian rules football and for the state of Tasmania this feels really big. Historic. Big for football, big for Tasmanians, big for all AFL supporters,” Mr McLachlan said.

“Today is an important and historic day, for football in Tasmania, for football in Australia, for footy supporters all around the country.”

AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan speaks to media at Hobart airport ahead of this afternoonÕs announcement. Picture: AFL/Twitter

Lyon had previous declared the 18 other AFL teams would potentially “pay the price” for the new team, having seen drafts impacted by the recent inclusions of the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants.

While the new Tasmanian outfit could be as many as five years away from fielding its first team, Lyon, while excited at the prospect of the new outfit, said it was crucial to plan now.

“(We need to) try and understand what the ramifications are and what it means for your list because someone’s got to pay the fare,” he said on Wednesday.

“We talk weekly on the near term and the long term about our list, which is great. We’re all building on the same page.

“It’s about the age profile of your list. There’s no doubt when they come in and the draft gets diluted, that strong lists in that period, it gives you a real opportunity for success – I think revisionist history will show you that.”

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan will confirm a Tasmanian team on Wednesday. Picture Chris Kidd

Longmire said the Swans had always supported a Tasmanian team. But the long-serving coach also said that for continued growth of the game it was important NSW was not forgotten in the push to make the 19th team a successful one.

“What we;re mindful of it there is one third of the population of Australia is in NSW yet only one per cent play AFL football,” Longmire said.

“Let’s not take our eye off what’s happening here in NSW, the most competitive sporting market in the world. I think we need to do a bit of work in that space.

“It’s a challenge for us and GWS and the code in general. I think we’ve made some great gains ... but it’s a real challenge to keep that up. It needs work and will continue to need long-term work and long term investment.

“We can’t lose sight of the fact there is so much potential here in NSW that still remains untapped.

“It’s great to put Tasmania in, but it’s important we do things right.”

Swans coach John Longmire Photo by Phil Hillyard

Goodwin said for the “broader picture of the game” Tasmania’s inclusion was a tremendous next step and was confident finding enough talent to full another playing list would not be an issue.

“Tassie is a very proud football state, and I think it‘s great for the Tasmanians and I know that it will be a pretty, pretty cool team,” he said. .

“I think you see the game it is now and the talent that continues to walk through our doors … there’s a lot of talent out there in Australia in footy and there‘s a lot of guys that miss out on opportunities and if they are put in the right environment, they can develop into great players,” he said.

“So I think that talent won‘t be an issue. I think we still have a great game of footy as we have had for the last period of time.

“It’s continued to grow our game and participation rates continue to increase and having another team in our competition is only going to do that again.”

Matthew Richardson advocates something new for the Tasmanian team. Picture: Richard Jupe

The enthusiasm from the coaches came as one of Tasmania’s greatest AFL exports, Matthew Richardson, says any fight over naming the 19th team the “Devils” could be avoided by going with the “Islanders” as their name.

In the original business case it was planned to called the team the “Tasmanian Devils”, the name used by the state’s under-18 side, having registered it as a trademark through the Australian government.

But it is understood the commercial trademark is owned by Warner Bros Entertainment for the cartoon character that has been made famous across the world, and the AFL could be in for a fight to use the name.

Richardson, who was drafted to Richmond from Devonport where he grew up, said the likelihood that new AFL chief executive elect Andrew Dillon would allow the Tasmanian people to choose the name was sound.

But Richardson said his choice could help avoid any issue.

“I think we should go for something new. But you know what I recommend that people should decide … throw it out there and let the people of Tasmania come up with some names and some ideas and then let them let them vote on it,” Richardson told RSN.

“I did mention the Islanders the other day. It is what it is, Tassie is an island. There are other teams called the Islanders. That’s one that immediately came to mind.

“We’ve done the Devils, we’ve done the Mariners.”

Originally published as AFL coaches welcome the 19th team in Tasmania wary of what’s to come