Macquarie Point Stadium will be great for the state, says former JackJumpers boss Simon Brookhouse
Former Jackjumpers CEO-turned Supercars team boss Simon Brookhouse on why Tasmanians will swarm to back the Devils AFL team and Mac1 Stadium is so key to the team’s success.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Devils AFL team will do the same for football in Tasmania as the JackJumpers have for basketball, says former Jackies CEO turned Supercars team boss Simon Brookhouse.
And the man who laid the foundation for Tasmania’s NBL championship-winning team has a message for the state’s politicians – “build the stadium – get it done”.
Brookhouse watched Tasmanians come out of the woodwork to support the JackJumpers when they entered the national competition in 2021.
“I think the Devils will be exactly the same _ and probably tenfold in terms of the number of people who support them,” he said.
“You’ve only got to look at the number of great footballers Tasmania has produced over the journey and the fans that follow AFL. Tasmanians love AFL.
“Hawthorn has been very successful here, and North Melbourne has been successful coming here.
“Even if people don’t switch from their Essendons or Collingwoods, there’s no doubt many of them will be buying a second membership to the Devils and going to home games.”
Now based in Victoria, Brookhouse has watched Tasmania’s sporting presence grow.
“I think it’s fantastic, and Tasmanians love their sport and they deserve it,” he said.
“They’ve just renewed the contract to keep the Supercars coming here [Symmons Plains], I’m really thrilled to see the JackJumpers win a title, and the Hurricanes won the title, so everything is going really well for Tasmania.
“I want to see that stadium built now _ let Jeremy [Rockliffe] get on with it and get it done.
“When the JackJumpers came in and we had the MyState Bank Arena redeveloped, it made a huge difference.
“Lots of people came out and enjoyed the NBL and couldn’t get enough of it.
“Now people find it hard to get in because it’s sold out almost every game.
“My view is the stadium will be the same, so get it done, and the people will come.”
Brookhouse said it could do for Tasmania what Adelaide Oval did for South Australia.
“A lot of people were against it initially but once it was done people flocked to it,” Brookhouse said.
“I’ve been there for Gather Round and to the Adelaide Test, and I’ve been to LIV Golf in South Australia, that government is getting on with it.
“So my view is for Tasmania to get on with building the stadium and get it done because I’m sure it will be a great success because I know the support will come from the Tasmanian people.”
The Tasmania Football Club is building a High Performance Centre, the JackJumpers are getting a High Performance Centre and Cricket Tasmania recently secured land at Seven Mile Beach for its own High Performance Centre.
“They make a huge difference,” Brookhouse said.
“The best sports in the world always have the High Performance Centres, and you go backwards if you are not going forward in that space in elite sport.
“When High Performance Centres are built, people get better and it also becomes a destination _ elite athletes want to be at the best facilities.”
Supercars and basketball could barely be further apart.
And Brookhouse is the only member of his team _ Ford powerhouse Tickford Racing _ that did not have a previous investment in motorsport.
“I’ve really enjoyed Supercars, it’s certainly something that is very different,” he said.
“Like all sport, there are still the same challenges.
“You’ve still got to get sponsorship dollars through the door and you’ve still got to win.
“So there is a little bit in common.
“The one thing I find most different with motor racing is that one per cent makes such a difference.
“In basketball, if you miss a few shots, you sub someone else in to make them, but here you can’t do that.
“A driver makes one of two little mistakes and it could cost yourself a whole weekend.
“So it’s more on the edge in motorsport than basketball.”
The pressure involved in making a successful supercar team is also more intense.
“It’s a different type of pressure because there are so many different moving parts and things that can affect the weekend,” Brookhouse said.
“It could be car setup, the track, the weather conditions, and it comes down to such little things.
“There’s so many moving parts compared to basketball where you’ve got a coach and a team and the pressure comes from performance on the day.
“The pressure here comes from the whole lead up, getting the cars ready to roll out fast for a whole weekend.”
Originally published as Macquarie Point Stadium will be great for the state, says former JackJumpers boss Simon Brookhouse
Bombers blitz: Lauderdale trio fire in statement win
It took just 60 seconds for the Bombers to hit the scoreboard—and they never let up, steamrolling Kingborough in a ruthless performance which sent a message to the competition.
Tasmanian architecture short-listed for national awards
Five of the state’s finest new homes have made the shortlist for the national Houses Awards in recognition of their supreme design features. CHECK THEM OUT >>>