Band of presidents cast doubt on Tassie AFL bid
A core group of AFL presidents have significant concerns about the viability of a Tasmanian team – but the premier says he’s “determined to finish what this Government started.”
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A core group of AFL presidents still have significant concerns about the AFL’s financial model for a Tasmanian team as they await an early August report on its viability.
The AFL’s seemingly inevitable march into Tasmania relies upon the support of club presidents and chief executives, with the league only prepared to move forward with a competition-wide mandate.
But three months before a meeting to secure that support, club presidents are still yet to be swayed that the Tasmanian government’s $750 million stadium proposal is viable.
There are concerns at both Tasmanian taskforce level and from club presidents that the extraordinary momentum carried forward under premier Peter Gutwein could wane under new premier Jeremy Rockliff.
Rockliff made clear his mission was to finish the job when he told News Corp on Tuesday: “As I have made clear to the AFL, I am determined to finish what this Government started, and deliver Tasmania its own team, once and for all“.
The AFL is due to hand clubs a comprehensive analysis of the finances and cost-benefit analysis in the first week of August, having already given them a verbal briefing of the progress.
It will need to have secured rock-solid financial commitments from the Rockliff government on how the money for the stadium is raised and ongoing government commitments for decades to come.
The AFL is hoping to build a consensus rather than push through a Commission recommendation for a Tassie team that would then require the backing of just a third of AFL presidents to grant a 19th licence.
The presidents believe the state deserves a team from an emotional and historic perspective but some are still asking whether it should come with a relocation rather than 19th licence.
Collingwood president Jeff Browne spoke for many clubs on Easter Monday when he made clear the Pies were yet to be convinced.
“I can’t answer your question because I haven’t seen the detail. All I have seen is one image with a stadium with a roof on it. We don’t want to subsidise another team in the competition and we need to weigh up the opportunity very carefully,” Browne said.
“I need to see the detail of the financial arrangements to make sure Collingwood will not subsidise another club in the AFL competition. I think 20 (teams) is a lot. I think you can run with 19 and you would have to do that before you went to 20.”
Key to their concerns are the guarantees from the Tasmanian government about continued support, which the Carter report stated would need to be between $7m-$10m per season.
The league would also need to find $17 million extra per season for the annual distribution which would come at the expense of club funding, community development and the AFLW pay demands.
They are also concerned about how a $750 million indoor stadium would make money given clubs continue to battle for better stadium returns at venues including Marvel Stadium and Metricon Stadium.
The league will have to provide a detailed financial breakdown but also the potential draft allowances that will allow a 19th licence to build its team as it enters the competition.
The Giants and Gold Coast were allowed a massive suite of draft allowances and priority access to listed players and state league players.
The introduction of both teams led to years of uncompromised drafts, but a single team’s entry should provide less of an impact to the existing 18 teams.
Originally published as Band of presidents cast doubt on Tassie AFL bid
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