Jeff Kennett believes the AFL is trying to push Hawthorn out of Tasmania for North Melbourne

Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett believes the AFL is “trying to push” the Hawks out of Tasmania so it clears the path for the Kangaroos to play seven home games in the state. He says the league doesn’t respect his club.

Jeff Kennett believes the AFL is trying to push Hawthorn out of Tasmania in favour of North Melbourne. Picture: Getty

Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett believes the AFL is eyeing a long-term plan for North Melbourne to play seven “home” matches a season in Tasmania.

Kennett said he suspected the Hawks were being pushed out of the Apple Isle in favour of a strategy that would ultimately see the Kangaroos play four matches in Hobart and three in Launceston.

But the former Victorian premier declared the move would happen “over my dead body”.

North Melbourne last month announced it had agreed to play an extra match at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena, increasing its annual commitment to four games.

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Asked whether the Kangaroos were shifting to Tasmania by stealth, Kennett told the Herald Sun: “I don’t know, I don’t think their constitution allows them to, but I do think that the AFL are working on increasing their games there.

“I think the AFL would like us out of there and they’d like to give North seven games — three up north and four down south.

“I don’t think North’s constitution will allow them to move permanently anywhere — James (former president James Brayshaw) changed it so that they’ve to get 75 per cent membership support, and I don’t think that they’ll get that for a transfer, but they might get it for seven games.

Jeff Kennett believes the AFL is trying to push Hawthorn out of Tasmania in favour of North Melbourne. Picture: Getty

“You see the AFL is looking to try and reduce their costs of subsidising some of these other clubs.”

Kangaroos president Ben Buckley insisted in February that he did not see the club’s Tasmanian arrangement increasing to “six or seven games”.

“We are committed to developing footy in Tasmania, but I have also made it very clear that Arden St is our home, and will always be our home,” Buckley told the Sunday Herald Sun.

The Hawks’ $3.5 million-a-year Launceston arrangement expires at the end of 2021.

“There’s no doubt the AFL are trying to push us out,” Kennett said.

“They’ve given North another game. Well that’s fine, I’m not opposed to them having another game, but it’s a sign of the times.

“North have an AFLW team which joins the league next year and they will play their games in Tassie and they’ve also positioned one of their games up at our stadium in Launceston — so this is all thin edge of the wedge, which is getting much thicker very quickly.”

Kennett warned attempts to boot the Hawks out of Tasmania would carry serious political risk.

“I don’t think whoever forms government down there can afford to lose Hawthorn,” the former Victorian premier said.

Hawthorn plays four games per year in Launceston.

“It is the best sponsorship in the league because it can be measured and they measure it themselves. So it’s huge, particularly in northern Tassie, right across the top. So if the Tasmanian government want us out — Labor or Liberal — they are going to have huge political issues. They’ll lose seats. They run a huge political risk.

“But those parties have indicated that they want us to stay there. We’ve been there for over a decade now. North are the new boy on the block. We’ve carried the can for the AFL.

“That’s what gives me the irrits about the AFL — for the last decade or more Hawthorn has carried the responsibility for the AFL in Tasmania and we get no thanks for it. All we get is abuse.

“We are not respected by the AFL, particularly by some of the individuals there.”

Pressed on whether a stand-alone Tasmanian team would succeed, Kennett said: “No, because I don’t think that is viable — and I know that is not a popular view down there.

“It’s a lovely dream, but I don’t think it will be competitive or have sufficient support financially for a long enough period for it to be sustainable, unless like the Gold Coast or GWS, the AFL decide to put in $25 million a year.

“If Gill (AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan) made a decision — ‘righto we’re going to subsidise a Tasmanian team’ — he could do it tomorrow, but then you’ll have trouble, as you’re having at the Gold Coast, in keeping good people there.”

Kennett said Hawthorn’s Launceston deal generated more than $38 million a year in economic benefits to the state.