NT sports minister Kate Worden has blasted television personality Eddie McGuire
NT sports minister Kate Worden called television personality Eddie McGuire’s comments about the NT’s chances of fielding an AFL team ‘incredibly disappointing’.
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The NT sports minister has blasted comments made by footy and television personality Eddie McGuire on the likelihood of the NT fielding an AFL team.
It comes after Tasmania was officially awarded the 19th AFL license, with their team to enter the competition ahead of the 2028 season.
The NT’s taskforce, led by Sports Minister Kate Worden and AFLNT chairman Sean Bowden, has been working on a case study for licence number 2o for the past two years.
But while speculating who could gain the 20th licence, McGuire, the former president of the Collingwood Football Club, said social disarray could take the NT out of the equation.
“I would love to see something happening in Northern Territory,” McGuire said on his Eddie and Jimmy podcast.
“But the Northern Territory as we know is in complete disarray socially at the moment.”
It was a sentiment echoed by the CLP’s tourism and hospitality spokeswomen Marie Clare Boothby who called it another example of tourism missing out due to inaction on crime.
“With our incredible lifestyle and passion for sport we should be in the hot seat for the next AFL team but due to our reputation we’re missing out again,” she said.
However, Ms Worden has since blasted the McGuire’s comments as “incredibly disappointing”.
“It’s incredibly disappointing that people outside the NT feel like they have a right to make some kind of social commentary around this,” Ms Worden said.
“I think people are able to look at that and say well here’s a person who probably hasn’t step foot in the NT for a very long time making a comment about the Territory.
“I would invite Eddie to come here and speak to the kids playing AFL football here in the NT, come and sit with the government and see what have here on the ground.”
Ms Worden said making sure the NT was best placed to have an AFL team was something the Government owed to kids wanting to play in for a Territory club.
She also acknowledged social issues needed to be addressed to give the NT its best chance of fielding a team in the future.
“As a Government, we a very aware there are some social issues here, but that doesn’t mean we stop all the other work that is going on behind the scenes,” Ms Worden said.
“We are addressing the social issues as we go forward but at the same time we are making sure that if there is a 20th licence on the table the NT puts itself in a good place.
“We know that Territory kids when they are coming through the ranks of AFL football in the Northern Territory they would want nothing more than to play in a Territory side.
“We owe it to our kids. We have been exporting fantastic AFL players for many, many years into the AFL competition. Why shouldn’t they be able to stay at home and play here?
“Tassie getting the nod makes it much more credible I think for the Northern Territory to get an opportunity.”
‘Reinvigorated’: NT AFL team taskforce gathers strength from Tassie bid
The likely granting of an AFL licence to Tasmania has “reinvigorated” a special taskforce attempting to achieve the same result for the Territory.
Taskforce member and Larrakia Development Corporation chief executive Nigel Browne said the group – which includes “driving force” Sports Minister Kate Worden – would meet again this month.
“It’s reinvigatorated the taskforce’s goals,” Browne said.
“Nobody wants a 19-team competition ... the Territory should be the next cab off the rank.
“Everyone’s been keeping an eye on the Tasmanian push.”
It comes after former chief minister Michael Gunner said it was time for the Territory to have its own big league team.
He said the taskforce – which also has former Melbourne FC chief executive Peter Jackson as a member – was working towards completing a “body of work” with the assistance of PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), including a redrafted social impact study and an overall business case.
“We’ve already reviewed the first iteration of that social impact (study),” Browne said, expecting both to eventually be made public.
“So we’ve already had the feedback (with PWC), now we’re just waiting on redrafting to occur, so it’s in train.”
Browne, also a member of the Darwin Salties’ steering committee, said the taskforce’s findings so far had been largely positive.
“To be honest, I haven’t really come across anything negative,” he said.
“The only negative thing at the moment is figuring out how it’s actually going to be done in terms of funding.
“The taskforce is pretty positive and motivated about what impact (is likely) having that 20th AFL team.
“And a shiny new football stadium.”
However, he reiterated that a potential bid would be a winner for all of the Territory, not just Darwin, with a previous report framing an “unconventional model” being used.
“It’s something that’s spread across the Territory,” he said.
“It’s not just the football team, it’s the administration behind the football team, it’s being able to provide wraparound services to junior players and their families.
“Giving kids in community something to aspire to.”
He also hoped it would lead to improved playing surfaces, particularly in remote areas, to have more football played in community.
He said he was concerned by Alice Springs Town Council “shutting down” community football at Traeger Park.
“There were reports coming out of communities that players had stopped training, there were concerns about what would happen, potentially adversely ... to those young players because they don’t have anything to aspire to for the upcoming season,” he said.
In a statement, Sports Minister Kate Worden said the taskforce continued to meet to “construct a bid for an AFL licence in the Northern Territory”.
“This is an exciting project, one that needs to be done thoroughly so we can put forward the best possible case for the NT to have its own team,” Minister Worden said.
“We need to be ready when the 20th licence becomes available.”
Ex-chief minister calls for an AFL team in the Territory
It is time for the Northern Territory to have its own AFL team, former chief minister Michael Gunner has said in an impassioned social media post.
Saying it was time for a “truly national comp” on his Facebook page, Gunner’s comments comes after the Federal Government committed $240m for a waterfront stadium in Hobart which could hold matches from 2027.
The league will now go to all 18 existing AFL teams to gain their support for a 19th licence.
It comes after a special AFL bid taskforce – including Sports Minister Kate Worden – met in March to discuss the results of a NT Government-commissioned social impact study.
It will inform an overall business case, prepared by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
At the centre of the Territory’s potential bid is a proposed $300m, 25,000-seat stadium in Darwin’s CBD.
However, Gunner said “it’s the Territory’s time for an AFL team”.
“It’s time for the AFL to be a truly national comp,” Gunner said.
His comments follow similar sentiments from former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou.
Gunner said a 19th licence would create a bye each week, something which fans or broadcasters would not want.
“To borrow from Bruce (McAvaney), a Territory club would be special,” he said.
“We know it would boost the economy and local jobs, drive visitor growth, reimagine our CBD and put the Territory positively on the map every week of the year.”
Gunner said it would also open the game up to Asian markets and the league was capable of making profound social change, like legendary broadcaster Charlie King’s No More campaign.
“A Territory club can’t be built with a social licence tacked on, but a club built to be a social force,” he said.
“Territorians are incredible. We can do this the Territory way, together.”
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