Premier Peter Gutwein has hour-long ‘productive’ meeting with Gill McLachlan over Tassie AFL team

Tasmania’s Premier says an hour-long meeting with AFL boss Gill McLachlan was ‘productive’ — but is demanding a say in who will conduct the AFL’s report into the state’s business case for a club in the big league. LATEST >>

• Premier Peter Gutwein hits out at ‘disrespectful’ AFL, who continue to ignore Tassie
• Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein won’t back down in war with AFL as temperature rises

LATEST, 3.30PM FEBRUARY 26:

TASMANIAN Premier Peter Gutwein wants a say in who will conduct the AFL’s independent report into the state’s business case for a club in the big league.

It comes after an hour-long meeting on Friday morning, with talks to continue over the weekend.

Mr Gutwein hopes to have an answer early next week, possibly Monday, on his push to have the AFL to have the review completed by mid this year, not the end of the year or the start of next year.

The Tasmanian Government will not start renegotiations with Hawthorn and North Melbourne for games in the state until there is a clear position on a Tasmanian AFL team.

“It would be fair to say both of us are very clear on each other’s view,” Mr Gutwein said of the meeting.

“My sense is that Gill as the current CEO of the AFL is very well in tune with what Tasmania is looking to achieve and accomplish as a result of the work we have already done.
“I don’t believe he is giving me lip service in the conversations we have had.

“Today was productive, we’ll have further conversations in coming days and I’d hope that early next week I’ll be able to provide you with a further update in terms of the steps forward.”

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture Chris Kidd

However, for transparency and confidence, Mr Gutwein said he would prefer one of the major auditing companies — Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG or PwC — to carry out the review.

“It would be reasonable to say that I’ve impressed on Mr McLachlan that I would much prefer one of the independent firms, preferably one of the big four, to do this work,” he said.

“I would have concerns if it were someone who was hand-picked who has had a long association with the AFL.

“I think both for the AFL’s comfort and for the Tasmanian Government’s comfort a truly independent report would be the best way forward.”

Meanwhile, respected Tasmanian economist Saul Eslake has hit back over comments from Gold Coast Sun’s chairman Tony Cochrane that the AFL cannot afford expansion.

The Suns have the lowest membership in the AFL and rely on the highest slice of AFL distributions of any of the clubs, reaching $27 million in 2019.

“The Gold Coast experiment has been an abysmal failure both on and off the field,” Mr Eslake said.

“His club should be a prime candidate for relocation to a place where people are actually interested in – and passionate about – AFL.

“No wonder he doesn’t want to talk about relocation.”

‘I want the AFL to commit that Tasmania is next in line’

FEBRUARY 24:

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has given a “rolled gold” assurance that a Tasmanian AFL team would be financially viable and delivered a smack-down to the AFL over the dependence of other teams on league charity.

Speaking on Melbourne radio, Mr Gutwein slammed suggestions Tasmania would become a burden of AFL coffers as the state doubles down on its push for an AFL licence to start playing in 2025.

The Premier has asked AFL boss Gill McLachlan for a commitment one way or the other by mid-year on a Tasmanian stand-alone licence so the State Government knows where it stands on its contracts with Hawthorn and North Melbourne to play a total of eight games a season in the state.

AFL Round 18. 17/09/2020. North Melbourne vs West Coast Eagles at Metricon stadium, Gold Coast. Tasmanian Aaron Hall of the Kangaroos clears by hand. Pic: Michael Klein

Those contracts expire at the end of this season.

“What I want is for the AFL is to commit that Tasmania is the next in line and that we will get a team at or around that date,” Mr Gutwein said.

“I cannot for the life of me understand why they cannot make that commitment.

“It’s a matter of will, that’s all it comes down to.”

Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Tasmania’s business case said it would not be a drain on AFL resources and the Premier reaffirmed the state’s committed to $11 million per year support for the team.

“One thing that is very evident from the way the AFL supports teams, you could carve off the top six teams in a financial sense and the remainder struggle,” he said.

“There aren’t very many sponsors out there that have put in place an enduring commitment of support.

“As a state government, we can.

“We’ve had 20 years of this, in fact I think we are one of the longest sponsors in the game.

“As a state government we will always support sport and sporting codes moving forward – we can commit to that and commit on a long-term basis.

“There wouldn’t be many corporations that would have that capacity.”

EARLIER:

THE battle for Tasmania between Premier Peter Gutwein and AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan will enter its next round when the two meet later this week.

Mr Gutwein and Mr McLachlan have spoken by phone and will have a virtual meeting this Friday – exactly a week since Mr McLachlan delivered his response to the Premier seeking 12 months for an independent review of the state’s business case for an AFL club.

Not amused: Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture: Zak Simmonds

It left Mr Gutwein livid, with insiders saying they have never seen the Premier as angry as when he received the AFL’s response, which he said “beggars belief.”

Despite the resumption of talks between the two organisations, Mr Gutwein was not backing down from his hard line stance and disbelief at the AFL’s response.

The AFL has had the report for 12 months, landing at AFL headquarters prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It took the Tasmanian AFL Taskforce four months to put the 268-page document together – yet the AFL is asking for 12 months to review it.

“As I have said, the response received from the AFL is simply not good enough,” Mr Gutwein told the Mercury.

“We have paid our dues and it’s time for the AFL to treat us with respect and fairness and provide clarify on the future of a Tasmanian team.

“I will be catching up with Mr McLachlan on Friday and will continue to press our case.”

At stake is a timeline to a Tasmanian AFL team and the state’s combined $8 million contract with Hawthorn and North Melbourne – due to expire after this season.

Mr Gutwein has said he cannot negotiate new Hawks or Roos contracts until the state’s own football future was clearer.

Also at play is the future of the code in Tasmania.

The health of the once traditional Australian rules heartland state is suffering, with East Devonport – the 120-year-old club that was the first club for Hall of Fame legend Darrel Baldock, Collingwood star Graeme Wright and Richmond champion Matthew Richardson — unable to field teams in the seniors, reserves or under-18s this year due to a lack of numbers.

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